Rafa Benitez was left fuming after a contentious 95th-minute equaliser from Wily Boly saw Wolves escape from Newcastle with a point on Monday night.
After Isaac Hayden had put the Toon ahead midway through the second half, Wolves levelled deep into injury time when Boly got above Martin Dubravka to nod in Adama Traore’s looping cross from close range.
However, the leaping Boly definitely appeared to at least lay a hand or two on Dubravka as he scrambled for position underneath his own crossbar…
With the final whistle sounding just seconds after the restart, Newcastle manager Benitez came stomping onto the pitch to share a few breezy opinions with referee Graham Scott and his linesmen.
Rafa continued on a rolling boil during his post-match interview:
In England they don’t understand the rules. I can say many things but it will not change anything.
I didn’t like the challenge at the end. You have to protect the keeper. We have been here for years and it’s still very difficult to explain that.
However, he did also concede that his goalkeeper could have been a little stronger under duress from Boly:
These kinds of balls you can do a little bit better – just punch the ball and finish.
It was not very clear watching the replay, but it’s something we have to defend better.
We know that it is England and people will come against the ‘keeper so he has to be strong enough.
Maybe it’s just because we’re English and don’t fully understand the rules, but that certainly looked like a case of weak goalkeeping.
Boly may have had his arms out, but that didn’t prevent Dubravka from jumping. He just got caught underneath the ball without the necessary room in a crowded six-yard box to rectify his positioning.
Any thoughts on the matter, Pies fans?