Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Gary O’Neil commended Pablo Sarabia’s display of sportsmanship against Sheffield United, asserting that it was the right decision despite the discontent from some supporters.
Sarabia, who secured the solitary goal in Wolves’ 1-0 win, had an opportunity to potentially double the lead when Blades goalkeeper Ivo Grbic was caught out of position after one of his teammates went down. However, Sarabia opted not to take advantage of the situation and refused to shoot from range. Instead, he kicked the ball out of play to allow Vinicius Souza to receive medical attention.
Sarabia’s decision stirred controversy at the moment and didn’t sit favourably with Wolves fans, given the open goal opportunity and the absence of a head injury.
In the post-match press conference, O’Neil addressed the incident, expressing the belief that it wouldn’t have been fair if Wolves had capitalised on the situation to score.
The manager said, via the club’s website: “It seems like he knew his player was down injured. It would’ve been easier if he’d just kicked it off the pitch rather than kicking it to Pablo, it would’ve cleared it up a bit more. But you know, Pablo did the right thing.”
Wolves experienced a dip in performance after halftime, allowing the Blades an opportunity to potentially salvage something from the match. A deficiency in forward passes and stagnant play in midfield contributed to growing frustration at Molineux. However, despite these challenges, Wolves managed to hold on to secure the victory.
It was the right thing to do and as a Wolves fan, I was glad he used his common sense.