Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder has criticised the refereeing during his team’s 2-0 loss against Liverpool last night.
There was no great controversy during the game, although the Blades still believed they had two big reasons to be upset. Asked by BBC Sport to comment on a ‘couple of decisions that didn’t go their way,’ after the match, Wilder let loose.
Firstly, the 56-year-old felt that James McAtee should have had a penalty following a push from Ibrahima Konate. “I honestly think so. I can’t see how the centre half can just push McAtee over in the box,” Wilder complained.
Next, with Darwin Nunez on a booking, the Uruguayan lunged in to take the ball from Jayden Bogle, before setting up Dominik Szoboszlai to score. It was a clean tackle from Nunez, but Wilder wasn’t happy, suggesting that the already-booked Nunez was a ‘lucky boy.’
“I think the foul on Jayden Bogle, he can say he has got the ball, but getting the ball 20 or 30 years ago and coming through with stuff was allowed, but it isn’t allowed now, whatever level it is,” fumed the manager. “I’m delighted Jayden hasn’t been injured and isn’t out for the weekend, that led to the goal. Even before he’s a lucky boy because he’s jumped into Jack Robinson without looking for anything and it’s a clear foul.
“It’s a difficult period for the referees at the moment and it showed there. I was disappointed because I can see the McAtee one a little bit, I understand that, but it’s a poor foul on Bogle and he’s on a yellow as well and it leads to the goal. I’m frustrated to be honest with you.”
Wilder disappointed with decisions
On another day, it’s probably true that both of these calls could have gone against Liverpool. But even then, it would have been extremely harsh.
The ‘penalty’ incident is a lot of nothing, really. Konate does slightly lean into McAtee, but the Manchester City loanee was already off balance with the ball running away from him.
With the score still at 1-0 late in the game, it was a hearts-in-mouths moment for Liverpool supporters, especially as Konate wasn’t playing too well. But if that’s a penalty, then there’ll be four or five given every game.
The Nunez ‘foul’ is probably a more legitimate gripe. The 24-year-old does come slightly from behind to take the ball from Bogle, and it was a little bit of a lunge.
Still though, it’s a really clean tackle from Darwin. He doesn’t get anything of the United player before he snatches the ball away.
As Wilder alludes to, those kinds of challenges have pretty much been stamped out of the game. Plenty of fans may have been expecting to see the subsequent goal chalked off.
Having been already on a booking for a silly show of dissent, a decision against Nunez could well have seen him given a second yellow-card.
In the end though, common sense prevailed. Not every slightly hairy looking tackle has to be a foul or a booking. Liverpool were well worthy of the win last night, the referee had nothing to do with it.
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