Sporting Life 13/8/11
GRAYSON BAFFLED BY RED CARDS
Leeds manager Simon Grayson declared himself "bewildered" after his nine-man side were beaten 1-0 by Middlesbrough in the npower Championship match at Elland Road.
With fans protesting about chairman Ken Bates off the field, referee Anthony Taylor dominated proceedings on it by sending off three players - two from Leeds - while Marvin Emnes struck a second-half winner.
Max Gradel and Tony McMahon, both booked in the fifth minute following a minor skirmish, saw red before half-time, with Leeds captain Jonny Howson following them down the tunnel on the hour following a controversial incident involving Emnes.
Howson had already been booked after an almost unavoidable foul on Emnes following a Michael Brown error, and, when the two collided as they raced towards a vacant Leeds half, Taylor gave the decision in Howson's favour.
But, as Emnes lay on the floor, Grayson claims Taylor was told to change his initial verdict by his assistant, Keith Lawson, who had to take over the fourth official duties after getting injured just a minute earlier.
"I don't know what words to describe it," Grayson said.
"Everybody is referring to a few of the decisions. It amazes you at times. You have 20-odd thousand here, a passionate local derby, two players go for a 50-50, not over the top or anything like that, and they're both yellow-carded which puts them both on the back foot.
"Neither of them went over the top and then Max makes a rash challenge. He then decides to even it up by sending off Tony McMahon which I don't think was another yellow card, and then the second sending-off absolutely baffled me.
"I've been in to see the referee. The second decision with Jonny Howson is an unbelievable decision. He has given a free-kick in our direction and was about to book Emnes and, if he wasn't rolling around on the floor like he was doing, he'd have been booked and we'd have had a free-kick. He was going to book him for diving, that's what he's told me.
"He's clipped Jonny Howson's leg - I've seen the DVD - and while he's rolling around on the floor, the fourth official tells him from 60 yards that he's made the wrong decision and Jonny Howson gets sent off.
"The referee is 10-15 yards away, and how he can't make the decision himself or make it and then get overruled, leaves me bewildered."
With sections of the home support already unhappy at boardroom proceedings, the sendings-off only added to a tense atmosphere inside Elland Road.
Middlesbrough manager Tony Mowbray, while happy to take the points, was equally puzzled by some decisions and felt the official had failed to take the mood of the ground into account.
"We were only interested in the final result," he said. "It was a game of swinging emotions and frustrations, but we'll put it behind us very quickly as we have the points.
"How referees decide to manage football matches is probably decided before they start. When I came to watch Leeds and Middlesbrough in the 1970s there seemed to be a sending-off every game.
"It's a fantastic atmosphere to play football in and I think it over-hypes the players. My own personal view is the referee had a difficult day."
Having conceded a last-minute equaliser against Portsmouth on the opening day, Mowbray was pleased to see his players survive a late Leeds assault, with goalkeeper Andy Lonergan a regular fixture in their box as the home side pressed.
"We have been vulnerable to late barrages in the past and thankfully today we didn't succumb to it, as it happened to us a few times last year as well."
GRAYSON BAFFLED BY RED CARDS
Leeds manager Simon Grayson declared himself "bewildered" after his nine-man side were beaten 1-0 by Middlesbrough in the npower Championship match at Elland Road.
With fans protesting about chairman Ken Bates off the field, referee Anthony Taylor dominated proceedings on it by sending off three players - two from Leeds - while Marvin Emnes struck a second-half winner.
Max Gradel and Tony McMahon, both booked in the fifth minute following a minor skirmish, saw red before half-time, with Leeds captain Jonny Howson following them down the tunnel on the hour following a controversial incident involving Emnes.
Howson had already been booked after an almost unavoidable foul on Emnes following a Michael Brown error, and, when the two collided as they raced towards a vacant Leeds half, Taylor gave the decision in Howson's favour.
But, as Emnes lay on the floor, Grayson claims Taylor was told to change his initial verdict by his assistant, Keith Lawson, who had to take over the fourth official duties after getting injured just a minute earlier.
"I don't know what words to describe it," Grayson said.
"Everybody is referring to a few of the decisions. It amazes you at times. You have 20-odd thousand here, a passionate local derby, two players go for a 50-50, not over the top or anything like that, and they're both yellow-carded which puts them both on the back foot.
"Neither of them went over the top and then Max makes a rash challenge. He then decides to even it up by sending off Tony McMahon which I don't think was another yellow card, and then the second sending-off absolutely baffled me.
"I've been in to see the referee. The second decision with Jonny Howson is an unbelievable decision. He has given a free-kick in our direction and was about to book Emnes and, if he wasn't rolling around on the floor like he was doing, he'd have been booked and we'd have had a free-kick. He was going to book him for diving, that's what he's told me.
"He's clipped Jonny Howson's leg - I've seen the DVD - and while he's rolling around on the floor, the fourth official tells him from 60 yards that he's made the wrong decision and Jonny Howson gets sent off.
"The referee is 10-15 yards away, and how he can't make the decision himself or make it and then get overruled, leaves me bewildered."
With sections of the home support already unhappy at boardroom proceedings, the sendings-off only added to a tense atmosphere inside Elland Road.
Middlesbrough manager Tony Mowbray, while happy to take the points, was equally puzzled by some decisions and felt the official had failed to take the mood of the ground into account.
"We were only interested in the final result," he said. "It was a game of swinging emotions and frustrations, but we'll put it behind us very quickly as we have the points.
"How referees decide to manage football matches is probably decided before they start. When I came to watch Leeds and Middlesbrough in the 1970s there seemed to be a sending-off every game.
"It's a fantastic atmosphere to play football in and I think it over-hypes the players. My own personal view is the referee had a difficult day."
Having conceded a last-minute equaliser against Portsmouth on the opening day, Mowbray was pleased to see his players survive a late Leeds assault, with goalkeeper Andy Lonergan a regular fixture in their box as the home side pressed.
"We have been vulnerable to late barrages in the past and thankfully today we didn't succumb to it, as it happened to us a few times last year as well."