Chris Wilder’s honest verdict on Sheffield United referee controversy

The Star, Sheffield

Was justice denied on the pitch? Chris Wilder doesn't hold back as he dissects the controversial refereeing decisions that plagued Sheffield United's game v Southampton on Tuesday.   Wilder expresses his disappointment for the players and supporters, feeling the performance deserved a better outcome against a top Championship side. Despite the challenges and questionable calls, he praises the team's mentality and quality performance, especially after a disputed equaliser.   The manager also touches on his own dismissal, calling the circumstances baffling. He plans to appeal, citing the lack of intent and immediate apology for the incident.   #ChrisWilder #SheffieldUnited #RefereeControversy #EFL

Transcript

00:00Appraisal of what happened?

00:03The six decisions that you've seen, I've seen, and everybody else has seen,

00:10so I don't want to go into it too much.

00:13I just feel really disappointed for the players and the supporters in the club

00:19because it wasn't deserved.

00:21I thought the performance was a really good one against a top championship side,

00:25a team that's come out of the Premier League,

00:26a team that's, yeah, of course, had not made the quickest of starts,

00:34which neither have Ipswiched, but I'm sure at the start of the season

00:38everybody would have expected them to be in and around it

00:42as much as everybody would have expected us to be in and around it.

00:47A team that on Saturday played the league leaders and went toe-to-toe with them,

00:52and we went toe-to-toe with them as well.

00:54So, and yeah, we deserved something from the game.

01:00The overall general performance was a step up from Saturday's second half performance and win.

01:08We definitely deserved something from the game.

01:13The game obviously got decided by a couple of bits of quality from them.

01:19We can look at our set piece, but it's an incredible delivery in there

01:23and we just didn't react quick enough on the set play.

01:28And then Ross Stewart's fabulous finish from 25 yards, top corner.

01:34But I liked our mentality about the game

01:38and there was a lot of challenges in that game through all the things that you've just mentioned,

01:45not least a deserved equaliser in the 92nd, 93rd minute.

01:53You know, some of the, you know, you look at the top teams

01:55when everybody talks about set plays and the like and the analysis that we went into

02:03in terms of we felt that was a weak part of their game,

02:07defending that area of the goal.

02:11And, you know, you've seen it with Arsenal, they get lauded for their set plays.

02:15It changes the game back into our favour,

02:23just as much as it changed the game in their favour, the quality of their delivery.

02:27So our delivery was good.

02:29Every part of that sequence of events was good.

02:35Contacting the box all over the place

02:37and a young midfield player gets his first goal

02:40for the football club that should have stood.

02:45So, you know, there's a lot of things I've talked about there,

02:50but certainly the moments I think that you've mentioned there,

02:57everybody that watched the game,

03:00in terms of people that have been in contact with me,

03:03that weren't present,

03:05but most importantly, everybody that was present,

03:08and I should imagine opposition, benches as well as manager,

03:13would say that they were, you know,

03:16quite baffled at some of the decisions that were made.

03:18Have you had a clarification as to, with your dismissal,

03:22why it was a dismissal and not, say, a yellow card?

03:26No, not yet.

03:28That will come through tomorrow.

03:30But I think we just had an off-the-record chat

03:33regarding IFAB and the laws of the game.

03:37You know, of course, it was, I think I'll say afterwards,

03:41it was a touch of frustration, and rightly so,

03:44because I think, you know, even in the first half,

03:47there was some certain situations,

03:50notably the penalty, which is never a penalty in a million years.

03:53The boy has a great touch,

03:56and Michael does incredibly well to pull out of it,

03:59and he just runs into him.

04:00Booking on Gus, booking for Armstrong,

04:05Ben Meese tackle, you know, all sorts of bits in there.

04:10But my attitude, you know, my attitude at half-time

04:14was to get the players off the pitch, which I did.

04:17I think everybody's seen it,

04:19and yet again, I've had, you know,

04:21notable people in football that I regard as friends

04:25and respect them for what they've achieved

04:27of, like, being baffled in terms of, you know,

04:31even getting a card, let alone a red card.

04:34You know, a nonchalantly ball gets rolled to me,

04:36and a nonchalantly sort of put it back to where it came from.

04:40It didn't come out of the stand,

04:41and unfortunately, it's got a bit of a flyer on it,

04:44but you've seen it straight away, my reaction to it.

04:47Yeah, I'm disappointed,

04:49because ultimately I've not been able to help the team

04:51in the second half from the position where I want to be.

04:54But still saying that,

04:57I thought that the team's second half performance

04:59was pretty positive.

05:02It didn't look like a team that was sat at the bottom

05:05of the division.

05:06It looked a high-quality second half performance

05:10against the top side,

05:12but ultimately, you know, I wasn't there to help the team,

05:15so I had to apologise on that,

05:18but I think it sort of goes hand-in-hand

05:20with a lot of things that happened on the night.

05:22So what, in terms of, like, the process happens now?

05:27Like, can you appeal, if you're minded, to do so?

05:32How long are you banned for if you don't?

05:35What's the process?

05:36If the rules are the rules.

05:38If I pick the ball up,

05:39if I approach the referee at half-time

05:41and had a right pop at him,

05:43if I pick the ball up out of my hands

05:45and booted it at him,

05:46or at the fourth official,

05:47or at their players,

05:48or at their bench,

05:49or booted it into the stand,

05:52then I would expect the necessary punishment

05:54that goes along with that,

05:55and I won't appeal.

05:56But I will appeal,

05:57because, as you've seen on it,

05:59I've nonchalantly sort of knocked it back.

06:01It's got a fly.

06:01I've gone straight into the stand.

06:03I've apologised to the guy.

06:05Everything's all sorted,

06:06and I've just turned around,

06:07and I've got a red card put in my face.

06:11So, yeah, I will appeal.

06:15I believe the charge,

06:17if there is a charge that comes,

06:18and I'm not expecting one,

06:19but if there is one,

06:20I will appeal it,

06:21and I'll be okay for the whole City game,

06:26back where I want to be,

06:28because I didn't enjoy

06:29not being able to help the team.

06:31But I've got to say, Andy, as well,

06:33I am a little bit, you know,

06:36and maybe, you know,

06:39all make mistakes,

06:39and managers and coaches

06:43and players included,

06:45and, you know, sometimes,

06:46you know, officials have bad nights.

06:50I do get a little bit tired

06:52in terms of it seems to me

06:53that the appointment system

06:57is something that I have talked about

07:00in the past to senior officials,

07:03the PGMO or whatever it is,

07:06in terms of why sometimes

07:07that we are a testing ground

07:10for referees.

07:12You know, I think if you see

07:13the past record of the referees,

07:16if they're up-and-coming referees,

07:18you know, why wasn't the referee

07:19had more championship games

07:20this season

07:23for the one or two

07:25that he's had.

07:26You know, this is a team

07:28that's come out of the Premier League.

07:30It's a team that went incredibly close

07:32in getting into the Premier League

07:33last season.

07:35This is a top-notch championship game,

07:38regardless of league positions.

07:39It's a high-profile game.

07:42You know, there's Stephen Martin,

07:43who's a top-class championship referee,

07:46being a fourth official

07:46at one of the games.

07:48You know, and going back

07:49to what I said, you know,

07:51the appointment,

07:52if it's earned,

07:54if it's earned,

07:55you know, why isn't that,

07:56why isn't the referee,

07:57you know, over the last two seasons

07:58being a regular in the championship?

08:00So why aren't we being given

08:03an experienced referee

08:04for this fixture?

08:06Or if it's somebody

08:08that they think a lot about,

08:09why isn't he refereed

08:10over the last two seasons

08:12regularly in the championship?

08:16And so the appointment

08:18is something,

08:19and it just feels as if,

08:20like, I'll tell you what,

08:21what we'll do is

08:22we'll chuck him in at Bramall Lane,

08:23and if he does well,

08:24everything's all right.

08:25He can handle a really

08:27vociferous, you know,

08:29home support,

08:30and as it always is,

08:31which it rightly is,

08:34he handles it,

08:36or he doesn't.

08:38And sometimes, you know,

08:40this is the thing

08:41that I don't get,

08:42the appointment system on it.

08:46And on that front,

08:49I think sometimes as well,

08:51you know, naturally,

08:52you know, people think

08:54I'm going into Bramall Lane,

08:55it's 27, 28, 29,000.

08:57I've got to show me personality.

08:58I've got to get a grip

08:59of the game.

09:00I've got to show that

09:01I'm involved in the game.

09:04And I think we all know

09:05from experience,

09:06the best ones are the ones

09:07that go under the radar.

09:09Well, certainly,

09:11he didn't go under the radar

09:13on Tuesday night.

09:15With regard to

09:16the process of selection,

09:18is there a dialogue

09:19between managers,

09:20not just you,

09:21but other managers

09:22that may well

09:23presumably think the same

09:24with the PGM oil?

09:27I think that,

09:27I believe there is

09:29a rating system

09:31that the top games

09:33get given to the referees

09:35or in form.

09:36I think as well,

09:37like, you know,

09:38why wouldn't,

09:38why wouldn't a Premier,

09:39I don't know what's happening

09:40in the Premier League,

09:42why wouldn't a Premier League

09:43referee want a referee

09:44a midweek game

09:45or early in the season?

09:46You know,

09:46they get into the swing

09:48of things.

09:48Because, you know,

09:49I know loads of

09:49Premier League referees,

09:51I'm sure that they would have

09:52enjoyed a run out

09:54on a Tuesday night

09:55to keep them

09:56ticking over as well.

09:58You know,

09:58so,

09:59no Premier League

10:01referees

10:01refereed on a Tuesday night.

10:03I'm sure they weren't

10:04all in Europe,

10:05you know,

10:05because obviously you have

10:06a select group

10:09of Premier League

10:09referees

10:10that

10:10are on the European

10:13panel as well.

10:15So,

10:15you know,

10:16that was something

10:16that I didn't get as well.

10:18So,

10:18I think you get rated

10:19and you get rated

10:21and you get,

10:21you know,

10:22judged and scored

10:23and assessed.

10:26So,

10:27I should imagine that

10:28I would say that

10:29if you looked at the

10:30fixture list there,

10:31that was,

10:33and,

10:34yeah,

10:34take out the league

10:35positions,

10:36but that was

10:37a high quality

10:38top championship game

10:41on Tuesday night.

10:43One of the top ones

10:44where else was there,

10:46where else was there

10:47game?

10:47Birmingham,

10:48Birmingham-Wrexham

10:49was there,

10:51Birmingham-Sheffield

10:52Wednesday,

10:53Wrexham-Leicester,

10:56Ipswich played,

10:57I don't know,

11:00Ipswich,

11:01Ipswich played

11:02Charlton,

11:03I think.

11:03Middlesbrough-Stoke.

11:04Middlesbrough-Stoke,

11:05that's one,

11:06that's a top one,

11:07top two.

11:09Southampton-Sheffield

11:09United,

11:10that might be up there.

11:11I see where you're

11:16coming from,

11:17yeah.

11:17Changing tack,

11:18because I'm sure

11:19this will roll on,

11:20won't it,

11:21when decisions are made

11:22with regard to

11:23punishments or

11:23appeals,

11:24etc.

11:25Referees have a bad

11:26day,

11:26I've got to say,

11:28you know,

11:29but I did feel that

11:30from a personality

11:33point of view,

11:33it felt as if,

11:35and I should imagine

11:36everybody else saw that,

11:38and I'll be

11:38absolutely stunned

11:39if the assessor

11:40can come out and go,

11:42no,

11:42everything was alright,

11:43it was brilliant,

11:44it was a great

11:44performance.

11:45And is that a quick

11:46process?

11:48Like,

11:48because I think the

11:49assessor was there

11:50obviously,

11:50because I think...

11:51It should be,

11:51shouldn't it?

11:52It's like me assessing

11:53my team at 10 o'clock,

11:55isn't it?

11:55Have we done well?

11:56Have we done well?

11:57I thought we did well.

11:58I thought we did okay.

11:59From where we are,

12:01and sort of trying to

12:02get it back

12:03on a load of fronts,

12:05you know,

12:05I think I was spot on

12:06in terms of when he

12:08spoke to you afterwards,

12:09we're still trying to,

12:10you know,

12:10we change the shape

12:11a little bit,

12:12we're trying to find a

12:12way a little bit

12:13about our players.

12:14Yeah,

12:14it is a good group

12:15of players who

12:16understand that,

12:16and yeah,

12:17this team will come

12:18together,

12:19and I think even,

12:20I've seen it over,

12:21it's three games now,

12:22we should be on five

12:23points,

12:23you know,

12:25we've got to get a

12:25result at home to

12:26Charlton,

12:27to draw,

12:28and we've got to get,

12:29we get a result on

12:31Tuesday night,

12:32so we should be on

12:33five points,

12:35but I think people

12:35already are seeing

12:36sort of the change

12:38in the mentality of

12:39the team,

12:40going to the end

12:41like they did on

12:42Tuesday night against

12:43the top side,

12:45physically I've talked

12:47about it,

12:47you know,

12:47we need to get up

12:48to speed,

12:49and working with the

12:50players in terms of,

12:52you know,

12:52sort of what's the best

12:53formation and fitting

12:54them in and getting

12:54them back to their

12:55levels that they were

12:56last season,

12:57because that isn't easy,

12:59you know,

12:59from what it is,

13:00if we'd have

13:02conceded that goal

13:03on Tuesday night,

13:05the first goal

13:06last season,

13:07I'm sure everybody

13:08would have just gone,

13:08right,

13:08come on,

13:09back onto it,

13:10you know,

13:10this is what we're

13:11about,

13:11and there is a

13:12little bit of that,

13:13but I've got to say,

13:14not much,

13:15because I thought we

13:15came back well,

13:17and we had good

13:17chances to get back

13:21into the game,

13:21so there's all

13:23different things

13:24to work on.

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended