' NEIL WARNOCK SPEAKS OUT ABOUT LAST NIGHT '
Sat Feb 10, 2018 9:12 am
The full transcript of Neil Warnock's post-Millwall press conference as furious Bluebirds boss takes aim at referee Keith Stroud
' NEIL WARNOCK SPEAKS OUT ABOUT LAST NIGHT '
Saturday 10th February 2018
NEIL WARNOCK:
What can you say about the decision (to disallow the goal) at the end?
What can you say. He’s had a bad day at the office hasn’t he. I like Keith, I think he’s a good ref, but tonight his concentration levels must have been minus. Not just the goal he’s disallowed, which I can accept if he blows straight away when (Bennett) goes down, but he looks where the ball’s gone, carries on, looks and looks as Bamba is kicking it he blows. It’s just…...he’ll be distraught, but that’s no good to us. He’ll get another game next week but we don’t get….(sighs)..you work hard all week and then two decisions. Because it’s an obvious penalty when he moves his arm towards the ball. Two decisions in a matter of seconds. I thought we were super second-half; they had a spell when Gary (Madine) had his nose smashed where we just wanted to fight, but we can’t do that at Millwall in their own back yard, we had to start playing again and calm them down and we were super in the second-half. How we didn’t score other goals, I don’t know, but I’m really pleased.
Have you spoken to the referee?
Yes I have. I think he’ll say he was disappointed he’s made a mistake. He didn’t see Sol in the box. He didn’t see he was going to shoot. It’s quite understandable, he’s only 6ft 6. It’s easy to understand why he can’t see him.
How costly can the decision be?
If you’d said 1-1 before the game, you’d take it because they’ve done well against every team here. I thought we were so superior tonight. We had to roll our sleeves up because if you’re not ready for it down here, you’ll get turned over, that’s why they’ve got so many good results. You know every ball is coming. They play one touch in their own half. You know as soon as it bounces it’s on the other side of our centre-halves. I told them to forget the Championship, just play the game tonight, you know you’re going to get turned every time they get the ball in their half, you have to try and compete with that and play our football when we get the chance. And I thought we did, especially in the second-half.
Were you lured into a fight, because it was brutal at times?
I didn’t mind it. I said to Neil (Harris) at half-time it was a great game to be involved in, it was like old time, like going back to Sunday League days with two teams wanting to challenge for everything. I don’t think there was nastiness, the crowd got behind them which you’d expect. I think they’ve done a fantastic job and they’re not going to change. They’ll frighten a lot of people here, that’s why I’m really proud of the lads because I don’t think they’ll have a second-half like that against one of the other sides.
Would Guardiola have enjoyed that?
I think he’s got enough problems.
Even after the decision, there were chances to win it?
Paterson is disappointed, where he got through but had a little push at the end, but you just can’t get away from the decision. We could talk all night but at Championship level you expect decisions like those two to be given rightly. Keith will be disappointed when he sees it, but that’s no consolation to me.
You appeared to be getting more annoyed at what had happened the longer thing went on?
Because we all knew by then what the situation was. I asked the lads to double check it to make sure what we saw happened. Even the penalty, where he goes on knees and says ‘no penalty’, so he’s either guessed or….I said to him if he didn’t see it, I can understand not giving it, but if you’ve seen it you’ve got to give it. It was deliberate arm to the ball, it’s cost us two points. But I’m still pleased with the way we played, because I thought played some good stuff tonight.
Is there any sympathy because of the chance Bennett might have hurt his head and that’s why he blew?
Yes, but if it was the case, when he goes down you blow straight away for a head injury. You don’t wait and look away from the injured player, which he is if you look at the video, and it bounces where he’s watching and as Sol’s going to put it in he blows! And then he looks at him (Bennett). Come on, dear me. I honestly don’t know what’s gone through his mind. He said he didn’t see Sol.
I work all week, my lads all week and you just expect...it wasn’t a difficult decision to make.
I thought he was on edge tonight, compared to how I normally see him. It’s not like him. He’ll be disappointed, it’s cost us two points, but they are basic decisions, not difficult for a referee at this level.
Neil was asking how long there was to go with six minutes left, and no wonder because only one team was going to win it. But all credit to the lads, the fans were brilliant, and it was a typical, old fashioned Championship game. And now we have Bolton on Tuesday who were similar up there, so we’ll have to go again and get ready for another battle.
Any war wounds ahead of that game?
Only a few broken hearts. They were disappointed but I was pleased with their attitude because you can go under here with the pressure you put us under. But it wasn’t Millwall who cost us the game tonight. I know we should have taken our chances, but wow, you expect at this level to get decisions right like that.
Why does he let it go? Head injury? Yes, if he blows straight away but he looks away and waits until he is going to shoot and then says he can’t see him! It baffles me. He’ll get a game next week, not worry about it and move on – it doesn’t matter does it. It does to me.
What can you do to improve things?
All I can think is that, I don’t know what’s happening on coaching side, because it’s the same in the Premier League. I’ve never been a big fan of Mike Riley, but the coaching can’t be right. There’s too many elementary errors. I’m glad this VAR is coming in, me. Even if it takes time, it’ll eliminate some of the silly, elementary mistakes like tonight in a matter of second. It’s the only way because the game’s too quick for referees now. They need help.
You have to ask why and expect better because we can’t keep saying it’s another major decision. How do I mark him tonight because half of his marks are on major decisions. It’s not his general control because it’s as good as anything, it’s the major decisions. I’ll get a call saying sorry, but what good is that to me? I feel absolutely abject tonight for losing two points in such a way, when it is nothing to do with us. I feel absolutely gutted – and it won’t get any easier on the way home.
' NEIL WARNOCK SPEAKS OUT ABOUT LAST NIGHT '
Saturday 10th February 2018
NEIL WARNOCK:
What can you say about the decision (to disallow the goal) at the end?
What can you say. He’s had a bad day at the office hasn’t he. I like Keith, I think he’s a good ref, but tonight his concentration levels must have been minus. Not just the goal he’s disallowed, which I can accept if he blows straight away when (Bennett) goes down, but he looks where the ball’s gone, carries on, looks and looks as Bamba is kicking it he blows. It’s just…...he’ll be distraught, but that’s no good to us. He’ll get another game next week but we don’t get….(sighs)..you work hard all week and then two decisions. Because it’s an obvious penalty when he moves his arm towards the ball. Two decisions in a matter of seconds. I thought we were super second-half; they had a spell when Gary (Madine) had his nose smashed where we just wanted to fight, but we can’t do that at Millwall in their own back yard, we had to start playing again and calm them down and we were super in the second-half. How we didn’t score other goals, I don’t know, but I’m really pleased.
Have you spoken to the referee?
Yes I have. I think he’ll say he was disappointed he’s made a mistake. He didn’t see Sol in the box. He didn’t see he was going to shoot. It’s quite understandable, he’s only 6ft 6. It’s easy to understand why he can’t see him.
How costly can the decision be?
If you’d said 1-1 before the game, you’d take it because they’ve done well against every team here. I thought we were so superior tonight. We had to roll our sleeves up because if you’re not ready for it down here, you’ll get turned over, that’s why they’ve got so many good results. You know every ball is coming. They play one touch in their own half. You know as soon as it bounces it’s on the other side of our centre-halves. I told them to forget the Championship, just play the game tonight, you know you’re going to get turned every time they get the ball in their half, you have to try and compete with that and play our football when we get the chance. And I thought we did, especially in the second-half.
Were you lured into a fight, because it was brutal at times?
I didn’t mind it. I said to Neil (Harris) at half-time it was a great game to be involved in, it was like old time, like going back to Sunday League days with two teams wanting to challenge for everything. I don’t think there was nastiness, the crowd got behind them which you’d expect. I think they’ve done a fantastic job and they’re not going to change. They’ll frighten a lot of people here, that’s why I’m really proud of the lads because I don’t think they’ll have a second-half like that against one of the other sides.
Would Guardiola have enjoyed that?
I think he’s got enough problems.
Even after the decision, there were chances to win it?
Paterson is disappointed, where he got through but had a little push at the end, but you just can’t get away from the decision. We could talk all night but at Championship level you expect decisions like those two to be given rightly. Keith will be disappointed when he sees it, but that’s no consolation to me.
You appeared to be getting more annoyed at what had happened the longer thing went on?
Because we all knew by then what the situation was. I asked the lads to double check it to make sure what we saw happened. Even the penalty, where he goes on knees and says ‘no penalty’, so he’s either guessed or….I said to him if he didn’t see it, I can understand not giving it, but if you’ve seen it you’ve got to give it. It was deliberate arm to the ball, it’s cost us two points. But I’m still pleased with the way we played, because I thought played some good stuff tonight.
Is there any sympathy because of the chance Bennett might have hurt his head and that’s why he blew?
Yes, but if it was the case, when he goes down you blow straight away for a head injury. You don’t wait and look away from the injured player, which he is if you look at the video, and it bounces where he’s watching and as Sol’s going to put it in he blows! And then he looks at him (Bennett). Come on, dear me. I honestly don’t know what’s gone through his mind. He said he didn’t see Sol.
I work all week, my lads all week and you just expect...it wasn’t a difficult decision to make.
I thought he was on edge tonight, compared to how I normally see him. It’s not like him. He’ll be disappointed, it’s cost us two points, but they are basic decisions, not difficult for a referee at this level.
Neil was asking how long there was to go with six minutes left, and no wonder because only one team was going to win it. But all credit to the lads, the fans were brilliant, and it was a typical, old fashioned Championship game. And now we have Bolton on Tuesday who were similar up there, so we’ll have to go again and get ready for another battle.
Any war wounds ahead of that game?
Only a few broken hearts. They were disappointed but I was pleased with their attitude because you can go under here with the pressure you put us under. But it wasn’t Millwall who cost us the game tonight. I know we should have taken our chances, but wow, you expect at this level to get decisions right like that.
Why does he let it go? Head injury? Yes, if he blows straight away but he looks away and waits until he is going to shoot and then says he can’t see him! It baffles me. He’ll get a game next week, not worry about it and move on – it doesn’t matter does it. It does to me.
What can you do to improve things?
All I can think is that, I don’t know what’s happening on coaching side, because it’s the same in the Premier League. I’ve never been a big fan of Mike Riley, but the coaching can’t be right. There’s too many elementary errors. I’m glad this VAR is coming in, me. Even if it takes time, it’ll eliminate some of the silly, elementary mistakes like tonight in a matter of second. It’s the only way because the game’s too quick for referees now. They need help.
You have to ask why and expect better because we can’t keep saying it’s another major decision. How do I mark him tonight because half of his marks are on major decisions. It’s not his general control because it’s as good as anything, it’s the major decisions. I’ll get a call saying sorry, but what good is that to me? I feel absolutely abject tonight for losing two points in such a way, when it is nothing to do with us. I feel absolutely gutted – and it won’t get any easier on the way home.
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Re: ' NEIL WARNOCK SPEAKS OUT ABOUT LAST NIGHT '
Sat Feb 10, 2018 12:03 pm
Unfortunately idiotic referee decisions like this costs teams promotion and relegation as well as getting people sacked.
Re: ' NEIL WARNOCK SPEAKS OUT ABOUT LAST NIGHT '
Sat Feb 10, 2018 1:08 pm
I've calmed down a lot since last night but that decision will remain in the memory banks for a long time.
I have believed for a long time referees need help due to how much the game has grown over the last 3 decades. Too much money involved now so the need to be correct more often is needed. We need to take out the bad play such as cheating and bad refereeing like last night. Is VAR the answer or as an alternative have more referees on the pitch? Cannot be arsed to work it out atm.
I have believed for a long time referees need help due to how much the game has grown over the last 3 decades. Too much money involved now so the need to be correct more often is needed. We need to take out the bad play such as cheating and bad refereeing like last night. Is VAR the answer or as an alternative have more referees on the pitch? Cannot be arsed to work it out atm.
Re: ' NEIL WARNOCK SPEAKS OUT ABOUT LAST NIGHT '
Sat Feb 10, 2018 1:29 pm
[quote="Bakedalasker"]I've calmed down a lot since last night but that decision will remain in the memory banks for a long time.
I have believed for a long time referees need help due to how much the game has grown over the last 3 decades. Too much money involved now so the need to be correct more often is needed. We need to take out the bad play such as cheating and bad refereeing like last night. Is VAR the answer or as an alternative have more referees on the pitch? Cannot be arsed to work it out atm.[/q
uote]
Unfortunately var wouldn't have helped last night ! may get it in championship but doubt if go further down pyrimid, not sure if var be good in championship as refereeing is so poor generally and spend half game revuing things.
I have believed for a long time referees need help due to how much the game has grown over the last 3 decades. Too much money involved now so the need to be correct more often is needed. We need to take out the bad play such as cheating and bad refereeing like last night. Is VAR the answer or as an alternative have more referees on the pitch? Cannot be arsed to work it out atm.[/q
uote]Unfortunately var wouldn't have helped last night ! may get it in championship but doubt if go further down pyrimid, not sure if var be good in championship as refereeing is so poor generally and spend half game revuing things.