Premier League manager flips at assistant referee for ‘disrespectfully’ eating SANDWICH during conversation after match
SHEFFIELD UNITED manager Chris Wilder berated an assistant referee for eating a sandwich after his side’s 3-2 defeat to Crystal Palace on Tuesday.
In a furious post-match rant, the 56-year-old claimed that “every 50/50 or tight decision” went against his team.
GettyChris Wilder was left furious after Sheffield United’s defeat to Crystal Palace[/caption]
Wilder also revealed that he went to see referee Tony Harrington at full-time, but was taken aback by his assistant’s response to the criticism.
Discussing the brief chat, Wilder told BBC Sport: “I’ve been to see the referee, I’ve told him that (every decision went against Sheffield United).
“One of his assistants was eating a sandwich at the time and I thought that was a complete lack of respect.
“Hopefully he was enjoying his sandwich while talking to a Premier League manager.”
Sheffield United took the lead through Ben Brereton Diaz just 20 seconds into the match against Palace.
Eberechi Eze levelled the score in the 17th minute before James McAtee quickly restored the Blades’ advantage.
Eze equalised once again at the half-hour mark with a fantastic strike into the top-left corner.
And Michael Olise sealed the vital win for Palace in the second half.
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After the match, Blades boss Wilder was highly critical of the referee’s performance.
He said: “It’s yet again another ridiculous performance from the referee.
“I was told by a Premier League referee, who I’ve known for a long time and who’s as honest as the day is long. He said get ready because every tight decision will go against you.
“He said every 50/50 decision will go against you. We had two bookings in the first half of the game but they weren’t bookings. They were just a coming together.
“Their boy absolutely takes our goalkeeper out, we have to change goalkeepers and the boy doesn’t get booked. He says it was an accident, he clashed, it makes no odds if it’s an accident or it’s not an accident. It’s a yellow card.
“We pick up four yellow cards, they pick up one at the death for time wasting. They’re taking an age. Their game management was good, but they’re taking an age.
“We talked with Howard Webb about speeding the game up and making sure that referees have got a grip on that and he could hear the frustration for the supporters. He could see our frustration from our players.
“Every 50/50 or tight decision goes against us and if that’s what we’re going to have to deal with between now and the end of the season, we’re going to deal with it.”
