DAVID MOYES let rip over the ‘embarrassing’ decision to send off Tomas Soucek.
Referee Mike Dean gave the Czech midfielder a crazy straight red card in injury-time for elbowing Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, despite having the benefit of checking the incident on a VAR screen.
West Ham star Tomas Soucek couldn’t believe he had been sent offCredit: EPA
It seemed purely accidental on Soucek’s part as his elbow connected with Mitrovic
And fuming West Ham boss Moyes hit out at the officials, VAR and Mitrovic over the flashpoint, which could now rob him of a key player for three games.
Moyes said: “It was an accidental coming together which to show a red card for was embarrassing.
“I’m more embarrassed that it would happen and VAR would go and ask him to look at it because it was just a simple accident.
“We should have just said ‘get on with the game’ and nothing more.
“Lee Mason in Stockley Park and Mike Dean — they’re both very experienced referees and I’d be amazed if that was the way they wanted to referee the games.
“If it’s accidental, do we now look at every accidental incident and say that could be considered for a red card?”
Dean and Mason have had a bad week after they were the double act who sent off Southampton’s Jan Bednarek at Manchester United on Tuesday, only for their clumsy handiwork to be overturned.
And this will surely go the same way should Moyes decide to appeal today.
The Hammers boss said: “I don’t think any of us have really enjoyed parts of the game. Referees could easily put a stop to this.
“They’re the ones who could do it by saying ‘no, we’re not going to continue to give soft free-kicks, we’re not going to react to screaming, we’re not going to react to some of the decisions that are going on’. But they look a bit frightened to do what they think is correct at the moment.”
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David Moyes was less-than happy at seeing one of his star players sent offCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
Moyes confirmed that even Mitrovic told Dean that the coming together was unintentional.
But had the big Serbian striker not hit the deck wailing, when Soucek’s arm merely brushed his nose as they lined up to face a free-kick, none of this would have happened at all.
Moyes added: “Players should have a responsibility to do the right thing.”
Even Fulham boss Scott Parker was red-faced as the incident took the gloss off a promising display from his relegation fighters.
He said: “I’ve not really seen it but it looked a bit harsh.
“The way the game is going it is becoming very sterile and in this day and age it is probably a sending off, when it wouldn’t have been five years ago.
“It’s only a matter of time before we’re no longer wearing shinpads.
‘It is nonsense’, says Mark Halsey
By Mark Halsey
THE decision to send off Tomas Soucek by Mike Dean was absolutely farcical.
It was an attacking free-kick for West Ham, so why on earth would he deliberately elbow Aleksandar Mitrovic?
Soucek only lifted his arm to move it out the way — it was completely accidental.
West Ham have strong grounds for an appeal, with even Mitrovic telling Dean it was not a red card.
But will the FA rescind two reds from Dean’s last two games? In my opinion, for the good of the game, they have to.
He was looking directly at the incident and as a referee if you see violent conduct you pull out a red card immediately.
But it has taken Dean and VAR over three minutes to come to a decision.
So was it really a clear and obvious error? It is nonsense.
It was a scrappy game at times as both sides had to settle for a pointCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
“But it will give everyone something to debate I suppose.”
If the decision is not overturned, Soucek will be missing for Tuesday’s FA Cup tie at Manchester United plus Premier League clashes with Sheffield United and Tottenham.
Fulham remain eight points behind fourth-from-bottom Burnley and have not won a league game since November 30.
And the Soucek episode was at least some drama after the London rivals slugged it out in driving rain.
It was another encouraging display from the Cottagers, who were on top for most of the game and became the first team this year to stop West Ham scoring.
In fact, Fulham really should have won as Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Bobby Decordova-Reid, Ivan Cavaleiro and Tosin Adarabioyo all went close.
Vladimir Coufal headed against the bar in the second half for the below-par Hammers.
Parker added: “A neutral would not have looked at the game and thought we are scrapping for our lives. We were superb from start to finish.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
