Premier League boss facing FA punishment after claiming ‘smaller’ clubs are being targeted by referees

IPSWICH manager Kieran McKenna faces an FA rap after claiming “smaller” Premier League clubs are targeted by referees.

McKenna was furious at the first of two yellow cards ref Rob Jones gave defender Axel Tuanzebe in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Aston Villa.

He blasted: “I didn’t think it was a foul. Even if it was a foul, I think it was a decision given against a smaller team against a bigger team away from home.

“It (the yellow card) was out of the pocket before the ball even stopped rolling.

“I thought that was a really poor yellow. The second one, there’s not too many complaints.”

FA bosses want to clamp down on criticism of refs.

And ex-Prem whistler Dermot Gallagher told Sky Sports: “As a referee, you are so focused on what you have to do.

“You do not have time to think, ‘This club is bigger than this club’. It would not cross your mind.”

Tuanzebe saw red as early in just the 40th minute for his second booking.

The defender brought down Jacob Ramsey on the edge of the area.

Liam Delap then stunned Villa by turning home Omari Hutchinson’s cross 11 minutes into the second period.

But with the home fans growing in frustration, Unai Emery’s men finally nicked a point midway through the period.

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Loanee striker Marcus Rashford, who came on at the break, hit the bar with a free-kick and Ollie Watkins gobbled up the rebound.

The point lifted Ipswich to third bottom – above Leicester.

But victory would have put them level on points with Wolves.

McKenna said: “A really good solid first 40 minutes, pretty much Even Stevens, then down to 10 men.”

And of Tuanzebe’s initial booking, he added: “Anyone can make a mistake but I think it’s more how quickly the yellow came out.

“Even if it was a foul, so many times this season I’ve not seen a yellow on the first foul at all. And I don’t think it was a foul. I think he got the ball.

“If you’re booking a full-back for something like that away from home, you have to be right on the first foul, because you know it’s going to be a real hard game from then on.”

Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk