Stoke City: Pulis sees red ... and slams match officials for doing nothing
TONY Pulis is switching the spotlight to fourth officials in his on-going nationwide battle for red-card justice.
Pulis was furious after Fulham's Russian newcomer Pavel Pogrebnyak escaped a sending off for a studs-up challenge on Wilson Palacios in the first half of Stoke's 2-1 defeat at Craven Cottage on Saturday.
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The City manager claims fourth official Kevin Friend, who was stood alongside him on the touchline, saw the incident and should have informed referee Chris Foy.
Pulis, still incensed by Robert Huth's dismissal and three-match ban seven days earlier during the home defeat by Sunderland, is already in the process of sending a DVD of what he regards as red card cock-ups to the FA in a bid for better justice.
"If Chris Foy has missed it, then Kevin Friend sees it, but the lad doesn't even get a yellow card," Pulis complained.
"The fourth official can contact the ref, so it's just not good enough really.
"It's a shocking challenge. He's gone in with his studs up and one foot off the ground and caught Wilson below the knee – it's a worse challenge than Robert Huth's by a country mile.
"The inconsistency this year has been shocking. This is a big decision that would have affected the game.
"They could have been down to 10 men in the first half. I'm not making excuses, but it doesn't help you when you get decisions like that going against you."
Fulham boss Martin Jol disputed the offence, however, insisting: "It was nothing. I was standing there. It was nothing."
Pulis also bemoaned Thomas Sorensen's failure to prevent Fulham's second goal, while insisting his players deserved at least a point from their later efforts on Saturday.
"Thomas was poor on the second one. He has to save it – and 10 times out of 10 you'd expect him to.
"So we were 2-0 down and had a mountain to climb, but second half I thought the lads were fantastic.
"That's as dominant as we've been away from home in the Premier League. People say the subs made the difference, but I thought we were on top before we made the subs.
"We'd got the game by the horns and put them under pressure. If you look at it, Matthew Upson clears one off their line.
"We're not getting the breaks at the moment and the performance was much better than the result.
"At 2-1, never mind getting a draw, I thought we had enough to go on and win it.
"The lads are gutted. That's four times we've been to Fulham in the Premier League and this is the most dominant we've been."
Meanwhile, Pulis and assistant manager Dave Kemp were in Spain last night to check on Valencia's league game against Sporting Gijon ahead of Thursday's Europa League clash at the Britannia.
Valencia won the game 4-0.
More Stoke City articles:
Stoke City: Potters fans brave cold for Valencia tickets
Stoke City: City looking for some fair play after another dodgy decision
Stoke City: Luck had nothing to do with City's latest setback, says skipper Shawcross
24 Comments
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by soccerfoot11
Wednesday, February 15 2012, 1:28PM
“Personally I think he is doing all this screaming and shouting to take the focus of his inept managing over the last 2 months and his team's poor performances due to said management style”
by valmick
Wednesday, February 15 2012, 11:27AM
“Sorry I didn`t realise that unbiased opinions weren`t allowed. Pulis is right refereeing decisions are inconsistent and , just like players and managers, they do make mistakes. That same referee Foy did the Stoke-Tottenham game and produced the most inept performance I've seen from a referee in many a year, disallowing a perfectly good goal, allowing one that shouldn't have stood and missing a blatant handball on the line which should have resulted in a sending off! Not to mention sending off Kaboul for an innocuous challenge. Although all these decisions favoured Stoke I would hope that if Pulis is really concerned with improving consistency of decisions generally these will be added to the DVD. I suspect however that he is playing the game hoping to make referees think that Stoke are hard done to and try to even it up at sometime in the future. Let`s see shall we.”
by DJ_Stoke
Wednesday, February 15 2012, 4:51AM
“Which match you on about, the one where Crouch had a clear hanball on the line? What side you on m8?”
by valmick
Tuesday, February 14 2012, 12:35PM
“Same referee that did the Stoke-Tottenham game - he was totally inept that day but assume TP didn`t send off a DVD!”
by DJ_Stoke
Tuesday, February 14 2012, 8:14AM
“huh?”
by Pottedrengen
Tuesday, February 14 2012, 8:05AM
“Whatever happened to you have to take it on your chin ... and stop criticizing your players in public.”
by DJ_Stoke
Tuesday, February 14 2012, 7:22AM
“Longton or ex longton whatever mate, listen to yourself, you want us to lose to prove a point, Pulis is no good for your brand of entertainment. I promised myself I wouldn't respond to your ilk but I have to, you are spoiling it all. I'm Sure you coddled Pardew's walnuts until Sunday, maybe Harry just folded the last few times he played us home and away over the last few seasons......”
by DJ_Stoke
Tuesday, February 14 2012, 7:13AM
“M8, so what you are saying is sack him now, on the eve of our biggest UEFA cup tie since when?? And if we do win then everything thing is alright? And if we lose then what, toss the season and hire Mick? or who???????????
??????????????? The Special One ??????
Don't think we are bigger than we are mate, be happy with what we have right now, and the way everyone feels right now it won't be very long before we are back down, this negativity is contagious...... Be careful what you wish for, the players read these pages too m8”
by exlongtonian
Tuesday, February 14 2012, 5:40AM
“D_J, Lets see if you've still got your rose coloured glasses on in a fortnights time! What I'm saying is that with the funds that TP has had available, we could and SHOULD have at least done as well, if not a whole lot better. Imagine where we could be with some decent management. Pulis may have been the right man for the job at the time, but he has now come to the point where he has totally lost his way and the confidence of the players and a good section of fans.
Having said that, I hope we stick it up the Spaniards, and brush aside Crawley. If that all comes to pass, I will gladly send TP a "thank you" card, hopefully not a "sympathy /goodbye" card.!!”
by DJ_Stoke
Tuesday, February 14 2012, 4:57AM
“Trying to get this straight here, so Tony Pulis moaned and lost his matches on his way into the Premier League with his team? Moaned and lost matches on his way into Wembley, for goodness sake fellas, we are the eve of a serious time here, Stoke v Valencia, and you lot are moaning thirsty for blood????? Enjoy it while it lasts, the way you lot support wouldn't be surprised if you didn't....”