RED-CARDED SAIZ FACES SECOND SPITTING CHARGE

SAMU SAIZ was sent off for spitting at Newport’s Robbie Willmott as what was already an embarrassing FA Cup defeat for Leeds turned ugly. The Spanish midfielder got his marching orders from referee Mike Dean as both sides were lining up to kick off following Shawn McCoulsky’s dramatic 89th-minute winner. He had to be shepherded away by team-mate Liam Cooper as he tried to confront Dean about the decision. It leaves Leeds boss Thomas Christiansen having to defend his £3million summer signing from Huesco over spitting charges for the second time. In August he was cleared by the FA and told he had no case to answer after being accused by Port Vale’s then boss Michael Brown of spitting in the face of one of his players. Christiansen will investigate before deciding his stance this time, and said: ‘I don’t know what happened, but when I do I will come back. ‘If it is right why he got the red card then it is a problem, but I believe that he didn’t do it.’ Leeds have now been knocked out in the third round by lowly opposition for two years in a row — last year they were eliminated by non-League Sutton. Christiansen made nine changes, and admitted: ‘I take the blame — always the manager takes the blame and I will do it also today. We were not intense enough. Every player in the team has played in the first team or has possibilities to play in the first team and we expect more. ‘I don’t know if attitude was lacking — we just needed to put more in and understand where the danger came from. ‘Would I make the same changes again? Yes. It is not an excuse. Against Burnley (in the Carabao Cup) I also made 10 changes and they made a perfect performance, against Leicester the same and did very well, so why not today? ‘The players know what the FA Cup means.’ Delighted Newport boss Michael Flynn admitted: ‘I was pleased to see their team selection, but we still had to beat them and they are still Championship players. ‘I told them at half-time to stay calm even though we were a goal down and that we would get chances.’