Warnock gets his wife’s support in ‘thumping’ referees
LONDON: Cardiff manager Neil Warnock has ramped up his attack on referees’ chief Mark Riley in the aftermath of his side’s agonising 2-1 defeat by Chelsea on Sunday.
Speaking on TalkSPORT yesterday, the 70-year-old revealed his wife said she would have had no problem with him ‘thumping’ referee Craig Pawson and his assistants after their botched decisions cost Cardiff the game.
He said: “When I came in yesterday, my wife said to me: ‘Darling, if you had wanted to thump the referee and linesman, I wouldn’t have stopped you’. It was so unjust.”
Warnock then continued his rant against the officials, who missed Cesar Azpilicueta standing in an offside position before his 86th minute equaliser and didn’t send off defender Antonio Rudiger despite a clear foul, moments before Ruben LoftusCheek’s last-gasp winner.
“I’m obviously gutted,’ Warnock continued.
“It’s just… well it’s unbelievable. I can’t describe my feelings.
“That could be the decision that costs us everything, because I thought we could put pressure on the other clubs, but now we’re battling against the odds again.
“The linesman yesterday (on Sunday) said sorry to me after the game, but it’s too late, what good is an apology?!
Warnock, who is likely to face an FA charge for his post-mat then seemingly accused officials of colluding against his team because of his previous behaviour.
“We’re having too many honest mistakes and it’s always the top teams who get the decisions. You just feel it’s such an injustice, and I’ve felt like that ever since Christmas.
“You almost begin to think, is it me? Is it payback time for all the years I’ve shouted at referees?
“Have they all got together now and said, ‘let’s get him out of this place’?
Warnock was irate at the fulltime whistle, arguing on the touchline with the fourth official before entering the pitch to argue with Chelsea players and stare down Pawson and his assistance before the left the field.
The result leaves Cardiff five points from safety and Warnock believes the number of errors he has been on the wrong side of raises questions over the work of Riley as General Manager of the Professional Game Match Officials.
“Riley was like a robot,’’ Warnock told talkSPORT. “He didn’t have any feeling. He knew the laws but didn’t know the game. That is what they are all like.
“I don’t think they (referees) are educated enough. I don’t think things will change until Riley goes which is so unlikely as he is rooted in.
“They’ve got to have better coaching than what they have now. He said Willian got in his way or something.”
Cardiff are five points adrift of 17th-place Burnley with seven matches remaining but they are next in action tomorrow away to Manchester City.