Great escape hits setback
ALBION OUTPLAYED FOR FIRST TIME UNDER JIMMY EARL SENT OFF AS HE GETS INVOLVED IN GROUP SCUFFLE
JIMMY Floyd Hasselbaink lashed out at what he saw as “big club syndrome” from officials after Burton Albion’s 3-0 defeat at home to Sunderland.
While the Brewers boss did not dispute that play-off chasing Sunderland were worth their victory, he did not think his side got the rub of the green from referee Craig Hicks, who showed 11 yellow cards and a red in the game.
Hasselbaink collected one of the yellows for a comment he made after debutant Michael Fondop’s late booking for Burton.
On-loan left-back Josh Earl saw two of the yellows and the red after getting too involved in a scuffle 10 minutes after half-time, initially involving Burton’s Hayden Carter and Sunderland’s Aiden O’brien.
“I thought the referee was poor,” said Hasselbaink.
“Don’t get me wrong, we have not lost because of that but I thought he had a big club syndrome.
“Normally I am very calm, let them get on with it, you know. But there were tackles he didn’t see, pulling of shirts he didn’t see and we didn’t get the free kicks.
“When we made a tackle, Sunderland screamed and they got the free kick. I need to teach my players how to scream and go down! But I think the referee should see it.
“It’s as if when they are comimg to Burton, as we are a smaller club, that they can experiment here with inexperienced officials and that’s not right.
“It was a very important game for us. I think, as a club, we need to write to the FA about it.”
Hasselbaink had no qualmas about Earl’s red card, the defender getting involved when he had already been booked and almost depositing O’brien over an advertising hoarding.
“It is stupid, how he got that. I can’t defend him on it,” said the Burton manager.
“He had a yellow card, he really needed to stay away from there, as simple as that.
“You can’t go even close to it because you know referees will hand out cards.”
Hasselbaink did not dispute that the Brewers were outplayed for the first time in the five games in which he has been in charge.
“They are a good team and did really well – I’m really disappointed and I expected a lot more from the game,” he said.
“Outplayed? Yes, they did play better than us but the thing was how the goals went in, especially the first two.
“It was always going to be hard playing against Sunderland but the disappointment is how we conceded the goals, as we do a lot of work on it.
“It is no shame to lose 3-0 against Sunderland but we were still playing at the Pirelli Stadium and we can’t be turned over that easily.
“We need to focus, look at what has gone wrong and what we can do better. We will finish with this match on Monday and jump straight away on to the Charlton game (tomorrow).”
Asked how he felt individuals had fared, Hasselbaink was satsfied with only one performance, that of winger Jonny Smith, who hit the post and forced saves from Sunderland keeper Lee Burge.
“Only Jonny Smith looked dangerous,” said Haseelbaink.
“Lucas Akins did good work but could not get a foothold in the game and, in the second half, Tom Hamer did well at left-back.
“My two midfielders, normally the rocks (Ryan Edwards and Sean Clare) didn’t have the best games but if they come out of their shell again on Tuesday and show what kind of players they are, then, I’ll say, OK, it can happen. It was a tough day.”