Lay off Carroll, ref

DAVID MOYES has urged referees to stop picking on Andy Carroll and to protect his striker.

Carroll has been booked for using his elbows in challenges this season, his latest for a swinging arm in Sunday’s defeat at Watford and he was taken off to prevent the risk of him seeing red.

Carroll was also sent off for similar offences against Burnley but Moyes believes officials are being unfair.

“I don’t consider it an elbow,” said the West Ham manager ahead of tonight’s clash with Leicester, his first home match since taking charge.

“When the ball goes up, everybody is already saying it’s a foul against Andy. If we’re saying you can’t use your arms for leverage that isn’t in the rules. When he was booked, he’d just been scythed by two people. If that had been anyone else they would have gone down and taken a free-kick. Andy didn’t. He stays up, is hit by two people and gets zero protection.

“It’s becoming ridiculous. It has to stop that in every tackle Andy goes for is a foul. I don’t believe that’s true.” CHRIS HUGHTON has warned his Brighton players that they cannot go to Manchester United tomorrow with any fear in their hearts.

Brighton are on a run of five unbeaten Premier League games and manager Hughton right, said: “You cannot go to Old Trafford with any fear, because if you do it is inevitable what will happen.

“You have to go there with a belief and confidence that you can get something. We want to give a good account of ourselves.”