Hughton: Dent City trophy bid
Holebas warned over his record, but says: ‘It’s just a card. Why make a big thing of it? If I get 20, I get 20’
KING of yellow cards Jose Holebas has been told to clean up his act after Watford boss Javi Gracia warned: He must do better. Holebas has joined Bournemouth’s Jefferson Lerma as the Premier League’s most-booked player – again – after picking up his 11th caution this term on Tuesday night in the last minute of the Hornets’ 4-1 win against Fulham.
The fiery Greek full-back, who equalled the 14 yellow cards in a season record during the 2016-17 campaign, remains unrepentant.
But on the countdown to Watford’s FA Cup semi-final with Wolves on Sunday, Gracia (above) – normally the most mild-mannered coach in the top flight – admitted that Holebas must find an antidote to his yellow fever. Explaining his Olympian stockpile of bookings (38 in 109 Hornets appearances), Holebas, 34, shrugged: “I’m always like this – in my whole career, I’ve been like this. It’s the way I play. It doesn’t annoy me when people talk about my disciplinary record. It’s just a yellow card, I don’t know why you are making such a big thing out of it. If I get 20, then I get 20 – and that’s it.”
But it was still a remarkable achievement to be booked in a comfortable home victory against Fulham, a club just seconds from the drop.
And Gracia does not accept all of his set-piece specialist’s yellow cards are justifiable cases of taking one for the team. He said: “In my opinion, there are different types of yellow card, and for some of them you have to improve in your behaviour.
“I try to speak with my players about these different yellow cards and, if it’s something you can avoid, you must do it. In this case, everyone knows about Jose and, at the end of the season, he always has a big amount of yellow cards.
“It’s something we have to accept – but we don’t accept it without trying to do something about it.
“During the game you have to take control of a lot of things, and sometimes it is better when you don’t have many players with yellow cards.
“It is true that Jose has had a lot of them this season and I think he has to do better for next season.”
vFA Cup semi-final, tom, 5.30pm
CHRIS HUGHTON has told his Brighton players to seize the opportunity of a lifetime and stop Manchester City making history.
City are chasing an unprecedented Quadruple and go into their FA Cup semi-final showdown with Albion at Wembley tomorrow as hot favourites to lift the trophy.
“We know what a big occasion Saturday is,” said the Seagulls boss. “The one thing we’ve always stressed to the players going through the rounds is there are some very good players who don’t have the opportunity to get to a semi.
“They have to make the most of it, give everything and put in a performance to be proud of.
“Motivation won’t be a problem – the problem will be the quality we’re up against and what will be the best opportunity to stay in the game.
“They’re one of the best, if not the best, teams in the world with an array of top players, technically gifted but also fit and motivated.
“That’s why they are going for four trophies. That makes the challenge even bigger.”