It’s a joke! Austin’s meltdown
harsh as he tore into relatively-new top-flight ref Simon Hooper.
The Saints supremo rapped: “We’ve been given an inexperienced ref. He’s only had four games. Would he be given the Manchester derby? Absolutely not.
“But this was just as big a game for us and the ref was not up to the standard required.
“I have got to be careful. People will say, ‘It’s Mark Hughes blaming the refs again’. But all we ask is they get the match-defining, game-changing decisions right.
“Key decisions and key moments have gone against us again. I agree we need VAR. But the Premier League is stuck in the dark ages.“
As for his own future amid Southampton’s worst-ever home start, he added: “We’ve got to change results into wins but people who saw this game will know we are not a bad side.” CONTROVERSY reigned supreme on the south coast after both Southampton and Watford felt they were robbed of victory by bungling officials.
But while Hornets boss Javi Gracia refused to point the finger of blame at referee Simon Hooper for failing to award them a blatant second-half penalty, opposite number Mark Hughes was rather less forgiving.
Maybe the Saints’ desperate need for a morale-boosting first home win of the campaign was behind the manager’s post-match blast over the offside decision that denied Charlie Austin making it 2-0 on 67 minutes.
Had that been allowed, the hosts would surely have taken the points and be sitting three clear of the relegation zone.
As it is, six games without a victory at home is the worst start to a term in the club’s history, and only goal difference keeps them out of the bottom three.
Hughes, nicknamed Sparky, rapped: “It was clearly a goal. The ref said it hit Yoshida on the way in but he was a yard away from Charlie’s shot. That would have made it 2-0 and in my opinion would have finished the game.
“Our performance was good and deserved three points. We were given an inexperienced referee. It was his fourth game at this level.
“Would he be given the Manchester derby? Absolutely not. He was not up to the standard required.”
Hughes was then asked what he made of the penalty incident at the other end. He added: “That proves my point. He got that wrong too.”
That rant was in stark contrast to the considered, measured response of Gracia.
The Hornets chief, who is close to agreeing a new three-year deal with his side eighth in the table, said: “It was impossible for me to