10:31am Friday 20th November 2009
By Paul Fraser
A PUZZLED Steve Bruce has contacted referees’ chief Keith Hackett and urged him to find a solution to the “unfairness”
of some decisions which have contributed to Sunderland’s failure to win either of their last two matches.
Bruce was stunned after watching referee Andre Marriner issue a booking to Blackburn defender Pascal Chimbonda when he appeared to take a swing at Portsmouth midfielder Jamie O’Hara 13 days ago.
Marriner’s actions arrived just a week after he handed Kenwyne Jones an instant red card for violent conduct, culminating in a three-match ban, for raising his hands to West Ham’s theatrical defender Herita Ilunga.
Bruce has compiled a DVD of the two incidents and has sent them to Hackett and he was last night trying to contact the general manager of the Professional Game Match Officials Board to discuss the decisions.
The Sunderland boss, whose side face Arsenal tomorrow without the suspended Jones, was also left infuriated at White Hart Lane last weekend, when Tottenham goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes was only booked despite conceding a penalty as the last-man. Gomes stayed on the pitch and saved the penalty from Darren Bent.
Now Bruce wants to hear more from Hackett and he wants to see improvements made to try to bring an end to refereeing inconsistencies.
“If you watched last weekend when Pascal Chimbonda punched another player it was the same referee, yet he’s free from suspension and I’ve asked for that to be cleared up,” said Bruce.
“I have tried to speak with Keith Hackett. I have not spoken to him yet, I have been trying, but I will. I will send him a copy of the DVD of the incidents.
“At the time I said Kenwyne should rightly be punished and he was sent off for pushing someone. Then someone throws a punch last week, hits him on the chin and gets a yellow card. It’s not particularly consistency, it’s fairness.”
Bruce’s comments arrived less than 24 hours after S w e d i s h r e f e r e e M a r t i n H a n s - s o n failed t o rule out France’s controversial equaliser against Ireland that ultimately proved enough to send the French through.
Thierry Henry kept the ball in play twice with his left hand before crossing to William Gallas to finish off the move in extra-time and finish off Irish hopes of winning the World Cup qualifier play-off.
With all considered, Bruce feels now is the time to change things and introduce new measures to help referees get the all-important decisions right when they matter most.
“I thought the referee was excellent in the France v Ireland game, but he missed the big one,” said Bruce. “It was offside for a start and then it was handball.
“I would bring in technology 100 per cent for goals, if there’s an absolute decision to be made. Sky had the replay to us within 15 seconds. They had six different angles. If the fourth official is there, watching it, why can’t they just stop it for ten seconds.
“I have always been of the opinion that they have a hard job. I have the biggest admiration for them. But now is the time for new technology.”
Bruce, who dismissed talk that he was interested in Middlesbrough’s David Wheater as “certainly not true”, has been boosted by the return to training of Bolo Zenden and John Mensah.
Both are in contention to face the Gunners after missing recent matches through injury, but there will be no place for goalkeeper Craig Gordon.
He broke an arm in a collision with striker Jermain Defoe in Sunderland’s last match, an injury that prevents the Scotland No 1 from playing until February.
Bruce – who also confirmed that Lee Cattermole has had his leg brace taken off and is now working on his fitness in the gym – has revealed Gordon remains angry at the way Defoe left his foot in.
“Could he have got out of the road? Only he knows,”
said the Black Cats boss, aware that Defoe has since apologised via Darren Bent.
“When I saw it with the naked eye I thought it was 50-50, but when I’ve looked at it afterwards . . .
“Craig has a broken arm and he is sore and upset. He has had an operation to insert a metal plate.’’
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