Where's The Respect? (Part Three)

Dave Jones saw his team's efforts count for nothing against Queen's Park Rangers and he was adamant that it was not the fault of his players. Referee, Lee Probert, was the main target of his ire and he was about to deliver a stinging rebuke that would question the future of the FA's Respect Campaign. “You talk about respect in the game,” said Jones. “There’s no respect, because they haven’t respected my players today and the decisions they made were scandalous. I thought we were dominating the game with eleven men. We probably did enough to get something with ten men, but it’s difficult. We’re playing against the referee, who really ruined the game. I think he made the mistake in Darren Purse being sent off. He [Purse] knows he’s made a mistake. He should have let the lad through, but it’s not a sending off. It was never a sending off; it’s crazy – absolutely crazy and Miguel [Comminges] tells me he told the linesman ‘you’ve got to see that’ and he sent him off. I think he’s lost control today.”

Cardiff had two players sent off and Jones was incensed about both, but they could only appeal one of them and the consensus was that Purse's dismissal would be appealed, if any, but Jones wasn't convinced that there would be an appeal. “What’s the point in appealing against cards, because you don’t get any joy from them?” said Jones. “ As far as I’m concerned this referee and the two officials alongside him, they should have a good look at them and say, 'hang on are they good enough to referee at this level?' I don’t think they are. I don’t know what to say to them [the players] because you feel like you are playing against the officials as well. I don’t see how he [Comminges] got sent off. The boy pushes into him and kicks it into Row Z. Just give the free kick. I mean Purse isn’t even a sending off. I actually thought that Steve McPhail’s tackle in the first half warranted more than a caution, but he’s got his eye on the ball. I’m disappointed. The lads are gutted. They’ve worked their socks off with ten men. It’s a long time to play against eleven men.”

His opposite number Gareth Ainsworth offered some sympathy, but it gave little solace to Jones. “I’ve learned not to comment too much until I’ve seen the replay.,” he said. “I haven’t sent the replay yet. First impressions were I told Dave Jones that I thought it was harsh and Darren Purse himself. I think it was a few years ago now that tackle is a yellow card, but they’re clamping down now and it was a red, but the lad took it well. We were on the end of a dubious one last game and today it went the other way. I think the Birmingham game in a strange way primed us for this. We knew how dangerous we were with ten men against them and that’s what I told them at half time. 'They’re going to come out at you; they still want to win this game. Remember what we did a week ago against Birmingham.' The lads were ready.”

Cardiff City decided to appeal against Purse's red card and it was rescinded, but it was far too late. Jones' team had to play over an hour without him and the last five minutes with just nine players. His tactics had been ruined by the officials and while rescinding the card meant that Purse's suspension was lifted, the damage done in this match was not rectified. Cardiff got nothing, not even a point. “I thought we were dominating the game with eleven men,” said Jones, but he had to re-organise and adopt different tactics because the referee got it wrong. Jones' players were entitled to respect from the officials that they didn't receive.