New Chelsea coach complains about referee's bad decisions
Updated: 2007-09-24 11:18
MANCHESTER, England - New Chelsea coach Avram Grant said referee Mike Dean had made three bad decisions in their 2-0 defeat at Manchester United and described that as "strange".
Chelsea have lodged an appeal for wrongful dismissal after Dean sent off midfielder John Obi Mikel 32 minutes into the game for a foul on Patrice Evra.
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Grant, in charge for his first game following the controversial departure of Jose Mourinho, faced questions not only about the game but about his coaching qualifications.
He was unhappy that United's first goal from Carlos Tevez was scored beyond the two minutes of first-half injury time displayed by the fourth official.
He also deplored the award of an 89th-minute penalty when Louis Saha, who scored from the spot, sprawled on the turf after an apparently slight touch by Tal Ben Haim.
"His decisions affected the result. He made three mistakes, one the red card, one the goal after the additional time and one the penalty," Grant said. To have three bad decisions from the referee was "a bit strange," he said.
"I think Alex Ferguson can be very happy with the referee today."
BIT HARSH
Ferguson said that Mikel's dismissal and the penalty for Saha were "a bit harsh."
But he felt United, who moved second in the table thanks to a fourth successive Premier League win, should have had an earlier penalty for a foul on Evra by Joe Cole, who should then have been dismissed for a bad foul on Cristiano Ronaldo.
"In games like this the referees make quick decisions and they can get it wrong but I don't think it affected the result."
"I think we were the better team and I think some of our football in the early parts of the match was absolutely outstanding."
Chelsea trail leaders Arsenal by five points, having played a game more but Grant was encouraged by the response of his team since the departure of Mourinho, whose name was chanted by the visiting supporters at Old Trafford.
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