Stuart Attwell had to make a decision in the second half of Sunderland’s clash with Leeds United at the Stadium of Light, and Paul Robinson feels he got it right.
The fixture between the two sides had some controversy last season when Attwell denied Leeds a clear penalty and awarded a soft one to Sunderland.
Attwell was again at the centre of potential controversy today, but thankfully he kept his head, and VAR didn’t intervene unnecessarily despite loud calls from the crowd.
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The referee kept his card in his pocket
In the second half, Sunderland players and supporters pressured the referee to send off Leeds wing-back Jayden Bogle.
Sunderland fans screamed for a red card after Jayden Bogle struck a high foot at Reinildo, who tried to head it.
It was not a clever challenge from the Leeds defender, but there was no malicious intent. Attwell awarded a yellow card.
Former Leeds goalkeeper Paul Robinson conceded that Bogle made a bad decision and was late on the challenge. However, he indicated a red card would have been too harsh as there was no intent in the challenge.
“Bogle was late as well”, Robinson said on BBC Radio 5 Live.
“It was a ball into the middle of the pitch, and to Bogle’s credit, he had his eyes locked on the ball.
“He was late, and it was high, but there was no intent in the challenge.”
The Whites again didn’t do enough to beat a struggling team
Leeds cannot keep treating draws against struggling sides as acceptable results. Taking a point against Manchester United last weekend and another against Sunderland today might look respectable on paper, but both were opportunities to take all three points.
Manchester United arrived at Elland Road amid a dreadful run of form, while Sunderland have been struggling for results themselves. Leeds had chances to make those games count, yet they allowed their opponents to leave without suffering the defeat their performances arguably deserved.
This is where Leeds need to improve if they want to establish themselves in the Premier League. Beating the big sides makes headlines, but beating low-confidence teams is what builds momentum and creates breathing room in the table.
Daniel Farke deserves credit for keeping Leeds competitive, but at some point performances must translate into victories. Leeds cannot keep waiting for struggling opponents to beat themselves. They must be more ruthless, take their chances and start turning these draws into wins.
