Keane fears refs’ decisions could drag his team down

Mar 9 2008 by James Hunter, Sunday Sun

ROY KEANE hopes the six points he insists referees have denied his side this season do not drag Sunderland down . . .

And that his reputation for hassling referees during his playing days will not backfire on him further as a manager.

Keane’s belief that Sunderland have been unfairly treated by refs this season is supported by a look back at some of the major decisions that have gone against them.

And the Black Cats boss is bitter that blunders by officials have kept Sunderland down in the relegation mire when they should be in a much more comfortable position.

In his days as Manchester United skipper, Keane and his team-mates were famous for confronting referees when decisions went against them.

And he fears that it is now payback time.

“I hope it’s not my reputation that’s making things go against us,” said Keane.

“I’ve been in football a long time and all you can do is hope that there is fairness in there.

“This is Sunderland Football Club and it is the supporters who are suffering.

“There have now been four or five major decisions – not touch and go decisions – that have cost us six points, without a shadow of a doubt.

“Our fans deserve better than that.

“All I’m asking for is fairness and the officials have not been fair to Sunderland this season and if I have to answer to any kind of referees’ association or the Premier League then I’ll bring the video clips and show them.

“Referees make mistakes just like I make mistakes as a manager and players make mistakes.

“But when four, five or six major decisions go against you then you do start to worry.

“They say these things even themselves out and if we’d had four go against us and two for, then I might believe that but we’ve had five or six go against us.”

Sunderland’s latest case of rough justice came when an incorrect offside decision denied Michael Chopra a winning goal at Derby last weekend.

Keane said: “I spoke to the assessor on Tuesday and he said I was dead right – the goal was onside.

“But what good is that to me on a Tuesday morning? And what good is it to our supporters, who have suffered all weekend and paid good money to travel up and down the country and see decisions constantly go against us?

“Against Aston Villa in December we had a last-minute winner disallowed that should have stood and the following week at Reading they were given a winning goal that didn’t cross the line.

“That’s three points, straight away. Then last month Portsmouth were given a controversial penalty that turned out to be a winning goal and then the very next week the Derby incident happened – those two decisions cost us another three points.

“The officials seem to think that, because it’s Sunderland, it’s not really important, which frustrates me, to say the least.”