Soccer Football - Championship - Sunderland v Blackpool - Stadium of Light, Sunderland, Britain - October 4, 2022 Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray during the match Action Images/Lee Smith EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.
Journalist James Hunter was deeply unimpressed with referee Jeremy Simpson in Sunderland‘s 5-1 loss at home to Stoke City on Saturday afternoon.
The Lowdown: Bad day for Black Cats
The Black Cats welcomed their Championship opponents to the Stadium of Light on Saturday, in what was another key game in their promotion push.
It proved to be a woeful day at the office for Tony Mowbray’s side, however, with Stoke taking the lead through Josh Laurent during the first half, before pulling well clear after the break.
It was a result that could ultimately prove damaging come may and it was an afternoon in which frustration boiled over both on and off the pitch.
The Latest: Hunter fumes at referee
Taking to Twitter, Hunter was quick to reveal what he thought of Simpson’s performance on Saturday:
“Absolute shambles from the referee, this.”
The Verdict: Simply not good enough
Granted, referees do have a difficult job on their hands and they are only human, but this was another unacceptably poor performance by an official.
So many of Simpson’s decisions left supporters scratching their heads, including one moment when he allowed Stoke to play out from the back after a head injury, as well as blowing for half-time when Sunderland had possession in a dangerous area.
Refereeing standards in the Championship are not strong at the moment, and while Mowbray’s men deserve criticism for their performance, Simpson should also be under the spotlight.
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