Fulham boss Marco Silva lambasts matchday referee vs Ipswich at home by calling him ‘Not at Premier League level’.
Fulham Boss Marco Silva, the Fulham manager, described the performance of Darren Bond, the referee, as “not at Premier League level”.
Against tenacious opponents who had taken two leads thanks to goals from Sammie Szmodics and Liam Delap, Fulham had to settle for their fifth draw in six games. However, Silva and his team believed that Leif Davis ought to have been sent off in the 28th minute for unlawfully stopping Harry Wilson’s move towards the goal. Bond gave Davis a yellow card, possibly because he thought Dara O’Shea of Ipswich was in a good position to cover.
“It’s a clear red card,” Silva said. “We cannot control it. The performance from the referee was not at the level the Premier League demands, in my opinion. When [Wilson] touched the ball he was going one on one with the goalkeeper. It’s difficult to understand.
“A really difficult afternoon for the referee, and really difficult to explain some decisions. I cannot explain some of them to you.”
The video assistant referee had to step in before the Mexican’s first penalty kick was given, but Silva said all three of the game’s penalties—two of which were converted by Raúl Jiménez—were fairly given. At first, Bond had waved play on. “It was an obvious punishment,” he stated. “VAR had to award the penalty, and the referee had the final say.”
In the end, Silva acknowledged that Fulham had to be “disappointed” with their performance and bemoaned the defensive blunders that allowed Ipswich to score. He remarked, “The way we are defending right now, we are too soft.”
Kieran McKenna, his opponent, expressed “mixed emotions” following a point that increased his team’s standing in 18th position after they defeated Chelsea. Ipswich had opportunities to overwhelm Fulham, but he was encouraged by a well-played game.
After completing his loan transfer from Serie A title contenders Atalanta to Ipswich, Ben Godfrey observed from the stands. The former Everton player, who has earned two England caps, will be a great addition at right-back or in central defence, according to McKenna. He remarked, “We’re happy to have him and we’re positive about it.” “We wanted to strengthen that aspect of the team.”