Pulis slams Jerome red card

Last updated : 21 October 2011 By Team Talk

 

 

 

 

Jerome was shown a second yellow card and given his marching orders by Kakos in the 43rd minute of the 3-0 Europa League win at the Britannia Stadium having been adjudged to have elbowed Yoav Ziv.

The decision enraged Pulis, who said after the match: "The sending-off kills the game and I think we have got to be very, very careful in respect of competitive sport.

"The game has moved on, players are fitter and quicker and they move the ball quicker.

"To send a player off like he did tonight...I think sometimes, you have to have some common sense.

"The public has paid to watch this game and we are doing it for the public, not for anyone else.

"I didn't see a bad challenge tonight, a bone-crunching one where you would think 'oh my goodness, that could put someone at risk'.

"I think we have to be very careful that we don't spoil what we have got in this country, which is honest competitive people, who want to make challenges.

"That is the big thing about professional football - it is a game of challenges.

"It is not netball, where you can stand off and try to stop them without touching them.

"If we take challenging out of the game, I don't think it will be anywhere near as good as it can be."

Stoke were already three goals up by the time Jerome saw red as their Israeli opponents were swept aside.

Kenwyne Jones, who was making his first appearance since picking up a hamstring injury a month ago, opened the scoring in the 12th minute with a header from Dean Whitehead's corner and Jerome nodded in Matthew Etherington's free-kick in the 24th minute to make it 2-0.

Jerome then took the ball around onrushing Maccabi goalkeeper Guy Haimov just after the half-hour mark and squared to Shotton, who converted neatly.

The subsequent sending-off of Jerome, who had earlier been booked for dissent, meant the first half ended on a sour note for the home side.

But Ziv - booed by Stoke fans for what they felt was an overly dramatic reaction to Jerome's contact - was then dismissed himself in bizarre circumstances 10 minutes after the restart when he inadvertently kicked his boot into the assistant referee.

From there, the hosts had little trouble seeing out a win which consolidated their position at the top of Group E.

Stoke now have seven points from three games at the midway point of the group stage and look well on course to make the Europa League knockout rounds.

Pulis was delighted with his players but feels there is still plenty of work to do.

"I thought Cameron and Kenwyne were very good tonight," Pulis said.

"I was pleased with Shotton having played him wide for the first time - he looks like he has got goals in him and that was a good goal, I'm very pleased for the kid.

"I thought Salif Diao and Dean Whitehead controlled the midfield very well and we just looked a little bit brighter and sharper than Maccabi.

"We have still got to go there and they will be smarting after that.

"I watched them against Dynamo Kiev at their place and they were a different team to what they were tonight, so we know that will be tough.

"We also have to go to Besiktas, which will be tough as well, so its not all done by a long shot yet."

Maccabi coach Motti Ivanir - who was serving the third match of a three-game touchline ban - admitted his side simply did not know how to handle what Stoke threw at them.

"Dealing with set-pieces, crosses, throw-ins, corners - sometimes even when you know and recognise a problem, there is still no answer," Ivanir said.

"We didn't have an answer for that today."

Ivanir also stressed that Ziv had not intended for his boot to hit the assistant referee and that the player had apologised to the official.

 

Source: Team Talk

Source: Team Talk