Premier League - Bruce slams ref over Chelsea winner

Eurosport - Mon, 02 Mar 13:35:00 2009

Steve Bruce has again questioned the referee's handling of Wigan's defeat at Chelsea, admitting it has 'left a bad taste' in his mouth.

FOOTBALL 2008-09 Premier League Wigan Athletic manager Steve Bruce (right) and assistant Eric Black - 0

Latics were on the brink of a point at Stamford Bridge on Saturday after Olivier Kapo's neat finish had cancelled out John Terry's early volley.

However, in injury-time, Frank Lampard headed home the winner for Chelsea, with Bruce insistent the midfielder pushed Latics captain Mario Melchiot.

Referee Lee Probert allowed the goal, but Bruce is adamant the incident only highlighted the unfavourable treatment smaller clubs receive when they meet the Premier League's big fish.

"I really do question the manner in which the game was handled, and we did seem to have the stigma of being a small club playing against one of the big teams," Bruce told the Wigan Evening Post.

"What happened left a bad taste in my mouth.

"There was a foul by John Obi Mikel in the lead-up to the first goal, and a corner was given when Didier Drogba's shot went wide, even though it shouldn't have been.

"The worst one was in the last minute, when there was a blatant push by Frank Lampard on my skipper Mario Melchiot. It put Mario off. He had his shoulder pushed round in mid-air.

"The referee was 15 yards away and I thought he would give the right decision, but he didn't.

"My players deserve a big pat on the back for their performance though, and I thought we deserved something out of the game.

"Had the referee controlled the game better and made the right decisions, we would have come away with a 1-1 draw which we thoroughly deserved.

"I feel injustice to my players and I will defend them. They should have been celebrating a 1-1 draw on the bus home."

TeamTalk / Eurosport

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  1. All loser Chelsea fans here, listen up, Chelsea are a­ millionaire loser and with a group of multi-millionaire­ running on the field and let Wigan push u until nearly­ a draw or lost then need to resort to a push for a win.­ I feel totally disgusted with the way football was play­ by the big club and yes, I think Bruce will also­ complain even if it is Man U because too often referee­ bow to pressure from Fans of the Big Club (Yes, I mean­ all Chelsea fans leaving comment here who are the sore­ loser) to give penalty or decision in favour of the big­ club. Look at how many red cards was given to Liverpool­ opponent this season. Please there is a push mean there­ is a push, Bruce might over-react from it but I do not­ believe such a decision will be given if we are playing­ against a championship team in Carling or FA cup.

    From Goh, on Wed 4 Mar 7:44AM

  2. chelsea will not win the title, u all are millionaire­ loser

    From Goh, on Wed 4 Mar 7:42AM

  3. At the end of the day fact that Chelsea and other big­ clubs always get the better run of the decissions.
    So­ all you chelsea fans shut up because Wigan has spent­ less on our players than you have on yours.
    Look at­ yourselves you can't even keep your managers.
    So­ you are such a big club the way your going you will end­ up like Newcastle because no matter what you spend­ because your club is full of prima-donners.

    From anthony m, on Tue 3 Mar 10:16AM

  4. Steve Bruce played for United once, right? I wonder if­ he would have said comments like these if he played­ against Man Utd and the same thing happened.

    From jeffreyschembri, on Tue 3 Mar 7:12AM

  5. Hey quatt47, did u ever consider that Bruce is just­ bitter hes not gonna win a thing this season. If ur a­ neutral, stick to neutral things like knitting. Leave­ the football for the fans who are passionate about it.­ Oh and to all moaning about the so called­ "push"(including Mr Bruce) football is NOT a­ non contact sport. Imagine the days of the likes of­ Nobby Styles, pushed him....he would have broken his­ legs to get to that ball, and the goal would still have­ been allowed.

    From dazle23, on Mon 2 Mar 10:55PM

  6. Give the moaning a rest Bruce...:(

    From kop it, on Mon 2 Mar 9:19PM

  7. quatt47, a load of @#$% from a neutral. stick to soap­ opera's you muppet.

    From afcwasps, on Mon 2 Mar 7:19PM

  8. thank u comment 15, chelsea for life

    From transinternationalaccountunit, on Mon 2 Mar 6:54PM

  9. Hey bruce shut up, it do happen when referee make­ mistakes ur team is not the first victim, it happened­ to Chelsea home game against Arsenal right in front of­ our own crowd, where van persie was offside and the­ referee was even close to him with the lines man but­ gave it a goal and we (chelsea) later loosed the game,­ which cost us a lot in our premier league title hope,­ so shut ur mouth and work better on ur team.

    From transinternationalaccountunit, on Mon 2 Mar 6:52PM

  10. Had it been the other way round (defender on attacker),­ would a penalty have been given?

    Never in a month of­ Sundays!...

    From Bring It On!, on Mon 2 Mar 6:32PM

  11. What an amazing set of reactions from Chelsea fans who­ must have blue tinted glasses not to have seen the­ foul. Real football fans accept what happened without­ trying to pretend it didn't happen by posting­ abusive comments. Grow up Chelsea fans. This from a­ neutral.

    From quatt47, on Mon 2 Mar 6:12PM

  12. william gall score last year a goal just like that­ against chelsea in emirate stadium .arsenal won that­ game because of that goal we didn't cry,we didnt­ say nothing
    i saw lot of pushing before lot of­ goals,why bruce keep crying ,so what if he lost

    From monacomaville, on Mon 2 Mar 6:11PM

  13. No way was it a push.Chelsea deserved to win the game­ 4-0.Go on the Mighty Blues

    From david, on Mon 2 Mar 5:22PM

  14. this guy is a joke. actually not even nearly a push,­ hardly even contact. is he sayiny when players both­ jump for a ball there needs to be daylight between them­ at all time?

    considering the amount of bad refereeing­ decisions chelsea get against them that actally effect­ the club in a big way he can hardly say all decisions­ are gonna go big teams way

    From yip, on Mon 2 Mar 5:17PM

  15. Bruce's comments about John Obi Mikel in the lead­ up to the first goal are absolute rubbish. There was a­ full 90 seconds, one Wigan foul and two stopages of­ play between Mikel's challange and Terry's­ goal. I'm still trying to see an offence for­ Lampard's strike, it was a lot less innocuous than­ twenty fouls that weren't given over the course of­ the weekend. This is not netball, it's football.­ Steve Bruce used to moan like hell as a defender when­ at Man Utd and effected so many decisions against­ smaller teams. What goes around comes around!

    From hodgsonpaul42, on Mon 2 Mar 4:24PM

  16. you lost to a far superior side, get over it. trying to­ make up excuses just highlights the fact that your team­ are not very good. CHELSEA BY BIRTH NOT GLORY.

    From afcwasps, on Mon 2 Mar 4:16PM

  17. If that was a push by Lampard, then when Ballack­ flicked it on he was pushed as well and it's as­ much of a penalty as Lampard fouled. Simple as that.

    From brickbreak, on Mon 2 Mar 4:02PM

  18. Oi, shoo. When did football become a non-contact sport?­ Get back to your netball with that moaning old gasbag­ Bruce.

    From gravydriving, on Mon 2 Mar 3:52PM

  19. yeah...i did saw Lampard Pushing on wigan captain, that­ was a bad tackle but referee do nothing

    From JRy, on Mon 2 Mar 3:40PM

  20. ah Busuyi, way to take reality personally. a­ "touch" as you call it can still be illegal. ­ arms extended in the defender's back doesn't­ even require a push, but you are still breaking the­ rules. you are entitled to the space beneath your­ shoulders. dictionary? try the rulebook. I'm­ sure if the situation had been reversed you'd be­ all over it. But setting aside the Chelski 4 lifers,­ it was a fair result for the match in total. Chelsea­ deserved 3 points, just not by that goal.

    From shoo, on Mon 2 Mar 2:54PM
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