West Ham assistant boss Steve Clarke has slammed rival manager Steve Bruce for accusing Herita Ilunga of "play-acting" in the Hammers' draw with Sunderland at the weekend.
The Congolese defender was pushed to the ground by Kenwyne Jones in the first half of Saturday's 2-2 draw at the Stadium of Light, leading to the Sunderland striker being shown a red card.
Sunderland boss Bruce criticised Ilunga's reaction to the shove, claiming it "left a lot to be desired", and also added it was a "ploy" by the Hammers medical staff to run onto the pitch and make the most of the incident by applying ice-packs to the player's face.
Clarke spoke out in defence of Ilunga on Tuesday - and told Bruce he should keep his opinions of opposition players to himself.
"I find it incredible that a player who was the victim is the person everyone is talking about," said Clarke, in reference to Ilunga, the former Toulouse left-back. "Tell me what Ilunga did wrong? Someone pushed him in the face. He'd just recently recovered from a triple fracture to the jaw - maybe he thought there was a punch coming.
"It was wrong of Steve Bruce to comment on our players. I find it incredible we are here talking about our player, when he was the victim. This is wrong, it's completely wrong. There was no over-reaction; he has to protect himself. He's a big boy, Kenwyne Jones."
Comment 6 - 25 of 25
Steve Bruce whinges at every club he is at, he really needs to shut the hell up and get on whith his job. If you believed anything he says then everything would be everyone else's fault but his, although he does appear to have x-ray vision as he was apparently able see the other side of Ilunga's face to see that he hadn't been injured. I am just thankful this f*ckwit isn't manager of my team.
Cameron apology accepted on behalf of Mackems all around the world.
Mind it was equally if not more as embarrassing as Rivaldo in the world cup that time.
Cameron all managers whine mate and Bruce like messers Keane and Hughes learned from the very best whiner in the game.What Jones did was pathetic but Ilunga's reaction reminded me of when a player pushed that ref over in the past,you'd think he'd been hit with a .243 bullet
Jack
yes ok, it was a bit OTT, but my gripe is that Bruce IS whining.
Tell me Jack, yes or no - is he whining.
Forget about this, that, or the other, is he whining?
cameron
I dont give a rats cuss about Ilunga returning from a fractured jaw or not (now whose making excuses???) he was deemed fit tomplay end of. all the comments seem to have totally missed the point ,which is one of total and poor consistency from so called professional officials again no-one has answered my question about A Shearer???? would you not re act the same and would your manager not defend him even when guilty ??? Bruce hasnt defended Jones That much but he has questioned the histryonics ofa so called fellow professsional player????????
pwilson caught that one m8 cheers just struggling with wether or not to pay the dirty b astards at SKY for box office
Steve B is entitled to his oppinion the same as any one else ...... and in my oppinion he was spot on
West Ham and the player involved should face charges of bringing the game in to disrepute ......
Arrgh! The Irony of it all Jack, Sorry that should be Irons-I think. Or the Hammer house of Arrgh's.
Left one on the Black Death for ya J.T.
p.s I watched in wonder as illunga was given a yellow card? why was this? his life was clearly in mortal danger he reacted like any sensible 4 year old girl would do,Bruce is a disgrace
I agree Cameron if you look at the replay jou can easily see Jone's right hook then left to uppercut iilunga's jaw,bridge of the nose and eye then if you put it into super-slow mo you can see a quick karate chop to the soler plexis followed by a missile thrown from a Sunderland fan that actually sticks out of the top of the lad's head requiring an urgent ice pack.Bruce is wrong to say snivelling despicable little play acters like this are destroyning our game and making it more European by the day
Commet-14
shut it; these pages are open to EVERYONE to comment, besides if you read the NUFC pages (which no doubt you do), you will find that they are often infested with comments from safc 'supporters', some good i might add, but mostly filth and abuse!
I wish these mags would naff off to comment on their own league
MD
i have seen the incident several times; the guy has just returned from a triple fracture to the jaw - now when a big lump like Jones lifts his hands in THAT area, how do you expect him to react for pity's sake!
And we are NOT discussing what Ilunga may have or may not have done leading up to it, we are debating Jones' actions and subsequent (deserved) red card.
Bruce IS whining, it's as simple as that.
Now i watched the Clarke interview, and i back him 100% - yes you can call me biased but that is your perogative.
As for Cana, if he was playing for West ham, tell me honestly, would you have pleaded for a red?
Now watch at the weekend, after Spurs have thumped you, i bet he is whining about something else!
The fact of where someone was pushed, it was definitely in the lower jaw area, a push such as Jones's deserves a red card. To try and blame Ilunga for the result of the push is stupid. I guess after the beach ball goal the Sunderland supporters feel they deserve much more than they're worthy of. Lower your expectations Sunderland. Jones got what he deserved.
cameron
No-one is whinning or whinnging about Jones being sent off, we all know he was wrong , however, the selective sight you Zebras have is quite alarming really!!!!!
I suggest you watch the sending off carefully as then you will clearly see Ilunga tried to headbutt jones but the ref didnt see it, Why?? because he was poor and didnt keep up with the pace of the game. He was clearly told by the assistant that Ilunga should have received a red card also. That would have satisfied everyone, and put paid to the Moaning of Steve Clarke about the whole incident. Now unless you are prepared to watch the game and the replays to get the facys right please dont come on here and lecture us as SAFC supporters as to the rights and wrongs of our manager.
As i said on other pages whenever A Shearer was dismissed Did the newcastle managers at the time never defend his actions?????? I think you will find they did!!!!!!!
I saw this interview, bet most of the people posting here didn't!
Clarke was spot on; shut it Brucey Boy - whinge, whinge, whine, whine!
Like a broken record, he moans about everything - didn't whinge about the beachball tho did he, hypocrite.
And yes Bruce, just how did your captain managed to stay on the pitch - he too should've walked surely!! So yes, smelly tramp Downy, i guess he was a bad ref eh!
Bottom line, Jones lifted his hands, red card, no ifs or buts, or whatever the other lad did, or did not do.
Accept it, deal with it and move on Bruce, you moaner!
well said downy100, same as there player that got sent off with his second yellow. kicked bent and fell to the floor like it was other way round. dirty cheats
I am a west ham supporter and thougt that Jones was unlucky but did raise his hands, however the stick I got in work not from sunderland supporters but the neutral was embarassing. It actually looks like steve clarke is doing an Alex Ferguson and taking the light off a bad west ham performance and putting it onto the red card. Does he not realise that he is embarrasing his own supporters...
The guy is an absolute joke, pathetic drop to the ground, wrestling should be his trade, that girlie American stuff WWF (or is that the wildlife charity) anyway its all fake & cheating, West Ham players were dropping like flies & totally conning that pathetic ref Andre Mariner!
FTM
just watched clarkes interview, hahahaha what a prat!!!
Please login to post a comment
Not already a Yahoo! user ? Sign up to get a free Yahoo! Account