Sousa: The Referee Pressured Us
Paulo Sousa says the referee pressurised them to put an injured player back onto the pitch in the Carling Cup defeat to Scunny
Sousa said after the game "There were very bad events that happened. Of course I don't appreciate it. I appreciate football completely different without the things. But I don't like to speak about this as we have ways to do this.
"However, we talk about how it is important to try and protect and players and when it doesn't happen and when it changes situations and when players are being provoked it is difficult.
"But of course they can't react like that, they have to keep focus and be alive to play our football. But it is not easy for the players who are doing the right thing when from the beginning they are being provoked.
"We have our opportunity to write to the FA about the referee's performance but at this moment we do not know what offences the players have committed.
"I never wanted the match abandoned but Idrizaj should not have gone back on the field but as we were then down to only six players the referee put pressure on us to get him back on."
What to read next:
End game – PreviewQPR need one result, in any one of a multitude of the remaining games, to secure their Championship safety - they get first swing at getting it for themselves tonight at home to Massive Leeds United.
So near and yet so far - HistoryAhead of the visit of Leeds to Loftus Road on Friday we look back at the final day of the 1975/76 season when QPR got the 2-0 win they needed to take their title bid down to Liverpool's final match at Wolves - 48 years ago this week.
Three into two won't go, will Leeds last the pace? Oppo profileHaving started the year with nine straight wins Leeds looked all set to overpower the Championship even in this extreme year at the top, but they’ve dropped points in five of their last ten to put the whole thing back in the balance. Nico Franks and Gruev Armada (@timmsy_ks) gave us the latest.
W12 braces for pivotal Preston clash - PreviewThree points above the drop zone with three to play, QPR likely need one more win to save their season and, in theory, their best chance of getting that is tomorrow night, at Loftus Road, against Preston North End. Hold me.