EFL striker risks punishment after accusing referee of not understanding football

Hull City striker Oli McBurnie claimed referee John Brooks ‘doesn’t really understand football’ in a savage post-match outburst.

Brooks, who was the man in the middle for Hull’s 2-1 defeat to Sheffield United on Saturday, became public enemy number one for McBurnie and his teammates following a string of polarising decisions.

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Marching orders

The official reduced Hull to ten men in the 75th minute when he sent John Lundstram off for a second bookable offence.

However, McBurnie felt it was the incorrect decision and claimed Lundstram was impeded by Brooks from getting the ball, resulting in the midfielder fouling Blades star Jairo Riedewald.

Lundstram had earlier been booked for a fiery encounter with Mark McGuiness, which McBurnie wasn’t even aware of.

Yet the second yellow, which ultimately flipped the contest on its head given Hull were 1-0 up, left McBurnie particularly aggrieved.

McBurnie: Ref ‘doesn’t really understand football’

“The second one, the referee’s clearly in Lunny’s way, he’s had to run around him and that’s why he’s off-balance as he’s making a tackle,” McBurnie told talkSPORT.

“Now, understandably, that’s a foul.

“But I think the referee has shown he doesn’t really understand football too much. Anyone knows that if you’ve played football and you’re in the way, you use a bit of common sense.

“You give the foul but you don’t give the yellow card, because if you’re not in the way there, Lunny can run in and take the ball and there’s no foul whatsoever.”

Brooks drew the ire of Hull’s players and staff when, less than ten minutes later, he awarded the Blades a penalty as Kyle Joseph was deemed to have fouled Riedewald as players from both sides grappled in the box.

Gus Hamer dispatched the resulting spot-kick to level the score in the 85th minute.

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McBurnie sensationally alleged Brooks didn’t even know who had committed the foul that led to the penalty, leaving him puzzled as to how the referee could subsequently point to the spot.

“Then the penalty, we’ve just watched it back in there, we’re still not sure who the foul is on,” McBurnie added.

“I asked the referee during the game who the foul was on, he said he didn’t know and told me to go away.

“Which is interesting as well, I don’t know how you can give a foul if you’re not sure who it’s on.

“I don’t really know what more I can say on the referee.”

McBurnie added he’d seen similar grappling situations ‘maybe ten times a game’ but never given as a penalty in all the matches Hull have played this season.

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Hull’s woes were compounded in the 88th minute when Danny Ings netted just his second goal of the term just minutes after he came on to wrap up all three points for the Blades.

How the 2-1 result impacted Hull City and Sheffield United

Despite the agonising loss, Hull remain in the play-off positions as they sit sixth with 68 points, four ahead of Wrexham.

However, the Hollywood-owned Welsh side can cut the gap to one point should they beat Birmingham City on Sunday.

As for Sheffield United, the win lifted them to 16th, although they could be leapfrogged by the Blues if they defeat Wrexham.