Hughes still fuming at call, thinks Atkinson should be suspended

Stoke City manager Mark Hughes is still angry with a call from midweek, and rightly so.

His Potters lost 3-0 to Liverpool, but Hughes and many others believe it could’ve been much different had referee Martin Atkinson sent off Simon Mignolet for taking down Mame Biram Diouf.

Atkinson clearly saw the play, which earned Mignolet a yellow card despite being the last man back. The rulebook allows for the foul to not be a sending off if the foul was an accident.

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It wasn’t an accident:

He had to, which means Atkinson had to send him off. Mistake.

And now Hughes, certainly someone whose playing history would make the enjoyment of a result versus Liverpool extra special, wonders why Atkinson isn’t suspended in Mignolet’s place.

From the BBC:

“I don’t see why he should be refereeing this weekend,” he added. “My feelings reflect everybody else’s view: the referees who reviewed it since and everybody in the stadium, apart from one. Those are the decisions that frustrate me as a manager - and other managers.”

Fair? I think so.

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