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Rafa Benitez claims from Spain “I don’t want to create a polemic about anything…”

5 years ago
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Rafa Benitez insists he just wants ‘consistency’ when it come to decisions by match officials.

Speaking  to Sky Sports over in Spain, where Newcastle are having a warm weather training break, the NUFC boss was asked about decisions that have affected his team.

In general terms Newcastle haven’t had many favours from referees this season and especially against Wolves.

In the home game in December with the scores at 1-1, Newcastle should have had a penalty when Willy Boly elbowed Ayoze Perez in the face in the penalty area, Wolves going on to win 2-1.

Then of course the laughable non-decision on Monday, when the referee decided Boly wrapping his arms around Martin Dubravka’s throat wasn’t a foul, as he impeded the keeper when scoring the last minute equaliser.

Rafa Benitez reacting to the lack of decisions going his way by declaring ‘I don’t want to create a polemic about anything…’,  and just case you were wondering, the definition of polemic is ‘A strong verbal or written attack on someone or something.’

However, the Newcastle Manager, whilst mindful of his fine earlier this season for comments on match officials, did get his point across.

Without mentioning names, Rafa Benitez compared the decisions/non-decisions made on Monday night compared to when Mo Salah ‘won’ a penalty in the game at Anfield on Boxing Day.

Rafa says about wanting ‘consistency’ and though he didn’t name him, Graham Scott was the referee in both games, giving Salah a penalty for minimal contact, yet allowing the foul on Dubravka to go unpunished.

Rafa Benitez when asked by Sky Sports if this break can inspire a good run for his side:

“Hopefully – that would be perfect.

“But you never know because the Premier League is very difficult.

“If we work the same way we have been working, and are lucky with the (refereeing) decisions, I think we can get three points in the next games.

“I don’t want to create a polemic about anything…but you see the penalty of Salah [against Newcastle on Boxing Day] that was just a touch on his shoulder and you can see here [in Monday’s Wolves game] the foul and this one with the two arms.

“You can analyse however you want, but one thing we always talk about, is consistency in the decisions.”

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