Sunderland boss Gus Poyet has confirmed he left Lee Cattermole out of his squad to face Arsenal because Andre Marriner was refereeing the game. Poyet did not want to lose Cattermole ahead of this weekend's Capital One Cup final as he feared he could end up being sent off. Cattermole was controversially red-carded at Hull City by Marriner earlier this season, and Poyet did not want to risk the former Middlesbrough midfielder. "Unfortunately for me, it (Cattermole) was the only decision I could control," Poyet revealed. "I don't want to say something to get me fined but for me the referee was one who normally sends Lee Cattermole off. "I don't want to say something to get me fined but for me the referee was one who normally sends Lee Cattermole off." Gus Poyet "Add that to the fact we were away to Arsenal. I am sure if we were to go two or three goals down, Lee is not the sort of player to have in the middle. I made a mistake in the press conference - if there is one player starting next week, it is Lee Cattermole. The rest at the moment are substitutes." Poyet admits Sunderland's 4-1 loss to Arsenal has not aided his selection for their trip to Wembley this weekend. "Everything I had in mind for next week is gone in 90 minutes. "Gone. Completely. We will have to start from zero," said Poyet. "Sometimes players pick themselves. If we had gone to Arsenal and won the game, how could you change the team next week at Wembley? "They would deserve to play. "Now I have a lot of options, because maybe there are a few players who have been pushing for a place in the starting XI and now they are going to be there. "I said in another interview that no-one put themselves in the team for next week - no-one. "But I suppose that is not quite right. The goalkeeper didn't have any responsibility for the goals, and that's true. "Jack Colback ran and tackled and fought, and that's true. Giaccherini tried his best and scored, and that's true too. "But we are a team. We are not tennis players who play on our own. I need to make a team. "Whatever team I pick next week they will have to be happy with, because they have had a great chance to put themselves forward and they didn't." Poll at the bottom of here http://www1.skysports.com/football/...sted-lee-cattermole-because-of-andre-marriner
What a crock of ****e.. Ffs, he already said Catts would not play, as Bridcutt was cup tied. Someone is lying here.
I think he'll be warned or fined for those comments. Doesn't seem to matter how right folk are regarding Refs.
Andre Marriner is not a very nice person and should not be in charge of football games...is that bad enough to bring the game into disrepute
eh? which game are you talking about? When did Poyet say, before the game, that Catts would not play against arsenal?
There was loads about it in the press. http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/spo...juggling-liam-and-lee-for-cup-final-1-6453736 To be fair though, He would have been fined if he said this regarding Mariner before the Arsenal fixture. The match appointments were made way before Poyet went public about resting Catts. Reckon it may have been a mixture of Bridcutt being cup tied and the ref appointment for Arsenal.
“If he was to get injured against Arsenal, or even sent off, that would leave us without someone who can play that role in the cup final because Bridcutt is not an option.” **** knows how I missed those comments in the press, but looks like even then a sending off was on his mind
the way you phrased it confused me (some times easily done ) I somehow missed his comments about Cattermole being left out because Bridcutt was cup tied - to me it would have been more logical to play Catts as he also said the game was a dress rehearsal.
I don`t see why it`s unexpected. It`s the next game, it doesn`t exactly happen very often whereas relegation battles are a regular occurrence. If we weren`t getting excited & involved there`d be something drastically wrong. No way does it mean we care more.
Eh?? He hasn't said Catts wouldn't play at all Commo - think you misread things - Gus said he couldn't risk him against Arsenal due to Marriner - He never said before the game that he wasn;t playing Catts due to the cup final. Catts is playing on Sunday and that's good for me - Yaya Toure says he's one of the hardest working he's ever played against - very tough. That'll do me
âI have a decision to make over Lee and Liam and itâs a very difficult one,â Poyet told the Echo. âObviously, Liam is cup-tied from his time at Brighton and cannot play in the cup final and, on top of that, Lee was outstanding in the FA Cup tie against Southampton the other week. âNormally, that would mean Lee stays in the team â he certainly deserves to after the way he has trained this week â but I have to think about the cup final, so that makes it difficult. âIf he was to get injured against Arsenal, or even sent off, that would leave us without someone who can play that role in the cup final because Bridcutt is not an option.â
Reckon poyet might be playing a few mind games here while he's got the chance with refs in general, poss highlighting the amount of soft dismissals we've had as a team. Poyet doesn't seem to say much that's not thought out
