Former Rangers boss Alex McLeish believes that Birmingham City aren’t getting a fair crack of the whip when it comes to penalty decisions.
After his side’s midweek draw with Hamilton Accies Neil Lennon highlighted ‘big decisions going against us’ and has found an unlikely ally in the Birmingham boss.
Twenty-four hours before Wilie Collum booked Niall McGinn for diving in the Hamilton-Celtic match Birmingham were denied a clear penalty when Matthew Upson pushed Barry Ferguson to the ground in front of goal.
Perhaps McLeish should be grateful that Ferguson wasn’t booked.
Discussing the matter the Birmingham boss explained: “We’ve definitely been on the wrong side of decisions with penalties this season, without question. You wonder what we’ve got to do to get a penalty.
“You’ve seen the handball by Robin van Persie, the double handball against Villa (Nigel Reo-Coker), the Blackpool player, Craig Cathcart, then Seamus Coleman handling against Everton.
“They are all crucial decisions. People might people say ‘Everton, they were the better team’ or ‘Arsenal were the better team by a mile’ when they played us.
“But it could be so different if you get the decisions that are clear-cut. We haven’t had a fair share of bad decisions.”
Asked for the reasons behind those decisions he answered: “I’ve kept saying we are quite unfashionable and maybe that has had something to do with it.
“Maybe it’s a case of thinking Birmingham won’t make a song and dance about it but I’ve got to protect my club.
“I hear other managers out there talking about things going against them and all of a sudden, they have a good run of results.”
Clearly McLeish isn’t a believer in the antiquated ‘these things balance themselves out over a season’ excuse for bad refereeing.
Birmingham are one of three Premiership clubs not to have been awarded a penalty this season with the others being Everton and Fulham.
The last penalty that Birmingham were awarded was against Wigan in February 2010 which James McFadden converted.
Birmingham are at home to Aston Villa today with a noon kick-off.
LIVERPOOL V EVERTON
2.05 Kick-off
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Paranoia me thinks