A furious Dean Smith has lifted the lid on the reasons of his red card during Aston Villa's defeat at Manchester City, stating he asked fourth official David Coote if he and his colleagues 'got juggling balls for Christmas'.
Smith and his Villa side were incensed when Bernardo Silva's controversial opener was allowed to stand in Wednesday's night Premier League encounter.
In the build-up to the Silva's 79th-minute goal, his City team-mate Rodri was initially offside in the move before he dispossessed Villa centre back Tyrone Mings. From that resulting passage of play he then set-up Silva who curled a stunning effort home.
Referee Jon Moss and VAR official Andy Madley allowed the goal to stand much to Smith's frustration, who saw on the pitchside monitors that Rodri came a clear offside position.
Rodri had taken advantage of a caveat in the laws whereby an attacking player is played onside at the point a defender intentionally plays the ball.
However, Smith was aghast at the decision and let his feelings be known to first Coote and then Moss which resulted in two quick yellow cards.
'I still don't understand the rule if I'm honest,' the livid Villa boss said post-match. 'I don't think anybody can tell me why the goal's been given; he's taken advantage of an offside position.
'It's 10 yards offside, he comes back and tackles Mings from behind. What's Mings meant to do, let it go through or do we just stand 10 yards offside in the next few games now? I don't understand.
'I thought they'd at least go over to the screen because it looked a clear offside when I looked myself. When I realised they weren't going and the VAR hadn't mentioned anything, I just told the fourth official I thought they'd had juggling balls for Christmas.
'I got a yellow card [from Moss] for saying I think you've had juggling balls for Christmas. What I said for the red card doesn't need to be censored, it wasn't swearing. He came over and said I'm interpreting the laws of the game, and I said you should've done that earlier in the game.
'I think I got treated rather unfairly, I've seen a lot of worse things said to Jon Moss before and he's not dealt like that with it. It just looks like he couldn't wait to give me a yellow and then a red. I'm frustrated at myself, I got sucked into something I shouldn't have.'
After the match, the PGMOL issued a statement explaining that, by the letter of the law, Rodri had not gained an advantage.
The statement read: 'Rodri was initially standing in an offside position as the ball was played upfield.
'Tyrone Mings deliberately played the ball, controlling it on his chest. As soon as Mings deliberately played the ball the following Law applies: 'A player in an offside position receiving the ball from an opponent who deliberately plays the ball, including by deliberate handball, is not considered to have gained an advantage, unless it was a deliberate save by any opponent'.
'As the Law deems that Rodri has not gained an advantage, he has not committed an offside offence and play should be allowed to continue. Rodri legitimately took possession of the ball from Mings, starting the attack which resulted in the goal.'
Mings admitted he was not familiar with the rule and branded the decision 'nonsense'.
He wrote on Twitter: 'Never even heard of that rule, just let players stand offside, then run back & tackle you? In hindsight I should've cleared it, 100 per cent, but didn't even know that was the case. Nonsense.'
Villa captain Jack Grealish was equally bemused, tweeting after the game: 'A bit confused with that offside rule if I'm honest but beaten by a brilliant team. Rest up and then back at it Saturday.'
Source: m.allfootballapp.com