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Featured Image Credit: BBC Sport
Topics: Wolverhampton Wanderers, Ruben Neves, Football
Nasir Jabbar
Ruben Neves has revealed what the referee told him after Mario Lemina's red card during Southampton vs. Wolves on Saturday.
Wolves came from one-goal down to beat Southampton as they earned three big points with a 2-1 win at St Mary's Stadium.
They not only had to come from behind, but also picked up the victory on the road with 10 men following Lemina's sending off in the 27th minute.
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Match referee Jarred Gillett dished out a second yellow card to the midfielder when he ran over in protestation, along with Neves and Moutinho, who also both made their feelings known.
But it was Lemina who got a caution, with Neves explaining why his teammate received his marching orders and it sums up the state of officiating in the Premier League.
"You really want to know what he told me?" He told BBC Sport after the 2-1 victory. "So, he told me there were two players running to him and because Mario was the third one, he gave him a yellow card.
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"So, now we go and check the rules, if there is any."
The Portuguese added: "But if he wanted to give a yellow card, he can give it to me or Joao [Moutinho]. We were the first ones running to him."
Neves' revelation angered fans online as they hit out at the standard of officiating in England's top flight.
One Twitter user wrote: "I been saying it for years, but we should have better referees in the PL. How is this the best league in the world, but we don't have any consistency whatsoever?"
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A second tweeted: "This is the wording but there's no way the players are "surrounding" the ref. They're all at a distance, Moutinho is moving away, Lemina is gesturing to his arm from a distance. Power goes to the head of some referees, Jarred Gillett needs to be reprimanded."
A third added: "This is absolutely ridiculous, he’s blatantly chosen to book Lemina and get him sent off, like Neves said 'why not book (Neves) or Joao?'"
A fourth exclaimed: "The standard of referring in the premier league is an absolute joke."
Another added: "Wild. The standard of officiating in the 'best league in the world' is so poor."
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What's your take on the exchange between Neves and Gillett?