Watch: Leeds boss Marsch furious over ‘lack of respect’
Leeds United boss Jesse Marsch accused the officials of showing a “lack of respect” towards his team after he was sent off in the 5-2 defeat at Brentford.
Ivan Toney opened the scoring from the spot following a VAR check for a foul on the striker by Luis Sinisterra and then went on to score a hat-trick.
Leeds had twice threatened to come back, with Sinisterra making it 2-1 and Marc Roca making it 3-2 in the second half before goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa sealed all three points for the Bees.
But Marsch was left questioning the decision to award Brentford a first-half spot-kick, and was sent off for his reaction after his team were not awarded a penalty of their own for Aaron Hickey’s challenge on Crysencio Summerville in the second half.
“I was calm even when Brentford were given the penalty,” he said.
“I didn’t see it right away, but normally when the phrasing and verbiage is clear and obvious, and it takes that long to look at it and watch it, and it’s not so clear, then normally for me it’s not clear and obvious.
“And then when I see it at half-time, I don’t believe it’s a penalty, and if it is it’s an incredibly soft one.
“I was told by the referee committee and by the league in our managers’ meeting before the season that the threshold for penalties was going to go up. So that, for me, was not representative of that by that decision.
“Then I think on Crysencio Summerville there is actually more of an egregious foul and it doesn’t even get looked at for VAR. Clearly I’m dissatisfied.
“I’ve tried to publicly be positive about things but on matchdays I’ve been a bit frustrated. Specifically the last three matches.
“I was speaking with the fourth official, trying to be as respectful as I possibly could, even when a penalty was given that I probably didn’t think was a penalty.
“And when you don’t see it reciprocated and the respect, that’s what I would call it. That lack of a VAR visit in the end, to me, is a lack of respect.”