Dundee United boss Liam Fox has shared his frustrations over John Beaton's decision to send off striker Tony Watt.
The frontman was sent for an early bath in the first half following a VAR review during United's 1-0 home defeat to Stevie Hammell's Motherwell side. But the Tannadice gaffer insists there is footage that could cast doubt on the decision. Watt saw red for his late tackle on Sean Goss but it was there was no whistle for the challenge at first. Instead the striker's fate was sealed after VAR controller David Munro advised the ref to take a look at his pitch side monitor before the tackle was deemed worth of a red.
And at the end of the game, Fox was sure to share his thoughts on the decision. “From the footage the referee has seen I would probably agree it looks like a red card. But I have also seen other footage that casts a fair amount of doubt on it.
"It was a different angle and I see Tony Watt is pulling his leg back and there is very, very little contact with the player.Having seen the footage that the referee and the VAR has seen I could probably say, yes, it is a red card. But I have also seen other footage from different sources that maybe cast a wee bit of doubt over it so it is a bit of a contentious issue.
“I am frustrated at that and frustrated that we started the game well and then had a wee spell where we kind of lost our way a wee bit and then lost the player. But what I can say and say this honestly, if I get what I got from the players in the second half attitude wise, application and bravery in possession then we will be OK.”
Fox recalled Mark Birghitti between the sticks but he was far from convincing with Motherwell’s winner. The Tannadice boss said: ‘I have two No.1 goalkeepers and Mark has been training really well. So I thought, off the back of a couple of defeats, that might give us a little spark that was needed.
“Potentially, if Mark gets a weaker hand on it then it maybe goes over the bar — but he gets a strong hand on it and it goes straight up. I have to manage all the players carefully because they are all human beings with feelings and emotions. They are all on different journeys and it’s my job to do that. I made a decision and that’s the way it is.”
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