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Your support makes all the difference.Jesse Marsch accused the officials of a “lack of respect” after Ivan Toney’s hat-trick condemned Leeds to a 5-2 defeat at Brentford.
Marsch was sent to the stands for protesting when his side were denied a penalty, after they had conceded the opening goal to a spot-kick following a lengthy VAR review.
Referee Robert Jones studied the replays on the pitchside monitor before deciding Toney had been fouled by Luis Sinisterra.
But Marsch exploded with rage when there was no such review after Crysencio Summerville was tugged back by Aaron Hickey.
“I was calm, even when Brentford were given the penalty,” said Marsch. “Even though 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, then for me it’s not clear and obvious.
“And when I saw it at half-time, I don’t believe it’s a penalty and if it is, it’s an incredibly soft one.
“Then there’s an action where I think Somerville is actually more of an egregious foul and it doesn’t even get looked at for VAR.
“I’m clearly dissatisfied. I’ve got to figure out how to have discussions with the League or with referees or something to help understand how some decisions get made.
“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 then you don’t see it reciprocated, the respect.
“That’s what I would call it. That lack of VAR visit in the end to me is a lack of respect.”
Toney tucked away his 18th penalty from 18 attempts to take his Bees goal tally to 50 in 96 appearances.
The striker was not going to settle for a half century, though, and he curled in a sublime free-kick for Brentford’s second.
Sinisterra pulled one back for Leeds before half-time but Toney restored the two-goal cushion with a cute chip after Leeds Illan Meslier came charging out of his goal.
“It’s a nightmare to play against him,” said Bees boss Thomas Frank.
“Also I have said many times he is the best penalty taker in the world, and hopefully I wont get bored saying it.
“The free-kick? Wow! I said to him if you want to take them you have to practice. It was a classic Ivan goal, fantastic technique.
“Then last one is just ridiculous, to dink it over the keeper and pull that finish out of the hat. Yeah, good.”
Toney’s form this season must surely have given England boss Gareth Southgate food for thought ahead of this month’s Nations League fixtures.
“Off the top of my head, looking at strikers on form, Harry Kane is number one but there is not a better striker after Kane on form,” added Frank.
“I don’t see a better one. Plus England have been in a few penalty shootouts and if they want to win one they need to pick Ivan.”
In a breathless finale Bryan Mbeumo added the fourth and Marc Roca pulled another back before Yoane Wissa wrapped up a deserved win for the hosts.
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