'Not sure' - John Mousinho gives verdict on Hamza Choudhury red card for Sheffield United vs Portsmouth
Sheffield United had Hamza Choudhury controversially sent off in Wednesday night’s 3-2 defeat to Portsmouth at Fratton Park.
Portsmouth head coach John Mousinho hinted that he was not convinced that Sheffield United’s Hamza Choudhury should have been sent off in Wednesday night’s five-goal thriller at Fratton Park.
After squandering a two-goal lead, Pompey snatched all three points in the 89th minute when Ebou Adams, who was left unmarked inside the penalty area, fired home his second goal of the season to seal a 3-2 victory.
Having trailed 2-0, United had levelled proceedings with two goals in eight second half minutes from Japhet Tanganga and Tom Cannon, meaning they looked set to earn a very respectable point despite having played with ten men since the 44th minute, when Choudhury was dismissed for a second bookable offence.
After being booked in the 35th minute for taking out Pompey livewire Ryan Kavuma-McQueen, Choudhury, who returned to Bramall Lane during the summer, was shown a second yellow card by referee Oliver Langford nine minutes later after the Chelsea loanee nutmegged the Blades utility man before running into him and going down.
Choudhury looked on in disbelief as Langford reached for his pocket to show him a second yellow card, while Blades boss Chris Wilder slammed the decision after the match.
Asked for his opinion on Choudhury’s dismissal, Mousinho referenced the challenge in which Southampton midfielder Finn Azaz wiped out Pompey midfielder Adams during Sunday’s South Coast derby but received only a yellow card, suggesting that the two decisions did not weigh up.
“Hamza was aggressive on Ryan all night,” Mousinho told BBC Radio Solent. “What are my thoughts there? I'm trying to put this in the right way.
“Azaz got booked at the weekend for his challenge, and Choudhury got booked for that challenge. Yes, I'm not sure they weigh up.
“In the moment, look, I don't know. I wasn't standing there appealing for a second yellow, and I am a manager who, if I think there's something there, will appeal. So, I don't know. I haven't watched it back, but I wasn't quite sure in the moment.
“But I think we're due a little bit of luck.”