Plymouth vs Sheffield United referee decision might concern Chris Wilder - past error still fresh in the mind
Sheffield United are in desperate need of a win going to Home Park this weekend.
The officiating team for Sheffield United’s weekend trip to Plymouth Argyle has been confirmed with Oliver Langford to take charge of a massive Championship clash.
United face their longest away-day of the season for a Saturday lunchtime kick-off as the need for a win grows more desperate. The Blades were flying high at the top of the Championship a week ago but consecutive 1-0 defeats over the space of four days has seen them drop to third.
Their most recent, a 1-0 loss at home to Millwall, saw United fall behind early doors through Josh Coburn and for the second game in a row they failed to level. Chris Wilder’s side endured similar issues at Oxford United last weekend and a trip to rock-bottom Plymouth is now seen as a must win.
Wilder did not sidestep the issues facing his side following Tuesday’s defeat to Millwall but did point to what looked to be a clear error from referee Sam Allison, who seemed to miss a pull on Anel Ahmedhodzic’s shirt that could easily have been a penalty. Those fine margins can decide games, and ultimately have a say in the automatic promotion race, so eyes will be on referee Langford at Home Park this weekend.
Referee confirmed for Plymouth v Sheffield United
The experienced EFL referee is well-known to United, having officiated them four times already this season. The Blades have won three of those games - against Blackburn, Portsmouth and Coventry - losing 1-0 at home to Burnley back in December.
Langford’s most recent game in charge of United came just two weeks before Saturday’s Home Park clash, a 3-1 win over Coventry which at the time took Wilder’s side top of the Championship. The Blades enjoyed one of their best performances of the season that night and were 3-0 up before a late consolation, courtesy of Jack Rudoni.
And Langford might have felt a little fortunate it was only a consolation, with replays showing Coventry defender Luis Binks appearing to foul Michael Cooper after the corner dropped down. United goalkeeper Cooper remonstrated with the referee after losing his clean sheet and that frustration looked to have been vindicated.
United were 3-0 up at the time and went on to win 3-1, and so serious questions of the foul were never raised by Wilder, with focus mainly on an outstanding performance against an in-form side. But things could have been very different and former referee Keith Hackett suggested a mistake was made by Langford.
“It’s not going up [where] he fouled, it’s coming down where he’s grabbed him and hauled him down. He’s taken him out of the game,” Hackett told Football Insider following the incident. “I thought that goal should have been disallowed.
“No VAR so if you don’t get the VAR you’re reliant on the referee. The referee’s vision is probably more towards the ball and the ongoing incident rather than actually seeing the outcome of the challenge on the goalkeeper which was a foul. However you look at it, it was a foul.”
United will be hoping to avoid any controversial calls this weekend and if a mistake does arise, they will hope a lead is big enough for it to matter little, as happened against Coventry. But after Tuesday’s penalty frustration and the 1-0 defeat that followed, tensions are certainly high and points simply cannot be dropped.
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