What Garry Monk said about the “reckless” tackle that forced off Liam Palmer in Sheffield Wednesday’s 2-1 defeat to Cardiff City

Owls Manager Garry Monk expressed his dissatisfaction with the decision to keep Junior Hoilett on the field after his tackle on Liam Palmer.

The tackle was a potential turning point in a second half that saw Wednesday huff, puff but blow little down after two goals inside eight minutes proved to be enough for the Bluebirds to cling onto.

Though he admits he ‘doesn’t understand’ the decision of referee Tim Robinson to award Hoilett only a yellow for the challenge, which took place just yards from the two side’s technical areas, Monk refused to use the incident as an excuse as his side turn into 2020 with back-to-back defeats.

The 40-year-old said: “I don’t want red cards for players, it’s not about the individual but if you’re talking about the tackle, it’s nothing other than a red card.

“It’s reckless and it’s out of control, whether your feet are on the floor or not.

“I’ve got a player on the treatment player with an ankle the size of a balloon and if you can’t see that from four yards away as the fourth official or the referee, you have to ask them.”

Monk was seen remonstrating with the fourth official in the moments following the tackle and admitted it will take time to assess the injury to Palmer.

“If it was just a normal tackle like they said it was then why has he got a yellow card?

“It’s either nothing or it’s a red card, it can’t be a yellow card.

“You’d have to ask them. I don’t understand it, I don’t understand how they’ve come to that decision.

“But that’s not an excuse. It might have helped us by giving them one less number in breaking their block down, but we’re not using that as an excuse.

“Of course it might have helped us to open up those gaps a little more, but we pushed and couldn’t find that killer blow in the second half.”