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Neil Warnock today blasted the Premier League for their decision to hand Wolves a suspended £25,000 fine for fielding a weakened side against Manchester United two months ago.
Warnock believes the Premier League are guilty of double standards having failed to punish Liverpool and Manchester United for doing the same thing at the end of the 2006-07 season.
The 61-year-old was battling to keep former club Sheffield United in the top flight at the time only for his cause to end in failure after relegation rivals Fulham and West Ham secured shock victories over Liverpool and Manchester United respectively.
Liverpool rested eight players for the game at Craven Cottage in the penultimate week of the season, while United left Cristiano Ronaldo, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes out of their starting 11 in the final game of the campaign.
The clubs were preparing for the Champions League and FA Cup Final respectively but Warnock has never forgiven them after the Blades lost out on goal difference, with Fulham and West Ham both surviving.
Warnock insists Wolves manager Mick McCarthy, who made 10 changes for the match at Old Trafford on 15 December before recalling nine of them a few days later to face Burnley, has been punished because they're a smaller club.
He said: “It's a disgrace. Have Liverpool been docked points for the team they put out against Fulham or the one Manchester United did against West Ham? I don't think so somehow.
“It's a disgrace the Premier League even thought about charging them. They didn't charge United or Liverpool which were far more expensive mistakes. It is laughable they have even published the fact they have handed Wolves a suspended sentence.”
Wolves were found guilty of breaching Rules E.20 and B.13 by failing to field a full-strength team but the Premier League have taken their action as a shot across the bows to all the clubs in the top flight.
Molineux chief Jez Moxey confirmed the club will not appeal. He said: “We are disappointed but respect the ruling, especially as they have now used our case as a clear warning to all other clubs, some of whom have made similar changes to their teams in Premier League matches in the past, that this is not acceptable in the future.”
Reader views (6)
Shelley - I fail to see your point - McCarthy also has a squad so he can rotate players, which he did. So why do you think it should be different for the big 4? - for once warnock is right, Premier League too pathetic to stand up to anyone other than the little clubs.
- Simon, London, 19/02/2010 12:19
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Will Warnock EVER let this go?
The Manchester United team when West Ham won 1-0 that day to stay up featured Van der Sar, Brown, O’Shea, Heinze, Solskjaer, Carrick, Fletcher and Rooney. Scholes, Giggs and even Ronaldo came off of the bench before the hour mark. This one may well constitute a “weakened” team from a side starting with those players, but to suggest a lack of concern for the result helped West Ham on the day is an insult to the victory earned under immense pressure.
West Ham achieved an incredible run of seven wins from the last nine games that season, including not only the aforementioned win away at the champions but also at Emirates Stadium – the first away team to win at that stadium. Indeed, West Ham did the league double over both teams that season as well. When one considers the strength of the Manchester United squad, that “weakened” side was still a side boasting at one time or another twelve full internationals.
West Ham survived relegation on merit. It was not due to playing “weaker” sides, nor was it due to having “illegal” players, despite what Neil Warnock is still to this day whinging about. West Ham earned their right to stay in the country’s top division.
Now please, Neil. Sit down and give your voice a rest.
- Stu, Homeless, 19/02/2010 09:00
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Except that the rule is "STRONGEST" team
April 29 2006 – Chelsea are crowned Premiership champions after beating Man Utd 3-0 at Stamford Bridge.
Cech, Ferreira, Carvalho, Terry, Gallas, Makelele, Joe Cole, Essien, Lampard, Robben, Drogba.
May 2 2006 – Chelsea lose 1-0 to Blackburn.
Cudicini, Geremi, Carvalho, Gallas, Del Horno, Maniche, Diarra, Lampard, Wright-Phillips, Crespo, Gudjohnsen.
May 7 2006 – Chelsea lose 1-0 to Newcastle.
Pidgeley, Ferreira, Huth, Carvalho, Gallas, Johnson, Diarra, Maniche, Robben, Joe Cole, Duff.
May 1 2007 – Liverpool book their place in the CL final after beating Chelsea 1-0.
Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Agger, Riise, Pennant, Gerrard, Mascherano, Zenden, Kuyt, Crouch
May 5 2007 – Liverpool lose 1-0 to relegation candidates Fulham
Reina, Arbeloa, Paletta, Hyypia, Insua, Pennant, Alonso, Sissoko, Gonzalez, Fowler, Bellamy.
Reina and Pennant are the only two players who started both games.
Fulham beat relegation by 1 point that season, thanks to the three points achieved against Liverpool’s second string. Sheffield United were relegated instead.
May 16 2009 – A 0-0 draw at Old Trafford against Arsenal secures the title for Man United
Van der Sar, O’Shea, Vidic, Jonny Evans, Evra, Ronaldo, Fletcher, Carrick, Giggs, Rooney, Tevez
May 24 2009 – Man U beat Hull away in a game that could relegate Hull.
Kuszczak, Rafael Da Silva, Neville, Brown, de Laet, Nani, Fletcher, Gibson, Welbeck, Martin, Macheda.
- Andy, London, England, 18/02/2010 16:25
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I think the problem with using the top 4 as an example, as Shelly said, is that they have much larger squads. Take Arsenals game last night, missing 7 first team regulars through injury, had they 'rotated' those 7 players to give them a rest, would it still be seen as fielding a weakened team? Last nights game was dire but no-one could say it was a second string team.
- Wabs, London, 18/02/2010 15:23
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Shelly - nor is resting 8 players as Liverpool did without being fined quite the same thing as resting one or two. Nor is the fact that Portsmouth made 7 changes against Chelsea this season (although there'd be no point fining them).
Only one of the Wolves players hadn't started a game in the premiership that season, the replacements included 7 full internationals. One change was enforced due to injury in the previous match.
Personally, I think the suspended fine is a let off, that McCarthy's decision is the wrong one and that Wolves should have been forced to repay their travelling fans - and that's not just because I was one of them.
My beef is that people seem to think it's okay for the 'bigger' teams to do it - and get away with it, as you seem to imply
- Andy, London, England, 18/02/2010 13:49
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The big Four have big squads so that they can rotate...they also have to play more games than the likes of Wolves, what with the Champions League etc.
Besides Wolves didn't leave a few players out, they rested their entire outfield 10,which isn't quite the same thing as resting one or two.
- Shelly, London, 18/02/2010 13:10
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