Southampton’s Charlie Austin has got away without any further punishment after a post-match interview that drew several parallels with that of Leeds centre-back Pontus Jansson.
Jansson was banned for a match for his interview and Leeds fans are absolutely fuming.
Austin said: “It’s ridiculous… We won the game, but the officials cost us two points today.
“They said it was offside. They said it hit Maya [Maya Yoshida], but it didn’t. I hit it twice. It hit me and bobbed up. That’s why it has done Foster. It’s a joke.
“You go on about VAR this and VAR that, help the officials out. Clearly they need help. We play in the Premier League, the best league in the world, the most-watched league in the world.”
OPINION
Leeds fans have long thought there’s an agenda against them and decisions like this don’t help one bit. The words may not have carried the same force as Jansson’s but this is Austin’s first language and the sentiment is exactly the same. If anything, Austin’s interview is the more high profile one. Most people were expecting Jansson to get a small fine and some thought the FA would see sense and let him off with a warning. However, the one-match ban seemed extraordinarily hard, especially as he found out the news as he was flying back from Sweden for a game after his wife had given birth. Consistency is all fans ask for – that and a bit of common sense. It seems beyond the FA to do either a lot of the time and the Leeds fans are happy to let them know what they think of them.
Here are the best reactions from fuming Leeds fans:
So Charlie Austin spends over a minute slagging off the officials and gets NO punishment. @PJansson5
makes one flippant comment and gets a fine and ban. No point asking how long this Leeds bias will go on because the answer is obvious. Forever!! #lufchttps://t.co/CsGPmTzlyB— Jo ? (@El_Loco_Jo) November 15, 2018
Charlie Austin getting no punishment for his outburst at the weekend, yet Jansson got a ban for his comments against Brentford, FA’s consistency summed up perfectly… #lufc
— Right In The Gary Kellys (@RITGK) November 15, 2018
So just to summarise, Jansson's 15 second interview in which he says we were robbed results in a fine and 1 match ban.
Austin has a minute long rant in which he blames the officials FOUR times for "costing us 2 points" but gets given the 'benefit of the doubt@FA corrupt#lufc
— Dan (@DanP_LUFC) November 15, 2018
2019 Charlie Austin signs for #LUFC & receives a 10 game ban after a review of his case.
— Russ ? (@RussellSmith64) November 15, 2018
The club has to approach the FA and have a full explanation of what makes the two different and then it needs to be made public. Because right now it looks like very clear and obvious discrimination against our club and our players.
— Matt (@MattyBrault) November 15, 2018
Perhaps the FA would care to justify their decision, and explain what difference there is between Pontus' outburst and Austin's full on rant.
— Rebeldee ? ?? (@rebeldee) November 15, 2018
https://twitter.com/JackRich/status/1063071952368267264
Well done guys, Well done pic.twitter.com/EKaIOIIxcI
— Adam Haywood (@DonVito_84) November 15, 2018
Shocking.
— Craig (@TagCraigy) November 15, 2018
— Harry (@Hazzbond) November 15, 2018
Expected
— Will (@ArchaeoWill) November 15, 2018
Absolute piss take Phil!!! Just confirms everything we already know the FA are corrupt!!
— Lee Maspero (@Leemo_LUFC) November 15, 2018
https://twitter.com/PxndaaaPSN/status/1063070805721075712
https://twitter.com/edreall/status/1063072943662620672
So @PJansson5 gets a one match ban for saying one sentence about the officials, Charlie Austin goes on a full blown rant and gets no punishment? Where is the consistency? #LUFC https://t.co/erGnnoCdq3
— cameron clark-dhir (@CameronRClark) November 15, 2018
Disgusting @FA @EFL #DoubleStandards #TheFootballLeaguesCorrupt #Cheats #lufc #How https://t.co/vhhlqKOAi6
— Dan Whiteley (@DanWhiteley7) November 15, 2018
This is absolutely disgraceful #lufc https://t.co/6lx3iKtHXC
— Richard Levin (@L3VJN) November 15, 2018