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Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo claimed referee Lee Mason was not good enough for the Premier League after his team’s 2-1 loss at Burnley left them trapped in the bottom half of the table.
Fabio Silva’s first Premier League goal, a penalty in the 89th minute, was too little too late for a Wolves team that lacked leading edge in the continued absence of Raúl Jiménez as Ashley Barnes and Chris Wood scored for the hosts.
Arguably the Wolves were lucky to finish the game with 11 men after a VAR control in injury time when Joao Moutinho appeared to kick Josh Brownhill but, while that decision was in his favor, Nuno questioned Mason’s aptitude for referee in the highest category.
“The referee does not have the quality to whistle a match in the Premier League,” he said on Sky Sports. “This is a problem that we knew about, we had Lee Mason before.
“It’s not about the crucial mistakes or decisions, it’s about the way he runs the game. Players get nervous, too many voices, whistle for voices when some players yell.
“We are talking about the best competition and it clearly does not have the quality to whistle the game. I am very disappointed to say this, but I would not feel good if I did not say it.”
“I just don’t want to see him anymore, that’s what I told him. I hope he doesn’t whistle one of our games again because all the games we have with Lee Mason are always the same.
“He can’t control the players, the players are constantly arguing, both teams. With all the other referees, the game is flowing, there is dialogue. He’s just not ready to.
Burnley manager Sean Dyche said it was “impossible” to see how Moutinho had survived VAR control, but after a second win in three games, he was eager to focus on other things.
“It was a fantastic night at Burnley,” he said. “Torrential rain, swirling wind, freezing cold, everything in between.
“It was a very good performance and a deserved victory. On both ends of the field we operate well. We create quality opportunities. We rarely create 25 or 40, but today we create a good number.”
“If we are hypercritical, we could have controlled the game earlier if we had taken them, but on the other hand we saw the game well and we deserved the victory.”
Barnes opened the scoring in the 34th minute when he pushed his way into the second post to hit a cross that Charlie Taylor had rushed 60 yards to send from the left.
It was the 31-year-old’s first goal since November 2019, a 17-game streak that occurred on both sides of a hernia that knocked him out of the game for the latter part of last season.
“I’m happy for him,” Dyche said. “He’s had a tough streak of injuries, but he’s still working and he’s been a top-level player since he’s been here, on and off the pitch.
“It’s tough for the forwards when they aren’t scoring, but I told him opportunities would come his way and he would score.”
The victory moves Burnley above Brighton and three points away from the drop zone as his resurgence continues.
“We are in a healthy position,” added Dyche. “Our team has been stretched for a long time. We are getting there.
“It does not guarantee anything, but if you have them in shape, it improves the chances of success.”
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