Lee Johnson admits he doesn’t trust himself to copy his dad or Michael Beale and order his players to gift a goal to the opposition if his side had benefited from a disputed strike.
The Hibs boss says he has sympathy for Ibrox star Malik Tillman who found himself in the middle of an almighty storm this week over his controversial goal against Partick Thistle. But he insists the awkward situations could be avoided if all players stopped kicking the ball out of play to stop the game - and left that decision to the match officials.
Tillman scored after pinching the ball from Kevin Holt with the Jags defender about to return it to Rangers after it had been played out to allow treatment to the on-loan Bayern Munich star. Beale - who said the German had no idea how the throw-in came about - ordered his team to step aside and allow Thistle to walk in an equaliser in a sensational Viaplay Cup quarter final at Ibrox.
Johnson was at the centre of a similar incident 19 years ago when he scored for Yeovil against Plymouth when Argyle players were expecting him to return the ball having themselves knocked it out to allow treatment to an injured player. His own dad Gary was Johnson’s boss at the time and won a FIFA Fair Play Award after telling his players to gift Plymouth an equaliser from kick off.
A similar row broke out when Marcelo Bielsa ordered his Leeds stars to allow Aston Villa an equaliser after they’d scored in a Premier League clash while a Villa player was down injured in the centre circle. Asked if he would do the same as his dad, the Hibs boss said: “It depends. I’ll be honest with you, I don’t trust myself.
“It’s all contextual. I wouldn’t have in the Leeds situation that Bielsa allowed. I probably would have done in my dad’s situation at Plymouth.
“I haven’t looked into the Rangers one enough. I hope I’m never in that situation. I’m already hated enough! I do feel for him (Tillman), I don’t feel it’s on him really.
“The manager seems like he’s done the right thing but everybody will have their own ideas on it. It is never an easy one, though, because if it happens quickly and you’re under pressure.”
Johnson is adamant the decision to stop a game should be taken out of players hands As Bristol City boss he told his players not to kick it out for a throw-in unless they were certain a player was seriously hurt.
He said:“I haven’t been as brutal with it (at Hibs) but the general tone is ‘look guys, allow the ref to manage it’. He can stop the game. The fourth official has got eyes on it aswell and they are all connected to the mic so they can see it all.
“That is my view because the referee is there to manage it. There are mitigating circumstances for your own team.
“If I saw something horrendous, as I have a couple of times before, like an ankle going completely the opposite way to the shin bone, then that ball’s going out of play. You know that player’s injured. But not for just a coming together and a bit of contact. I would prefer them not to.”
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