Neil Warnock strongly believes that Junior Firpo should have been shown a yellow card for his challenge on David Brooks in the first half of Sunday’s Championship play-off final. The Leeds United left-back appeared to trip Brooks shortly after Southampton scored, causing the winger to fall awkwardly and clutch at his shoulder. Despite receiving treatment on the field, Brooks was unable to continue and had to be substituted, cutting short what had looked like a promising performance.
Referee John Brooks opted not to penalize Firpo for the challenge, which left Warnock frustrated. The veteran manager felt that the incident warranted a booking and criticized the referee’s decision-making. Despite a few yellow cards being shown in the first half, Warnock singled out the challenge on Brooks as a missed opportunity for the official to take action.
As the game progressed, Leeds struggled to create clear chances despite having possession. Warnock highlighted their lack of threat in the final third and criticized their inability to capitalize on their opportunities. With Armstrong’s goal separating the two teams, Leeds faced an uphill battle in the second half to turn the game around.
