Aston Villa boss Dean Smith: Refs have got to protect Jack Grealish
Villa boss Dean Smith believes Jack Grealish is being let down by referees who aren’t giving him enough protection.
Statistics show Grealish is the most fouled player in the Championship with the 23-year-old enduring another rough night as Villa slipped to a 1-0 loss at QPR on Friday.
And Smith believes referees need to do more to clamp down on the treatment Villa’s star midfielder receives.
“They need to protect Jack Grealish more,” Smith said.
“A player of that quality needs protection from referees and they should be brandishing yellow cards.
“QPR were like a tag team. (Massimo) Luongo’s had four or five kicks at him and other players have. He needs protection.
“If they brandish a yellow card very early then it stops it. He’s the most fouled player in the league, we all know that. Does he get the protection he deserves? I don’t believe he does at the moment.”
