‘Don’t do anything silly like you usually do’: Adelaide United’s Taylor Regan reveals interaction with referee as Reds deal with fallout of another red card

AS Adelaide United deals with the fallout of another red card, defender Taylor Regan has recounted a recent interaction with a match official. See the stats and make up your own mind.

Reds and Victory players clash during the round of 16 FFA Cup match between at Marden Sports Complex last year. Picture: Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images

• Williams slammed for ‘pathetic’ simulation
• Regan says ref didn’t cost Reds
• Victory thrash 10-man Reds

ADELAIDE United defender Taylor Regan has alluded to being targeted by a match official when he was introduced off the bench during a Reds clash.

Adelaide has been the centre of attention for the past two weeks after having two men controversially expelled.

“I don’t want to say ‘poor us’ or anything like that,’’ Regan said.

“But sometimes it feels like there is a perception with certain players, like if Isaias makes a foul, it’s like ‘Oh, that’s Isaias again’.”

“I came on the field the other week — I won’t mention the game or who the referee was, I came on for the final two minutes and as I ran on the field the referee said to me, ‘Don’t do anything silly like you usually do’.

“How can he say that to me?”

Dzengis Cavusevic of United is shown a red card against Melbourne Victory. Picture: Image/Hamish Blair

With Ersan Gulum on Wednesday set to find out if Football Federation Australia extends his suspension after he served a mandatory one-game game on the weekend for a red card in a 2-2 draw with Mariners, Adelaide striker Dzengis Cavusevic is facing a two-game ban for his expulsion on Saturday night in the Reds’ 3-0 loss to Melbourne Victory.

The Slovenian is hoping not to incur the wrath of FFA’s independent match review panel and get an extension on the one-game ban given referee Alex King’s match report claimed Cavusevic was sent off for violent conduct.

The Slovenian was repentant for his actions at AAMI Park after raising an open hand towards Victory defender Rhys Williams which was probably the reason why he was expelled.

“I would like to apologise to my team one more time and say sorry as well to alI the fans and supporters of United Adelaide.’’ Cavusevic posted on his personal Twitter account.

“I was pushed and reacted automatically, it was a second which I wish I would’ve control better.”

I would like to apologize to my team one more time and say sorry as well to alI the fans and supporters of United Adelaide..I was pushed and reacted automatically, it was a second which I wish I would've control better..

— Dzengis Cavusevic (@Cavusevic) February 24, 2018

Adelaide United has a case for perhaps not getting any favours from the men in the middle this season but are they having a run of bad luck or is the club’s discipline in question?

Is Adelaide too hot to handle this season?

Given Melbourne Victory lead the foul count, their red card tally isn’t too bad with the Victorians sitting currently fourth on expulsions.

Sydney FC, however, is almost untouchable.

Apart from leading the table by 11 points, they have mustered only 252 free kicks against them, have the least yellow cards and just the one red card.

Adelaide has had five players sent off during the A-League season between Michael Marrone’s expulsion in the ball boy incident during the FFA Cup final 2-1 extra-time loss to Sydney FC in Sydney in November.

Referees have given United boys the ultimate punishment, penning a plethora of different officials reasons as to why they should be taking weekends off to serve their penances.

Ben Garuccio has been expelled twice — once for what the referee deemed as serious foul play and the other was given a ‘R7’ grading when the defender picked up a second caution for juggling the ball before a throw in during a 2-1 win over Melbourne Victory last December.

Daniel Adlung was expelled for two cautions during that same clash.

Assistant Adelaide coach Filip Tapolovic was sent off after a controversial ending to the Reds 2-1 loss to Newcastle away when Ryan Strain was cruelly judged to have handled the ball intentionally inside the box in the 89th minute when the ball ricocheted off Gulum.

The Jets won the game on the resultant penalty.

Gulum’s send off in the Mariners clash also caused much angst given the video assistant referee wasn’t used in a situation which was game changing despite evidence showing the send off wasn’t conclusive.

Adelaide’s most recent send off to Cavusevic also raised the ire of many when the Slovenian reacted to a push and later theatrics from Victory’s Williams.

Paul Okon’s Central Coast Mariners are so far the bad boys of the A-League when it comes to poor discipline.

The Mariners lead the send off table, but this is out of whack with the amount of free kicks they have conceded this season.

The Gosford-based club is second last on the set piece giveaway count but top of the bad boys club.

Ersan Gulum of United receives a red card for a tackle on Central Coast’s Trent Buhagiar in Round 20. Picture: AAP Image/James Eslby

RED CARD LEADER’S TABLE

1. Central Coast Mariners: 6 reds

Andrew Hoole (round 2) Alan Baro (r6), Wout Brama (r10 and r18), Jake McGing (r10), Josh Rose (r15)

2. Adelaide United: 5

Ben Garuccio (r8 and r10), Daniel Adlung (r10), Ersan Gulum (r20), Dzengis Cavusevic (r21)

3. Melbourne City: 5

Osama Malik (r4 and r8), Harrison Delbridge (r16), Bart Schenkeveld (City)

Manny Muscat (r10)

4. Melbourne Victory: 4

Mitch Austin (r5), Mark Milligan (r8), , Rhys Williams (r15), Jason Geria (r18)

5. Western Sydney: 3

Robert Cornthwaite (r8), Brendan Hammill (r16), Keanu Baccus (r18)

6. Brisbane Roar: 2

Avram Papadopoulos (r8), Matt McKay (r10),

7. Sydney FC: 1

Matt Simon (r8)

Newcastle Jets, Wellington Phoenix and Perth Glory: 0

YELLOW CARD LEAGUE LEADERS

1. Brisbane Roar: 52

2. Western Sydney: 50

3. Adelaide United: 45

4. Perth Glory: 45

5. Wellington Phoenix: 44

6. Central Coast: 43

7. Melbourne Victory: 41

8. Newcastle Jets: 40

9. Melbourne City: 34

10. Sydney FC: 29

FOULS CONCEDED PER CLUB

1. Melbourne Victory: 368

2. Western Sydney: 356

3. Brisbane Roar: 321

4. Melbourne City: 320

5. Adelaide United: 302

6. Newcastle Jets: 301

7. Perth Glory: 288

8. Wellington Phoenix: 288

9. Central Coast: 277

10. Sydney FC: 264

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