Derby County defender Michael Johnson has spoken of his disappointment with Neil Warnock and has accused the Blades boss of trying to get him sent off.
Johnson started his career under Warnock in 1991 at Notts County and says he still called him ‘gaffer’ – prior to the sending off incident during United’s 1-0 win over the Rams in midweek.
Johnson told the Burton Mail: ‘He knows that I am not the sort of player who would go out to harm a fellow professional and to see my ex-manager jumping up and down, trying to get me sent off, was really disappointing. We all want to win a game of football but I would never do anything like that. I heard him say to the ref, ‘get him off, get him off, he’s a lunatic’, and he was shown quite clearly pointing to his head.
‘I went over and told him that I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I held him in that much respect that before the game, when we went into the referee’s room with the opposing manager and captain, I called him ‘gaffer’ – and that is more than 10 years later. But I don’t think I will be calling him gaffer from now on. He has gone right down in my estimation.’
The 32-year-old, who was signed from Birmingham in 2003, was also unhappy with United winger Paul Ifill for his reaction. ‘I didn’t know he was such a good gymnast. He went 25 feet up in the air, did a pirouette and landed on his feet, which I think he got a 9.9 for! I have never seen him do something like that before and the rolling around on the floor afterwards was just uncalled for. It was a fair tackle – my main intention was to get the ball.’
Johnson has today had the red card he received rescinded by the FA, meaning he will not have to serve a ban.
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