West Ham’s Mark Noble calls for video replays to help refs before players suffer serious injuries

MARK NOBLE reckons refs need help from video replays before a player is seriously injured.

The West Ham captain slammed Chelsea striker Diego Costa over his lunge at keeper Adrian in Monday’s 2-1 defeat.

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Noble said: “I knew it was a bad tackle. He didn’t get anywhere near the ball. If I made that tackle in the middle of the pitch am I getting a yellow?

“I said to Anthony Taylor in the game — and I think he’s a really good ref — ‘What’s the difference between that sort of tackle, which could really injure someone, and a yellow card for a slight pull back on a shirt?’

“You tell me the difference. I never blame the refs as I know how tough it is, how fast the play goes, how difficult it is to keep up with the play.

“But someone has got to give us some help.

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“We have put goal-line technology in, we’ve done that and does anyone argue over whether the ball was over any more? No. Did we used to? Yes.

“Simple isn’t it? It probably takes about five seconds for someone upstairs to look at a video.

“I’ve always been against technology stuff but it cost us last year too. Big decisions. Maybe they do even themselves out but it hurts at the time doesn’t it?”

A stream of ex-refs have joined TV pundits, Hammers’ players and boss Slaven Bilic in condemning hot-head Costa’s knee-high challenge on his fellow Spaniard Adrian.

Retired official Graham Poll, plus former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher say Costa should have been sent off long before he scored Blues’ winner a minute from time.

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Keeper Adrian is still nursing a sore leg but is fit to play in tomorrow’s Europa League qualifying round first leg Astra Giurgiu in Romania.

And a big week for West Ham ends on Sunday with their first Premier League match at their new Olympic Stadium, at home to Bournemouth.

Noble said: “We knew it would be tough first game of the season at Chelsea, new manager and all that stuff. We got punished at the end. A couple of decisions went against us.

“I’m happy for video to balance things out. Where we nearly scored, I thought Andy Carroll probably handballed it — not on purpose.

“Refs won’t get everything right but those decisions really hurt teams.

“It’ll be great for us against Bournemouth. It’s a new stadium yes but we still have to get points no matter how good it feels.”