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Sheffield United fans boo Kaoru Mitoma for nearly getting his leg snapped by Mason Holgate

Sheffield United fans decided to boo Brighton player Kaoru Mitoma for nearly getting his leg snapped by Mason Holgate.

Mason Holgate may have received one of the most blatant red cards in Premier League history, and even that somehow ended up going to VAR after referee Stuart Atwell initially handed out a yellow.

Holgate had been featuring in just his third game for Sheffield United when he went in recklessly with a knee-high challenge on Kaoru Mitoma.

Mason Holgate went in on Kaoru Mitoma with a late challenge that riled up the Brighton players and prompts a swift yellow card being shown to Holgate.

Attwell went over to the screen here to see if this should be upgraded to a red, which is quite obviously should have been, and looking at the replay, the challenge was deemed high and reckless.

Paul Robinson (on BBC Radio 5 Live): “As you see it there in slow motion and in the replay, it’s a really bad tackle.

“A penny for Chris Wilder’s thoughts stood down there now. What must he be thinking?

“Chris Wilder has Mason Holgate to thank for his stupid challenge to get himself sent off after 12 minutes.

“Sheffield United came into this game with a game plan but that all went out of the window after 12 minutes when Mason Holgate got sent off.

“I’m sure when Sheffield United fans get home and watch Match of the Day Two, they’ll realise the decision to send Mason Holgate off was right.”

Sky Sports’ Andy Hinchcliffe: “On first viewing, it looked a horrible challenge. It looked like Holgate had gone way over the ball.

“It’s just crazy. Hopefully Mitoma is ok because he can’t prepare himself for this type of challenge. It’s horrible.”

Perry Groves said: “100 per cent a red card. Mason Holgate, what is he doing?

“That’s VAR at its best. What is he doing? He comes across with Mitoma running down the wing, and it’s reckless but not out of control.

“He knows what he’s doing, he does take a little bit of the ball first and with his right foot he goes right across.

“Mitoma does well, he knows the challenge is coming and that he can ride it, if he has a planted foot that’s a broken leg.”

Jamie Redknapp said: “It’s one of the worst tackles I’ve seen in years. Even in my era, that would’ve been a scandalous tackle.

“How on earth Mitoma’s managed to get his leg out of the way, I’ve no idea but thank goodness he has or that’s career-ending.

“I feel so sorry for Chris Wilder when you have a player who does that. I’ve got no idea what he’s thinking, he’s cost his team.”

Brighton went ahead on 20 minutes after Brighton won a corner, despite replays showing it might have looked as though the ball came off Danny Welbeck last, but from the set-piece, Facundo Buonanotte scrambled in before the ball is cleared, although it had already crossed the line.

Shortly after, Kaoru Mitoma went down inside the box with no penalty given. Mitoma then had a shot denied by Wes Foderingham, who pushed the ball to the feet of Danny Welbeck, slamming it into the roof of the net.

Just before the break, Sheffield United had a goal disallowed, with Ben Osborn was in an offside position when he hooked home.

The half ended with loud boos ringing around Bramall Lane with some Sheffield United players complaining to the officials when making their way off the pitch.

Chris Wilder has his hands on his head with 15 minutes or so remaining, with Brighton making it 3-0 through a Jack Robinson own goal as he diverted Kaoru Mitoma’s cross into the back of his own net.

Before long, it was 4-0, a lovely finish by Simon Adingra, who turned in a volley from a cross.

Then as the remaining home fans left inside the ground flooded for the exits, Simon Adingra’s shot took a deflection to loop into the back of the net, to give the final score 5-0.

Brighton captain Lewis Dunk on Sky Sports: “A top performance. Obviously they had a man sent off and it made a difference for them and harder for them. Once it went to 10 men we played right, played properly, got our chances, and killed the game off.

“Sheffield United are dangerous in transitions. We knew that coming into it. We saw that when we were sloppy on the ball. It can be hard against 10 men because you can have too much time and start forcing the ball. That’s when it’s dangerous. I thought throughout we controlled the game really well and scored some good goals.”

Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi to Sky Sports: “We are very happy for the result. Obviously the red card for Sheffield United changed the game. We have to be honest when they concede a red card and we have a player more it is [easier] because [otherwise] the game would be very tough. Sheffield United are a live team so for our performance I am very happy. We have to prepare for Everton in the best way because it will be another tough game.”

On seeing off the threat of Sheffield United on the counterattack: “When we are dominating the game we have more intention and more focus not to concede a counterattack. Because we play with our style, and our style is to try to dominate the game. Different teams play on the counterattack and they want to play without the ball and look to counterattack.

“We have to be more focused on the safe passes, short passes, shorter passes and to stay many players close to the ball because when we lose the ball we have to react, and not concede on the counterattack.”

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder on Sky Sports: “We have to do a lot of work the training ground with 11 men, let alone 10. But we should do better. We can’t feel sorry for ourselves, things aren’t going our way at the moment. After the Villa game we showed an incredible attitude at Luton and we have to show that same attitude during the week and then at Wolves next Sunday.

“It’s a difficult place at the moment because we are up one week and now we feel down and not great about ourselves. This is the time that you are judged at every level as a professional footballer. Not when the sun is shining, it’s easy and you are winning like we were last year. We are in this division and it’s ruthless. It’s tough and things aren’t going our way.

“We just have to keep sticking at it, working together. It’s no time to point fingers. No time to go in a different direction. it’s time to work together, to get everybody up and help each other. We’d have loved to got off the bottom. We had an opportunity to, but we didn’t.

“We got off to a decent start but when you down to 10 men in this league it’s a tough ask. If you go down to 10 men against a team like Brighton they move you about or all over the pitch and it can expose you. We are disappointed with a couple of the goals that we conceded.

“The game plan at half-time was to go deep into the game and if there was going to be some decisions made by myself to open up we’d have done it and stuck some players at the top of the pitch up and go for it. We got to 75 minutes conceded one then another. It’s a trend this year that goals in one quickly one after the another, which obviously takes the game away from us. At three or four the game is gone.

“The way they move the ball about then fatigue sets in. But it’s about not feeling sorry for yourself. You are at a low and you are in the at moment and unfortunately it goes to five. It looks like a hell of a beating but I thought the attitude of the players were great. We asked them to stick in there, go deep. We had a couple of half chances which might have made it interesting. It’s a harsh scoreline but it’s a harsh division.”

Twitter users reacted after hearing Sheffield United fans boo Kaoru Mitoma for nearly getting his leg snapped by Mason Holgate…

@FulhamTransfer: That’s probably the worst challenge I’ve seen this season! 😳

@longlive_reuben: These Sheff United fans and players will defend that and say clean tackle as well 🤣🤣🤣🤣

@BrianSpurs25: Holgate’s reaction 🤣 is he for real?

@liss_russ: Your fans need to have a word with yourselves moaning at VAR and the officials. It was horrific tackle and deserved a red

@thats_a_Morley: Not one Sheffield United player, fan, coach or member of the backroom staff can complain about that Red card from Holgate. Absolutely atrocious and disgusting!!!!!!!!!! The harassing of the ref and whining from the fans for the rest of the half was embarrassing!

@Andrew_Heaton: And now Mitoma is getting booed every time he touches the ball Pure Barclays, which is what I believe the kids say nowadays

@paul_winginit: Potential career ender that. Horrible.

@Sufc_Jam3s: Hopefully never wears a blades shirt again

@BrandonFenna: Mitoma really fortunate his leg isn’t planted. Absolute leg breaker.

@benedgie1: Football fans are so fickle, Mitoma is getting booed by Sheffield United fans for being on the end of a potential career ender tackle 😭

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