Daniel Farke felt Leeds paid for two crazy minutes when “the whole world” was against his side in the 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace.
Moments before half-time in an otherwise forgettable match, Leeds striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin missed a penalty and full-back Gabriel Gudmundsson was controversially sent off.
Referee Tom Bramall did not get in a huddle, but he was certainly in a muddle after booking Gudmundsson a second time in first-half stoppage time for a foul on Ismail Sarr.
The official appeared to have forgotten he had already shown Gudmundsson a yellow card 20 minutes earlier, and only after someone told him did he brandish the red.
Leeds boss Farke fumed: “It was doubtful if it was a foul. It was not even close to a yellow card, the decision.
“There was no pace in the tackle, in the duel. It was not a tactical foul. It was not even close to a yellow card.
“But why, whenever he has decided to give a yellow card, most disappointing is more or less that he has forgotten that this player was already on the yellow card and was then himself surprised that this decision means a sending-off.”
The madness began in the 43rd minute when Palace captain Will Hughes inexplicably handled a corner from Anton Stach to concede a penalty.
Calvert-Lewin stepped up and sent stand-in goalkeeper Walter Benitez the wrong way, but unfortunately for Leeds he also sent the ball the wrong side of the left-hand post.
“Even Harry Kane missed one lately for Bayern Munich,” added Farke. “It’s the fate of a striker. But he didn’t dwell on it and he was still a crucial part today.”
Then Leeds defender Jaka Bijol, who was already on a yellow card for a needless handball, was lucky to escape a second booking for a body check on Sarr.
Instead, referee Tom Bramall showed yellow cards to increasingly frustrated bosses Farke and Palace’s Oliver Glasner.
“Why was I booked? That’s a good question,” said Farke. “The fourth official said both benches were getting emotional.
“I have to give lots of compliments to my players. It was a day that proved why I would trust my players with my life.
“If we’d have been allowed to play the second half with 11 players we could have won the game, but under the circumstances it’s a priceless point.
“It’s so difficult, in two minutes you feel the whole world is against you. Today is proof that when this club is united we can overcome all adversity.”
Palace thought they had clinched victory late on when Jefferson Lerma bundled the ball home, but Brennan Johnson was flagged offside.
“We are not completely satisfied with today’s result,” said Glasner.
“First half was maybe not the prettiest football game in the world, but I was pleased with how we coped with the physicality today.
“Second half for me feels a little bit nervous, like we need to score because we are one player up and then we make bad decisions.”
