Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Nuno Espirito Santo has publicly accused referee Lee Mason of not being good enough for the Premier League after a 2-1 defeat to Burnley on Monday night left his side 11th in the table.
Goals from Ashley Barnes and Chris Wood gave Burnley an insurmountable lead, with Fabio Silva's 89th-minute penalty not enough to snatch a point for Nuno's side.
Wolves were perhaps a little fortunate to finish the game with 11 men after what looked like a kick from Joao Moutinho on Josh Brownhill went unpunished, but Nuno was still left furious at Mason's performance during the game.
"It is his job. He has to improve, he has to get better," he told BBC Sport after the game. "Football is a physical game, a game of contact and referees taking the decisions and being fair. But the referee is not good enough to whistle; Lee Mason is not good enough.
"It isn't about the major, crucial decisions. It is the way he handles the players - both teams lose their focus, they are always arguing the decision.
"He must improve because the game requires good refereeing and good handling of the game so the players are able to keep on performing."
It didn't end there, either. Nuno then went for an interview with Sky Sports, where he reignited the flame and continued to slate Mason what he perceived to be a complete lack of skill.
"Honestly I don't like to say it, but I must say it because I will not feel right: the referee does not have the quality to whistle a game in the Premier League," he added.
"This is a problem that we knew. We already had Lee Mason before. It is not about the crucial mistakes or the decisions, it is about the way that he handles the game.
"The players get nervous. Too much voices. He whistles by the voices when some players shout. He does not have [it]. We are talking about the best competition and clearly he does not have the quality to whistle the game.
"I am very disappointed to say this, really disappointed to say it, but I would not feel right if I did not say it. It happened before.
"I just don't want to see him more. That is what I told him. I hope that he does not whistle a game of ours again because all of the games that we have with Lee Mason are the same. He does not control the players. The players are constantly arguing, both teams. With all the other referees, the game flows, the decisions are accepted, there is dialogue. He does not do it."
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Source: 90min
