Seething Stockport boss Dave Challinor criticised both the officials and his side’s defending in their 2-1 defeat at Walsall.
Referee Jacob Miles waved away loud penalty claims for an apparent trip by Saddlers goalkeeper Owen Evans on Nick Powell when the game was goalless.
Ethan Pye’s error then led to Danny Johnson slotting Walsall ahead and more poor defending allowed Aramide Oteh to add a second before Ryan Rydel pulled one back deep into stoppage time.
“The fourth official has the same view as us and says the keeper clearly touches it. Well, I will challenge that, I’ve seen it back and he doesn’t get any touch on it,” Challinor said.
“But we’ll get one of two things – either an apology to say they got it wrong or we get a lie that backs up the referee, because, based on what the evidence shows, there’s no touch there.
“It’s a decision made when the game is 0-0 and when we are in good control. That’s disappointing, but it doesn’t lose us the game, although it would have given us a better chance of winning it.
“Without it being a knee-jerk reaction, it’s very similar to how we started last season in terms of really poor goals and mistakes costing us goals.
“They are horrific goals, no one has cut us open. Mistakes cost you games. What we got better at last year was avoiding them and we have to do that again.”
County created the better chances throughout as Louie Barry and Paddy Madden both had goals ruled out and sent other opportunities off target, while Will Collar side-footed a great opening wide.
Walsall boss Mat Sadler praised his side’s desire to get off the mark for the season after a backs-to-the-wall display.
“There were some real standout performances, but collectively as a team I thought we were fantastic today. I thought we were a proper team,” he said.
“Stockport are a good team, they are going to create openings and when those key, magic moments came I think we stood up to them, took our chances and prevented theirs.
“It was an incredible team performance. My team are growing, they are learning, they are developing and they are doing that while giving me everything so they deserved all they got today.
“They are resilient and absolutely desperate to win football matches. That heart and desire and willingness to throw bodies on the line, we’ll need all of that continuously every single game.
“We needed to be ‘League Two’ in the game today, which I thought we did at times. There were loads of things we need to be better at but loads of things I thought were fantastic.”
Postecoglou thinks Spurs can end Guardiola's Premier League dominance
Ange Postecoglou relishes the opportunity to challenge Pep Guardiola’s Premier League dominance after he signed a contract extension with Manchester City.
It was announced by City on Thursday that Guardiola will stay at the club until 2027 after agreeing a new two-year deal, taking his time at the Etihad to over a decade.
Under Guardiola (since 2016-17), City have lost more Premier League games (six) and conceded more goals (22) against Spurs than they have against any other opponent in the top-flight.
It is perhaps unsurprising then that, despite the City boss having lifted the Premier League trophy in six of the last seven seasons, Postecoglou was happy his competitor was remaining at the helm.
"I look at it the other way, imagine you knock him off? That would be something, eh?,"Postecoglou began.
"And I'm at the stage of my life where I'd rather have a chance of knocking him off than missing that opportunity. In the right way, obviously.
"I think when greatness is around, you want to be around it. Hopefully it challenges you to be like that as well.”
Postecoglou is preparing to travel to face City in the league on Saturday during Guardiola’s worst run of form of his career.
City have lost each of their last four matches in all competitions. The Citizens last lost more consecutively between March and April 2006 under Stuart Pearce (six – the fifth game of which was also against Tottenham).
It could present the perfect opportunity for the Australian boss to start his ascent on Guardiola’s dominance, though he will have to face demons of his own as his side have won just two of their last 11 Premier League away games (D2 L7).
"I love the fact that there is a massive target out there that can seem insurmountable. It does for me anyway, raises my level, gets me going,” he added.
"I love the challenge of that and I never see that as a bad thing."
New Man Utd boss Amorim: 'I will do my thing, my way'
Ruben Amorim insisted "I will do my thing, my way" at Manchester United rather than concerning himself with where his predecessors went wrong.
The 39-year-old will be on the touchline for his first game as United head coach on Sunday as they face Ipswich Town, taking over from caretaker Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Amorim was confirmed as the new head coach at Old Trafford at the start of November after Erik ten Hag was sacked following a poor run of results.
The former Sporting CP boss will not look to the past for answers, however, as he looks to turn the fortunes of United around.
"I will not try to find out the right thing to do or try to find out what was missing with Erik ten Hag, with Jose Mourinho, with Louis van Gaal," Amorim told Sky Sports.
"I will not try that because I think it's a waste of time. They chose me because they saw something and I do something in a clear way.
"I really don't know what the [other managers] missed here but I know I will do my thing, my way and try to find out what is missing in my way of seeing football."
Ten Hag guided United to two trophies but struggled to maintain form across all competitions as they fell to a disappointing eighth-placed finish in the Premier League.
It adds to the persistent struggles of the club since the departure of Alex Ferguson as, despite their illustrious history, United have failed to win a league title since 2013. But Amorim believes he can deliver success.
"We will have really hard moments but, in the end, I truly believe that we are going to succeed," he said.
"The first impression is that it's so big, with a lot of departments. I came from a big club in a small country. Here is a different world.
"You have a lot to do. You are not just a coach. You have to be something more.
"So it's a little bit different, but I think I'm prepared for that. And it's Manchester United. It doesn't matter the last years."
Amorim enjoyed great success at Sporting, winning two league titles.
He took charge of 231 games in all competitions, the most in the club's history, and won 164 of those matches, losing just 33 times, with his 71% win percentage also a club record-high mark. His team scored 510 goals, averaging 2.2 per game.
After a successful four-game stint for interim boss Russ van Nistelrooy, Amorim officially took over at Old Trafford on November 11.
He is, however, understanding that fans may still be wary of the future, given what has come before.
"I know that at this moment our fans are with mixed feelings - 'I want to be excited, but I have been here so I'm a little bit afraid. It's the same story all the time. I can be disappointed,’" said Amorim.
"So what I can say is that I'm really excited. I'm not afraid to show it. But I have a clear idea that this will take time.
"Don't confuse my happiness with naivety. It's not the same thing. I'm really happy.
"I know what to do. But I have an idea that we are going to suffer a little bit before improving in the way that you should improve."
Luis Enrique: PSG 'far from the level' to turn Champions League fortunes around
Luis Enrique believes that despite Paris Saint-Germain's unbeaten start to the Ligue 1 season, it is not enough to turn their fortunes around in the Champions League.
PSG cruised to a 3-0 win over Toulouse on Friday, maintaining their six point advantage over Monaco at the top of the standings.
The Parisiens have 32 points from their 12 league matches. Over the last 70 years, only under Thomas Tuchel have they had more at this stage (36 in 2018-19).
PSG have also scored a division-high 36 goals, netting three or more times in nine of their 12 matches this season, as many as in their last 24 last term.
However, that form has failed to transpire in the Champions League. Luis Enrique's side sit 25th in the new 36-team league after taking four points from their four games.
And with a daunting trip to the Allianz Arena to face Bayern Munich up next, the PSG boss said his side's good run in the league will not be enough to win the competition.
"I think that we have numbers in Ligue 1 that are in line with our quality and in the Champions League we are far from our level. It's not logical," Luis Enrique said.
"It is clear that we have to improve our effectiveness, there is no doubt about it.
"A competition like the Champions League is different, is short, fewer games, it does not reward regularity, it rewards being good at the right moments.
"However, I think it's important to go into a Champions League match having won. It's not that it's decisive, but it's more positive," the coach added.
Friday's victory was sealed with goals from Joao Neves, Beraldo and Vitinha, sealing a sixth consecutive Ligue 1 triumph at the Parc des Princes.
Neves has now been involved in eight league goals this season (two goals, six assists), having only recorded five goal contributions in 50 appearances for Benfica.
The Portugal international also won more duels (nine) than any other PSG player against Toulouse, with Luis Enrique showering praise on the 20-year-old.
"Joao played the first half as a pivot, which is his usual position. In the second half we made more use of his ability to bring the ball out from the back in a more delayed position. I think he was very good," Luis Enrique said.
"Clearly when a midfielder scores the goal and it's something we insist on, well it seems to bring out his game more. I'm more satisfied. In the second half I liked him."
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