Hunt calls on Wolves to be clever

Wolves midfielder Stephen Hunt has suggested his team should start trying to get opposition players sent off by pressuring referees.

The Republic of Ireland international believes Nenad Milijas’ red card in Tuesday’s English Premier League draw against Arsenal at Emirates Stadium was influenced by players from the home side surrounding the referee.

Mick McCarthy’s men saw referee Stuart Attwell send off Milijas for a tackle on Mikel Arteta, and Hunt said on Thursday his side were suffering from not trying to influence decisions.

“Everyone does it now,” Hunt said. “We should be maybe better at it than any other team. Every team does it, so we don’t do it and get punished. Maybe we should start doing it.”

“Players are clever, the reaction sometimes does not help the referee.”

Hunt, 30, argued that Wolves might have been able to get Stoke defender Jonathan Woodgate sent off when the centre-back conceded a penalty in their meeting on December 11.

Woodgate had already been booked when he brought down Matthew Jarvis, but avoided an early shower in a game Stoke City won 2-1.

“We have been done in the past – like with Woodgate, we should have been surrounding the ref to get him sent off,” Hunt said.

“Generally I think the Milijas red card was harsh. It was more with one leg, then the other popped up the middle.”

“Maybe even Alex Song’s tackle on me could have been a red, so it is one of those things.”

Wolves’ battling 1-1 draw at Arsenal saw them stay above the Premier League relegation zone, two points ahead of 18th-placed Wigan, while they are appealing Milijas’ suspension ahead of a trip to Bolton on Saturday.