ENGLAND striker Kevin Phillips has launched a scathing attack on Premiership referees after receiving a two-match suspension for picking up his tenth booking of the season.

Speaking on the club's official website, the 14-goal hitman accused match officials of spoiling games at the Stadium of Light following the controversial display of Tring referee Graham Barber in the 1-1 draw against Liverpool.

And he described his own booking as " a disgrace."

Phillips had two strong penalty appeals turned down. And when Barber awarded Liverpool a controversial spot-kick for a Stanislav Varga tackle which video replays showed was clearly outside the box, he was booked for dissent.

Phillips, who now misses games against Leicester City and Aston Villa, said: "We're talking about refs after games here too much and it's no coincidence. I think they tend to bottle it.

"It must be something about the Stadium of Light and I was very disappointed with the ref's display.

"He gave a penalty when the challenge was outside the box.

"Anyone can make mistakes but what's really disappointing is that the linesman didn't take more responsibility.

"He was up with the play and both the ref and the linesman should have been big enough to go back on their initial decision after talking to each other."

The penalty was converted by Finnish international Jari Litmanen, who sent goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen the wrong way to prevent Sunderland notching their first home victory over the Merseysiders for 43 years.

Phillips, who missed the home game against Manchester City through a one-match ban for having five cautions, has picked up a further five in his last 13 games.

His yellow card against Liverpool will earn him a club fine and he said: "It was very frustrating. The ref had given the penalty and I was just talking to the linesman.

"I didn't swear, run over to him, point at him or anything like that. I was just talking and the ref charged over and booked me it was amateurish.

"I feel the booking was a disgrace because players charge over to the linesman all the time and nothing happens. What can you do?"

Phillips added: "The fact that he will report three of our players for their goal celebrations says it all. It's just the type of man he is.

"We're professionals and work hard all week preparing for games and then the refs, who are amateurs, are spoiling them."

Phillips, who has now gone five games without scoring, admitted: "It's a bit of a frustrating time for me at the moment. I'm not getting too many chances and games are tough.

"But I'll keep plugging away and as long as the team is getting results I'm not too bothered."

Despite the controversy, Phillips felt that the draw against Liverpool was a fair result.

He said: "Liverpool have some great players and we're not too disappointed with the result. We reacted to the two previous defeats in a positive manner.

"We were on top after scoring and the penalty decision took the wind out of our sails. We needed a second goal to kill them off."

l Spanish side Real Oviado, who signed former England international Stan Collymore from Bradford City on a free transfer this month, are reported to be interested in Sunderland's unhappy Honduran striker Milton Nunez.

Nunez has made one appearance as substitute since his £1.5m transfer last March from Greek outfit PAOK Salonika and has not been involved at all at first team level this season. Sunderland are prepared to cut their losses and, it is understood, would let him go for £750,000.

l Arsene Wenger could be ready to start meaningful discussions to extend his Arsenal contract by the end of the week. But equally, depending on high-level talks on football's transfer system in Europe, he may give the club 14 months' notice.

Highbury boss Wenger, in his native France for the critical Champions League second round clash with Lyon, has repeated his vow to walk out on club management if soccer's governing bodies fail to agree with EU law-makers to protect at least some of the basic elements of the current transfer system.

''It would be pointless for me to continue if players are given the right to walk out on their contracts with just three months' notice,'' he said. ''I could not do my job under those circumstances and I believe many managers will feel the same about their own jobs.

''How can you plan to build a team when you know suddenly somebody might just leave?''

Wenger's fear is that unless FIFA, UEFA and the players' unions can come up with a compromise formula, EU authorities will have no option but to declare the practice of clubs putting prices on contracted players illegal as, technically, under European law of free movement for all workers, it already is.

Crucial meetings are taking place this week with an announcement expected on Friday.

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