Tuesday 3 March 2015 19:07, UK
Alan Pardew has urged the Football Association not to be swayed by television pundits when it comes to making disciplinary decisions.
Crystal Palace captain Mile Jedinak is serving an immediate four-match ban after accepting an FA with violent conduct for elbowing West Ham's Diafra Sakho.
The Eagles' won 3-1 at the Boleyn Ground but the Palace boss believes the extra media spotlight can be a decisive factor in whether retrospective action is taken.
"We're damned by TV at times. It is what it is," said Pardew, who was speaking before the FA's ruling on Jedinak.
"That's the point I'm trying to make, like our televised game against West Ham.
"The punditry seems to be having a greater and greater effect on the decision process at the FA.
"That's a little bit worrying. I hope you're governed by the FA, not by what people are saying on the TV."
Referees have been heavily criticised in recent weeks but Pardew insisted that, overall, officials do an excellent job.
"You have to put it into context - the standard of refereeing in England is great," Pardew said.
"That's overlooked at times. Like all things it's little waves of periods where something happens and things get highlighted.
"It's a very difficult situation they're in. When they get incidents wrong and get relegated, I'm not so sure that's a great idea.
"We all make poor decisions and get things wrong. I don't see missing a week is a good thing."
"What I've been saying for the last four years, and what I say every year at the referees' meeting, is that we should have professional assistants.
"I think that will happen. I hope so. The level of game we're talking about and the incidents we're having, the fact we haven't got professional assistants makes it ridiculous to me."
Palace face a trip to Southampton on Tuesday, hoping to extend an eight-point gap above the relegation zone.
Saints, meanwhile, will be desperate to resurrect their challenge for the top four, having won just once in their last five league matches.
"It's sometimes not about personnel, it can be about form and momentum, it can drift away from you," Pardew said.
"They'll want to get it back and a win will do that - any win, and that's what they'll want against us.
"It's hard to sustain a 38-game programme in the Premier League without having periods where it becomes difficult.
"Southampton are finding that but they'll navigate their way through it."
