Source: Daily_Mail
Lee Cattermole claims he is a target for referees
Lee Cattermole is fed up of being targeted by referees and insists he is not the villain everyone makes him out to be. [LNB]The Sunderland captain has been booked 47 times and sent off on five occasions so far in his senior career but defends his tough-tackling methods as nothing more than an attempt to win the ball. [LNB] Red faced: Cattermole is giving his marching orders by referee Anthony Taylor[LNB]He said: 'I feel like they [the referees] are out there for me at the minute.[LNB]'Maybe it's my stupid mistakes in the past that have got me that reputation, so I can't sit here and blame everyone else. [LNB]'I have to get rid of that reputation, but it's so hard at the minute when I find myself getting a succession of soft yellow cards.'[LNB]Cattermole was substituted immediately after receiving a yellow card in the Black Cats last game before the international break against West Brom by manager Steve Bruce. [LNB]And the 23-year-old, who has represented England at every age group bar the senior side, believes he has only ever made one bad tackle in his career. [LNB] Foul play: Cattermole feels Baggies midfielder Steven Reid tried to get him sent off[LNB] 'If you put every foul I've ever made up on the television, I think there'd be one tackle which was actually a bad one,' said Cattermole. [LNB]'That was against Scott Parker when I was playing for Wigan and I've spoken to him since to apologise about it. [LNB]'That's the only bad tackle I've made in my career - all the rest have been genuine attempts to win the ball, not nasty attempts to hurt someone.'[LNB]The former Middlesbrough and Wigan midfielder is not only angry at the officials but players as well who he feels jump at the chance to get him sent off.[LNB]After his substitution against the Baggies Cattermole was fuming that half of the opposition, in particular Steven Reid, were trying to make him see red. [LNB]'The tackle I got booked for wasn't a foul, simple as that. [LNB]'But it's twice it's happened now with Steven Reid. He's six foot four and he rolls around like a girl, simple as that.[LNB]'It's twice it's happened and it's a shame. People moan about the foreigners, but he's a British lad and he's acting like that. I was booked for that challenge, and then the second one was on him again.'[LNB][LNB] Sunderland 2 West Bromwich 2: Great Dane! Bendtner saves Bruce's baconCattermole will bounce back from being dropped, insists Sunderland boss BruceO'Shea insists there is no need to panic despite Sunderland's slow start[LNB] [LNB]
