Graham Kavanagh on the Lee Miller red card
United manager Graham Kavanagh confirmed today that the club has no grounds for an appeal against the red card shown to striker Lee Miller on Saturday and that the forward will now face a four-match suspension which will start with the visit of Wolves on Tuesday evening.
“That’s one we will take on the chin,” he said. “You don’t see any of the footage on the match DVD and that means the events surrounding the incident are inconclusive. It’s something which has happened and we have to accept it and move on."
"I have spoken to Lee this morning and he has been disciplined by the club," he continued. "He has accepted that completely. He is visibly very upset and he has apologised to the players and to the staff because he feels that he has let everyone down.
"I know what he's going through because I’ve been in the same position as a player when I was sent off. I served my suspension and then I was sent off again in my first game back. It does happen, it’s horrible and when it’s you at the heart of it you feel extremely lonely and isolated. It also feels like the world is watching to see what your next action is going to be.
“You have to come out fighting in the right way as soon as you get your next opportunity. You have to reward your team mates and the fans with good performances because the fact is that you have let them down."
“Like I say, it isn’t a nice feeling but the reaction I got from him this morning was what I wanted to see and it was exactly what I expected," he told us. "I am constantly asking the group to be as honest and as open as they can be because I want to make sure that we're all in this together.
“I don’t want to see anybody hurting but he was definitely at a very low point on Saturday. I think we all saw that and I know he will feel absolutely horrible right now because the four match ban has only just come through.
"The key for him now has to be that he learns from this. This is his fourth sending off with this club and I have no doubt that opposition teams will look at that and try to use it against him.
"He has to deal with that, rise above it, play the game the way we all know he can and become the player we all know he can be. When he does that he'll be able to put this behind him.”
Speaking for the first time since the incident this afternoon, Lee Miller said: “It was a stupid mistake. I just want to say sorry to everyone connected with myself and the club.
“It was unacceptable behaviour and I’m ashamed of what I did at the weekend. I don’t know what was going through my head.
“I let myself, my family, the lads, the coaching staff and the fans down. I am deeply sorry and I can only knuckle down and work hard to get back to my best.”