Absolutely ridiculous – Mark Robins sees red with Gustavo Hamer after dismissal

Coventry manager Mark Robins accused Gustavo Hamer of having an “absolutely ridiculous” disciplinary record and said the midfielder must learn after his red card in the goalless draw with Birmingham at St Andrew’s.

Hamer now faces a four-match ban following his second dismissal in five games in just over a month after also seeing red in a 3-2 defeat at Millwall on August 13.

The 25-year-old Brazilian-born Dutchman earned a straight red for appearing to kick out at Birmingham substitute Hannibal Mejbri when the two tussled on the ground.

Hamer has now been sent off three times for the Sky Blues and was booked 15 times last season.

“It’s absolutely ridiculous. We need everybody fit and available and then that happens. He’s got to learn,” said Robins.

“I didn’t see it at the time. I’ve seen it subsequently and it looked like to me like (Hannibal) Mejbri grabbed hold of his legs and rolled and you can’t really see what happened.

“But the eagle-eyed officials saw fit to send him off for violent conduct so he misses four games.”

Robins is unlikely to appeal against the decision, however.

“I don’t think so from first looking at it. I’m going to speak to the referee and see what his view was because I don’t think he saw it,” he added.

“It gives the referee – or somebody – a picture, and if they then feel that’s not right, you run the risk, don’t you?

“I think he (the referee) was told something on the touchline but I have no idea.”

As for the game, Robins felt his side should have clinched their first win in 11 since a 4-2 victory at St Andrew’s on April 15, 156 days ago.

“It was a brilliant first half from us and really we should have been three goals up without any real reply from them,” he admitted.

Despite plenty of first-half opportunities for Coventry, Birmingham had the best chances of the game but Juninho Bacuna, Scott Hogan and Auston Trusty were either denied by goalkeeper Ben Wilson or missed the target.

Coventry forced seven attempts – four of them from Hamer – in the first 24 minutes and 12 in the first half, while Birmingham goalkeeper John Ruddy had to make three saves.

Birmingham head coach John Eustace was pleased with a point.

“In the first half we certainly had the best chance with Bacuna and he should have put that away,” he said.

“But overall a draw was a fair result. I’m delighted with a point. In the first half we were under a lot of pressure and we didn’t start well, although a lot of their chances were from distance.

“After Wednesday’s performance (a 3-2 win at West Brom) and the effort the lads put in at the Hawthorns, I always knew this game would be very difficult because Coventry are a very good team and are in a false position.

“Defensively we were much better in the second half and much more on the front foot and a lot more like ourselves.”

Regarding Hamer’s sending-off, Eustace said: “I think it was an off-the-ball incident. As we cleared it, I was looking to where we were actually attacking, so I didn’t see it.”