Referee mistakes cost us – Grant

West Ham manager Avram Grant believes refereeing errors have cost his relegation-threatened team at least 10 points this season.

But Grant, who takes charge of the Hammers against Manchester United on Saturday, believes officials have a harder job than they did 10 years ago.

“Decisions have been against us too much,” he said. “With right decisions, we’d have had at least 10 points more.

“But the game is much quicker now and it’s more difficult for the referees.”

Grant’s comments came shortly before

Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore announced a crackdown on “unacceptable” behaviour

by players and managers towards referees.

A new campaign, starting next season, will try to cut down on abuse of match officials and unacceptable criticism of them, while also aiming to prevent players surrounding referees and attempting to get opponents sanctioned.

Sometimes when I say what I think people think I am criticising the referee, which I don’t want to do West Ham boss Avram Grant

West Ham are outside the Premier League’s relegation zone on goal difference and Grant believes with the right decisions they would be comfortably in the top half of the table.

“I think we have suffered more than any other team because in the very deciding moments, as everyone has seen on the television, the decision was against us too many times,” he added.

“This is part of the game, sometimes there are decisions against you. You can accept one decision that was for us, but most of the decisions were against us.”

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson

said recently his team had suffered from “terrible decisions”

in recent weeks, but Grant does not believe refereeing standards are slipping.

“Everybody understands what Alex said and what he spoke about in the last games,” said Grant. “I don’t know about Man United, I think about us. This is referees – sometimes they make mistakes.

“I think if you look at games even five years ago and now – and I suggest to everybody that they look – the game is much quicker, more players are athletes.

“Even if you look 10 years ago half of the players were athletes and half were technical. So the game has become more physical and quicker and it’s more difficult for referees.”

Grant was charged with improper conduct by the FA in March following comments he made about match official Mike Jones

after his side’s 2-1 FA Cup defeat by Stoke.

The Hammers manager has denied the charge and a personal hearing will be scheduled at a date no later than 7 April.

He added: “I don’t want to speak about this now because sometimes when I say what I think, people think I am criticising the referee, which I don’t have any intention to do.”