McLeish has been in charge at Birmingham since late 2007

Birmingham manager Alex McLeish said referee Martin Atkinson might have been influenced by the crowd when making his decision to give Aston Villa a penalty.

Atkinson deemed that Blues defender Roger Johnson brought down Gabriel Agbonlahor and James Milner converted the spot-kick to give Villa victory.

"A big crowd can make a big influence, you can hear 40,000 screaming and think 'Oh that must have been a penalty, I'd better give that'," McLeish fumed.

"He clearly wasn't up with the play."

McLeish's side has much the better of the match but succumbed to their sixth successive defeat against Villa.

606: DEBATE It looked harsh on Johnson, but it could've gone either way Shiv Mufc Des

Describing his post-match conversation with Atkinson, McLeish said: "I shook his hand at the end, as I always do with the refs, and said: 'you've called it wrong, big decision and you didn't get it right and I didn't think you were up with play to make that call.'

"I don't think that's heavy criticism of the referee, I wouldn't like to think I'd get hauled over the coals because of that comment, he clearly wasn't up with the play.

"You've got to say because of Agbonlahor on the break it is difficult for referees to keep up with play at times but it wasn't a clear-cut decision. The bottom line is you can't give it if you're not sure.

"It's in Roger Johnson's game, he's got the long legs to get the touch in a desperate situation and I'm sure Agbonlahor will concede Roger got a touch on the ball."

McLeish added that the proposal by Uefa president Michel Platini for extra officials to be introduced behind the goal would have been beneficial in the key incident at Villa Park.

"He would have been on that goalline and seen that Roger got the ball and that would have saved the referee a bit of embarrassment," the Scotsman said.

Regarding the effect a large partisan crowd has on referees McLeish said: "I've experienced it as well being the Scotland manager and the Rangers manager.

"As Tony Pulis said in this morning's papers, bigger teams get more of the big decisions."

Blues defender Johnson was fiercely critical of Atkinson and said: "The game was too big for him. I thought he was awful the whole way through.

"The decision regarding the penalty was a disgrace. If you are not sure about a decision, you don't give a penalty and the referee was a million miles away from the incident.

"The linesman could see it better than the referee. But the crowd are getting the sound up and he (the referee) bottled it for me. It is an outrageous decision."

Johnson added: "Did the referee explain the decision? Don't be silly. Referees don't talk to you. They just say 'go away'.

"You can't talk to them. They all ask for respect but you can't talk to them so it is a waste of time."

After being told Villa manager Martin O'Neill thought it was a 'definite penalty' Johnson said: "I played the ball, I didn't go in behind him.

"I don't know what Martin O'Neill is on about, he should know the game better than that.

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