Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has become a pundit these days. The retired official now reviews controversial decisions from each game week, on behalf of Sky News.
It makes for an interesting segment, although I find Gallagher usually sides with the referees – and he’s obviously still friendly with a few of them!
Gallagher took a look at three incidents from Manchester United’s trip to St James’ Park on Saturday night. Newcastle deservedly won the game 1-0, but not without a few decisions from referee Robert Jones that had people talking.
One example was when Fabian Schar challenged Bruno Fernandes by stamping on his foot. No foul was given and Newcastle eventually had to kick the ball out of play so that Fernandes could receive treatment on the pitch.
When asked about the incident and whether Schar deserved a red card, Gallagher told Sky Sports: “Certainly shouldn’t have been play on. He is reaching for the ball and comes through and stands on his foot. So, I think it is low enough for a yellow. If it was above his ankle and his shin then a red card.”
VAR looked at the tackle at the time, but did not recommend that Jones review his decision.
There was another call that went United’s way as Newcastle had a penalty shout for handball.
Diogo Dalot kicked the ball into his own arm inside the box during a mix up with goalkeeper Andre Onana, but no penalty was awarded. Gallagher said: “Newcastle fans will feel they have been penalised twice [after last week’s draw with PSG]. The one last Tuesday was an error, this wasn’t. He kicks the ball and it flies up off his arm, very much like it did on Tuesday night. This wasn’t a penalty but neither was Tuesday’s.”
Another incident – but less controversial – saw Antony denied a goal for offside. The Brazilian’s strike hit an offside Harry Maguire on its way into the next.
Gallagher sided with the referee, saying: “He [Maguire] would not be in line with the goalkeeper – he is penalised because he touched the ball, so he interferes with play.
“It is interesting as he knows straight away, he knows it has hit him, Antony does not as he goes away to celebrate, but he does not realise it has hit him and gone straight in.
“The ‘keeper may well have saved it, we do not know, but once it has hit him and gone straight in the net, it was always going to be disallowed.”
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