I was in the north stand and could see the defender pulling Stewart from the moment they started running. From my one viewing I thought free kick outside the box but probably the most clear cut red card ever. Naturally I had no objection to the penalty also being awarded and I've not seen the incident again so personally can't comment if the contact continued into the box or not.
I sit in the West stand almost at the 18 yard line. I thought penna but having seen it from a few different angles I think we got lucky with both penna and sending off. Ask me if I'm bothered. Am I fk. About time we got a decision going for us.
What the referee has to consider is, who has the ball and what does the opponent do to win it. In this case the defender makes no attempt to win the ball but does impede the attacker ... so it's a foul. If the defender had the ball, and Stewart had put his arm across him, it would've been a foul. The defender gives the referee the option to award a foul in which case it's a red card. It took me half a dozen watches to decide it's probably all just outside of the box and I'm still not 100%. The referee had one chance at match speed.
If it's a foul, which it was (the shirt grab and the push at the end) then it's a red card - last man and no attempt to play the ball The last part of the foul (the push) happened when Stewart's foot is on the 18 yard line. The line is part of the box, therefore a penalty It looks soft, but Fry wasn't making any attempt to get the ball
Believe me I am not complaining but I have watched this from a few angles and I would have been annoyed if this had been given against us. However as smug said the ref gets one look in real time. Fortunately we got the decision. Be interesting if VAR could review it. See what they would say
Agree. I feel (wrongly) that a pen has to "look a pen" in so much as it's an obvious foul, obviously in the box. The letter of the law says it's a pen, but it's one of those you give a sideways glance when it happens for you and are angered when it happens against you. Bit like the "kick" on Amad v Swansea - technically it was a foul but it didn't look like a pen I reckon VAR wouldn't have given it if the ref hadn't (and vice versa)
Definite red as he was pulling him for about twenty yards and clipped him on the heels twice. Possible crowd penalty.... well done everyone!
VAR would never have overturned it. One of those where it's not clear and obvious either way so they just stick with the refs decision on the pitch. For me they got it right though.
This got me thinking on who the four will be. Based on the games I've seen, here's my early stab (in order of confidence) - West Brom Watford Sunderland Norwich but apart from West Brom (and maybe us with my favorite red and white specs on , looks really tight.
Just got around to watching the match on sky. Fords scuffs the penalty spot. Why is this only a yellow card? It doesn’t deter people. Make it a red and a 1 match ban. Retrospective if it’s seen afterwards.
I suppose any other form of cheating is a yellow so it falls in line. Don't get me wrong I'd love harsher punishments for cheating.
I see it along similar lines to a professional foul. Trying to cheat to stop a player scoring. But, then again, I believe handling a ball to score or diving for a penalty should be punished in the same way
Totally agree.....looking back in history if the referee's had followed this rule then maybe one of the greatest World Cup goals wouldn't have happened and Argentina would have been down to 10 men .........just wishful thinking on my part but yes for a red for any form of cheating.
Still a red though. So the likelihood is we still go on to win the game. It’s a “where is the offence” situation. Stewart’s foot is definitely on the line, but the foul may not be. VAR wouldn’t have overturned it either mind
I'd be happy if refs actually gave cards out every time they're supposed to. Every time a ball is kicked away, every dive, any clear example of time wasting etc. I'm not sure how much discretion they've got but if they were stricter it'd help clean the game up. See it all the time when a player is penalised for diving and there's no card given. Why would you let that go.
