Ref Watch: Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran right to be shown red card vs Newcastle, says Dermot Gallagher | Football News

Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher assesses the controversial moments from the Boxing Day action, including the red cards for Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran’s and Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes.

Newcastle 3-0 Aston Villa

INCIDENT: Duran was sent off for appearing to kick out at Newcastle’s Fabian Schar. It took referee Anthony Taylor 30 seconds to show Duran a red card following the incident. Villa boss Unai Emery revealed after the game that the club will appeal Duran’s three-match ban.

DERMOT SAYS: I thought it was a red card. People say he’s off balance because Schar’s pulling him and that there’s always going to be contact, but I thought he could avoid that. That’s what Anthony Taylor has seen.

What I like about it is that Taylor tracks it, sees what has happened, and takes his time. I don’t have a problem with that as the ball is dead. He’s probably got some input from the assistants and fourth official. He’s taken his time, it’s not rash. His right leg changes direction. That’s what Anthony’s seen. I can see that. The assistant said he’d seen it too.

The decision was made in real time, nobody went to a monitor like a CSI breakdown. The process was about human beings making the right decision.

The VAR looked at it. He felt the referee got it right. Let’s say he sends him to the screen, and when you see it in slow motion, it looks really bad. So if Taylor is sent there, I’m convinced he still would have said it’s a red card.

Emery kept alluding to a three-match ban. Is a three-match ban too much for that? That may be a reason why he’s so upset with it.

They would have to prove the referee has made a clear and obvious error – that makes the appeal pretty difficult.

INCIDENT: Joelinton was booked at the end of the first half. Morgan Rogers felt he was hit in the face here but did he make a bit of a meal of it?

DERMOT SAYS: The referee has dealt with this really well. Whether he should taken action against Rogers is debatable. He certainly doesn’t hit him in the face, it’s not violent, but the player doesn’t have to do that.

Wolves 2-0 Man Utd

INCIDENT: Bruno Fernandes was sent off by referee Tony Harrington for a second yellow card. He received his first for bringing down Matheus Cunha. His second came after the break for a tackle on Nelson Semedo.

DERMOT SAYS: When you make a tackle like the first one, you’re always going to get a yellow card. It’s a bog standard one. No attempt to play the ball. Tony Harrington did very well, he’s really growing in confidence.

I don’t know why he makes the second tackle, it’s so far upfield. If you look at it close up, it’s not a wise tackle and it’s a yellow-card offence. Everybody is disappointed when you’re sent off, but it was one.

INCIDENT: Wolves scored their first goal directly from a corner. Andre Onana complained, suggesting Matt Doherty had impeded him on the goal line. The goal stood.

DERMOT SAYS: Matt Doherty has every right to stand where he does. He doesn’t do anything wrong. He’s allowed to hold his ground.

Onana actually pushes Doherty in the back, and Doherty makes no movement towards him. There is an arm from Doherty but his starting position was there, he didn’t back up and move backwards.

Southampton 0-1 West Ham

INCIDENT: A red card was shown to West Ham’s Guido Rodriguez at Southampton. Lewis Smith was asked to have another look at this and overturned the call. Was that the right decision?

DERMOT SAYS: One hundred per cent. This is where VAR really, really works. The referee thinks he has slid in two-footed and takes him out. But when you look at it, he goes to pull out and doesn’t catch him. The referee takes a look and rightly says yellow card only.

Nottm Forest 1-0 Tottenham

INCIDENT: Djed Spence was sent off in second-half stoppage time for a second yellow card. He got his first one for throwing the ball away. Did the second foul then warrant a sending off?

DERMOT SAYS: He doesn’t need to do it. It’s not wise at 90+4, no need to do it. No intention to play the ball, he’s paid for a rash moment of angriness earlier when he threw the ball away.

INCIDENT: Tottenham appealed for a penalty as they thought Nottingham Forest defender Murillo handled the ball in the box. What did you make of this Dermot?

DERMOT SAYS: He would be so angry if a penalty was given for this. It just hits him, we all know he can’t move his arm so it can’t be a penalty.

INCIDENT: Forest felt Fraser Forster handled the ball outside of his box but he avoided any reprimand.

DERMOT SAYS: The thing to remember is it’s the ball, not Fraser Forster which has to stay in the box. If the ball is above the line, which it was, it doesn’t matter.

Liverpool 3-1 Leicester

INCIDENT: During Liverpool’s win over Leicester there was an offside that seemed to take forever, late on. Three minutes and 14 seconds in fact, but it had already been flagged on the pitch. Does this just increase the argument to get semi-automated offsides in sooner?

DERMOT SAYS: There were two checks, that’s why it took so long. People say it’s infuriating, but this is what the people asked for. Now you’ve given them the technology to get the decision right.

This is the process, this is what we’re told, this is what we’ve seen. We have come a long way in five years from where we were, we’ve got far more accurate decisions. It is much, much better. Semi-automated offsides is a work in progress. Maybe if it’s going to take a long time, maybe wait until next season.

When this is rolled out, it has to be 100 per cent, right now there are little tweaks needed.

INCIDENT: There was an early shout for a Leicester penalty at Liverpool. The ball struck Cody Gakpo’s hand from a corner, but was it in an unnatural position?

DERMOT SAYS: It would be so difficult to give. Nobody could see that there. There’s no evidence to say he’s handled the ball, so stick with the on-field decision. People don’t like saying this about referees, but common sense prevailed.