We all know about the controversies of Premier League referees. Nowadays, it is a common thing in this league. Things become horrible when it happens in big matches. It happened when Manchester United and Chelsea clashed with each other.
Lisandro Martinez of Manchester United was not sent off for a late, high challenge on Chelsea’s Cole Palmer in a recent 1-1 draw. The statement revealed that on-field referee Rob Jones reviewed the incident via VAR. According to them, the challenge was reckless but not violent enough to attract a red card. Something that goes well with the initial call.
The reckless tackle from Martinez
In that match, a tackle had caused heated debates from the fans and analysts who drew opposite verdicts. Ex-Premier League referee Mike Dean has even described the tackle as a “glancing blow” rather than a striking one. On the other hand, Sky Sports commentator Gary Neville compared the distance from which it was coming and the time taken as still being enough to cross the threshold for a red card. That controversy brought into the limelight long-standing issues concerning consistency by VARs.
This match left Chelsea in fourth place as Manchester City and Nottingham Forest trooped to settle for a draw. Moises Caicedo equalized the chances for Chelsea after Bruno Fernandes opened up for them. Letting Martinez stay in the field added more injury in a season discredited and marred by controversies over officiating. According to Tribalfootball, Enzo Maresca said that the tackle deserved a red card without any doubt.
Statement from Premier League
The Premier League said the referee, alongside VAR, deemed the tackle to be “reckless” but not violent enough for a red card. It is considered much more dangerous in professional football. For some, that can prove to be a dodging of dangerous precedent. The move was seen to undermine the danger that high tackles with studs exposed can create.
Gary Neville was very vociferous in the game as a commentator. He felt that such kinds of tackles would often have to be dealt with by a red card because they would probably severely harm the safety of players. According to Neville, the challenge was very high and that he was kicked up to strike Martinez’s knee. It would have been enough for a red card, irrespective of the impact. Mike Dean disagrees
Former referee Mike Dean said the ball had only made a “glancing blow with hardly any force at all, and he didn’t feel by no means completely threatened.” For most supporters, though, this was a verdict too lenient and part of a larger inconsistency. When it comes to the issuing of red cards for strong tackles, a consequence of uneven applications seemed to be based on rather murky factors. All this feeds into mixed signals for the players and officials. In these incidents, Premier League referees should make logical decisions.
Role of VAR
This incident indicates that there are still more doubts about the role of VAR in English football. Others argue that what was presented to reduce man’s intervention on the pitch in turn increased the layering of complexity and subjectivity. The case of an undefined red card for some fans must be evidence of failure by VAR. These things should not happen in the bigger picture, especially those matches when the major clubs are involved. While the technology was introduced to get right calls on-field, it seems interpretations of what could be deemed at least perilously close to being hazardous tackles. In these situations, largely rest with VAR officials: sometimes to make contested calls or hold onto refereeing decisions widely thought wrong.
For more sports updates, make sure to follow us on:
