Sam Allardyce was left frustrated by a penalty that never was in the first half of West Brom’s defeat to Everton on Thursday evening.
Sam Allardyce said
“I should be smiling, but sadly I’m disappointed for my players, Hard done by, yes, but most of it is our own fault. Obviously some of it is the officials not giving us a penalty in the first few minutes. The tackle from Mason Holgate on Mbaye…I’ve been watching football while VAR has come in I’ve seen 50-60 penalties given for less than that. Next week I’ll see two penalties given for similar incidents and it boils down to the lack of consistency. There was contact on his leg, no contact on the ball. It brings the players down and low and behold it doesn’t even go to VAR where the referee is told to have a look at it. VAR is not making life consistent.”
“I should be smiling, but sadly I’m disappointed for my players, Hard done by, yes, but most of it is our own fault. Obviously some of it is the officials not giving us a penalty in the first few minutes. The tackle from Mason Holgate on Mbaye…I’ve been watching football while VAR has come in I’ve seen 50-60 penalties given for less than that. Next week I’ll see two penalties given for similar incidents and it boils down to the lack of consistency. There was contact on his leg, no contact on the ball. It brings the players down and low and behold it doesn’t even go to VAR where the referee is told to have a look at it. VAR is not making life consistent.”Diagne had moments earlier been denied by Jordan Pickford as Albion started brightly. They finished the game strongly too, but the weary Toffees clung on at the end with the aid of the official’s judgement. Now all roads lead to Newcastle United, who become the Baggies’ third opponents at The Hawthorns in the space of eight days when they visit on Sunday.
Allardyce has urged his players to maintain these performance levels.
Sam Allardyce said “It’s a massive set-back for us. A massive disappointment,”
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Sam Allardyce said “The players in the dressing room know they shouldn’t have lost this game. We have to take a lot of the blame ourselves for not taking more opportunities or finishing more opportunities. But on the other side, Everton are riding high and they created little or no chances. The goal was only half a chance, Richarlison just made sure it was his header and goal, and not our lads putting their body on the line. Then we scored a great goal, and it was half a toenail offside sadly. If you’re on the right side of that it brings you points, if you’re on the wrong side you lose points.”
Albion offered up another enthusiastic showing throughout without being able to properly punish their visitors, and rather inevitably the quality of the away outfit eventually told and Richarlison nicked the winner after the hour mark. Albion of course did have the ball in the net in stoppage time when Mbaye Diagne converted, but the offside flag was quickly raised and VAR sided with the linesman to break home hearts. Allardyce, though, was more aggrieved with the penalty appeals that were waved away by referee Darren England in the opening exchanges when Diagne was seemingly felled in the area.
