Burnley
Burnley found themselves at the center of several contentious refereeing decisions during their recent defeat to Newcastle United. The Clarets, while acknowledging their own shortcomings, felt aggrieved by some of the calls made by referee Rob Jones. Notably, Newcastle’s second goal was allowed to stand under controversial circumstances, and Joelinton avoided a second booking later in the match. These incidents were discussed on Sky Sports’ weekly Ref Watch show, where former Premier League official Dermot Gallagher offered his expert analysis.
Dermot Gallagher said: “If that’s going to be given as a foul, it has to be the referee’s choice. The first thing he will say to the VAR is ‘I don’t think there’s enough there, I think Guimaraes is standing his ground if you like, the player has gone over too easily’. That will be his call. Is it clear and obvious [error]? No.”
Jay Bothroyd said: “This is a tough one. Guimaraes is more ‘I want to get the ball’ but because he’s in the way, he has to nudge him or push him. To me, that is a foul because he’s pushed him.”
The incident in question involved Yoane Wissa’s goal, which doubled Newcastle’s lead. The goal was allowed despite a clear shove on Burnley’s Josh Laurent by Bruno Guimaraes inside the six-yard box, preventing Laurent from clearing the ball. Gallagher defended the referee’s decision, stating it wasn’t a clear and obvious error, while former striker Jay Bothroyd argued it should have been deemed a foul.
Dermot Gallagher said: “Definitely not [a red card]. A foul on the halfway line has different consequences than a foul further up the field because of the ramifications. That foul has stopped Broja getting the ball, but he is running into traffic, he does not have green space ahead of him. But further up the field, it is a totally different decision, there are too many variables.”
Jay Bothroyd added: “Not every foul is a yellow card. Joelinton is trying to anticipate he is going in a certain direction, he shows a great bit of skill and hangs a leg out, but it is not a yellow card as there are two other Newcastle players behind him and then you have the back four as well – I can’t give yellow cards for things like that.”
Later in the match, Joelinton was involved in another controversial moment when he escaped a second yellow card after fouling Armando Broja during a Burnley counterattack. Gallagher once again supported the referee’s decision, explaining that the location of the foul influenced the outcome. Bothroyd concurred, noting that not every foul warrants a yellow card, especially given the defensive cover behind Joelinton.
The analysis provided by Gallagher and Bothroyd highlights the complexities and subjective nature of refereeing decisions in football, emphasizing the challenges officials face in making split-second judgments. As Burnley reflects on their performance, the discussions surrounding these controversial calls will likely continue among fans and pundits alike.
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