THREE RASH CHALLENGES THAT WOULD BE RED AT WORLD CUP
ToTTenham hoTspur, purveyors of a beautiful brand of football, also have a real edge and it’s their english players who provide this steel.
In their attempt to stop the irresistible force that is champions-elect manchester City, they put in two challenges which, taken in isolation, were both worthy of red cards.
Watching the game in its entirety — with access to every angle inside seconds — there was never a feeling that spurs were trying to stop City with brute force. The poor challenges were isolated and the referee was in control.
however, looking at still images of the three big challenges would tend to suggest all could, or even should, have resulted in dismissals.
and if these challenges are committed in russia next summer, the FIFa referees committee will expect them to receive the ultimate sanction.
reviewing a five- second replay of each, I would expect all three to be sent off. however, within the context of a pulsating game it is my belief that only one player should have been dismissed. and it is not because the player has ‘history’ or a reputation for having a nasty edge. here they are in escalating order:
NICOLAS OTAMENDI ON HARRY KANE
FACT: otamendi kicks Kane in the head. his foot is six feet in the air and he endangers his opponent’s safety. CONTEXT: I understand Craig pawson (left) seeing this as a genuine attempt to play the ball and otamendi does not have any force going through the challenge, hence the benefit of the doubt as he escapes with a yellow.
HARRY KANE ON RAHEEM STERLING
FACT: Kane overstretches to reach the ball and catches sterling on the ankle with his studs.
CONTEXT: another genuine attempt to play the ball and as Kane’s boot is outstretched there is no power, intensity or followthrough on the tackle. Kane’s reaction is one of instant regret and apology. sterling gets up quickly, perhaps helping pawson to settle on a yellow.
DELE ALLI ON KEVIN DE BRUYNE
FACT: alli goes over the top and treads on De Bruyne’s ankle.
CONTEXT: seeing De Bruyne coming into a challenge with him, alli lifts his foot over the ball, perhaps to roll it away from the Belgian. however, he only skims the ball and his studs come down on De Bruyne’s ankle — with body weight adding intensity to the contact. It’s a nasty one which must be a red card.
DOES THE TYPE OF PLAYER AFFECT A REFEREE?
harry Kane and Dele alli are different types of player. one appears to be a gentle, caring sort, the other one is aggressive with a real edge. I don’t believe referees take these differences into account when assessing the severity of a challenge.
If it’s a clear and obvious red card, it doesn’t matter who makes the foul. however, where doubt exists the human aspect does come in to it — allowing a ‘good guy’ to escape with a yellow but not a habitual ‘bad boy’. I was given this advice by a senior ueFa referees committee member: ‘never give a villain a second chance. he’ll abuse the privilege.’
DOES THE MOOD OF THE MATCH MATTER?
It doesn’t matter what time in the game an offence takes place but the ‘temperature’ of the game does affect a referee. If studs are flying and tempers fraying, a poor challenge is rightly more likely to result in a red card than the same tackle in a goodnatured, clean encounter.
That’s what I mean by context. Don’t get me wrong — a two-footed horror tackle must result in a red card. But referees have latitude with certain challenges. That’s why human beings who understand football are given the decisions to make, rather than cameras with telephoto lenses.
I hope that continues even with the introduction of the Var (video assistant referee). mind you, if you want black-and-white consistency across all games, you probably want replays to decide the outcome of every incident. If that ever happens, I’ll stop watching football.