You simply can’t keep Dean out of the action!
Ref returns from break and straight back into controversy with two handballs, VAR and a red
ALL referee Mike Dean would have wanted on his Premier League return, having faced death threats, was a quiet afternoon at Turf Moor without any major decisions to make.
Unfortunately, football doesn’t work like that and the official was inevitably the centre of attention again as two struggling teams battled in blustery conditions.
Dean has had a rough time recently and missed last weekend’ s games after showing red cards to Jan Bednarek and Thomas Soucek which led to abuse for the referee and his family.
The last thing he needed after half an hour, therefore, was for Conor Gallagher’s loose pass to allow Matej Vydra a run on goal and for his flick past last man Semi Ajayi to hit the Albion defender on the hand. Dean didn’t blow his whistle but Stockley Park asked him to look at the monitor.
There was no doubt Ajayi handled the ball but the referee had to decide whether there was intent and if it denied Vydra a clear scoring opportunity, 40 yards from goal.
With all eyes on him, Dean produced his fourth red card in three games and, given his recent history, it was to Albion’s credit they didn’t mount huge protests over the first dismiss sal of A jay i’ s career, even if they felt it was harsh.
It wasn’t the end of the referee’s stress, however. At the start of the second half, Albion’s Kyle Bartley handled in the box with an outstretched arm as Burnley howled their protests.
Again, Dean was unmoved and this time, surprisingly, there was no request to check his screen. If Albion rode their luck there, they deserved at least a point for a spirited showing with only 10 men.
Manager Sam Allardyce could easily have been celebrating his second win in 13 games and his players did not look like a side who are 11 points from safety.
The West Brom boss said: ‘I am definitely optimistic we will get more positive than negative results. I think if we get eight or nine clean sheets we will be fine.
‘We got our first one today and that is the backbone for any side who wants to get out of trouble. The team is looking stronger with the four signings we made in January. It was one of the best 10-men performances I’ve seen.’
On the subject of the sending off, Allardyce reflected: ‘Everybody will say with today’s s rules he’s got to send him off. Who knows if it was a goalscoring chance e 50 metres from goal?
‘If it’s in the box then fair enough, but he was 50 metres out. It was our own fault, though, it was such a sloppy pass.’
Albion striker Mbaye baye Diagne should have scored from six yards after cutting inside James T ark ow ski but hit the crossbar.
Matheus Pereira, who had gone close with a couple of long-range sighters, missed his kick when set u up by Ainsley Maitland-Niles in front of goal. When the ball fell back to the Brazilian midfielder, his shot was half- blocked by Nick Pope — Tarkowski completing the clearance with a header off the line. Burnley only mustered one shot o on target and while they still look safe for an another season in the t top flight, they also l looked uninspired. ‘ We are bitterly disappointed in the end result. We s should have had the t three points,’ added Al Allardyce. ‘W ‘ We had far greater oppor opportunities to score than them them, the goal was the only thing missing. It would have been the perfect performance with 10 men. Everything was great except our finishing.’
Dean must have appreciated the diplomacy shown by Allardyce when discussing the red card.
The referee’s decisions to send off Bednarek at Old Trafford and for Soucek’s accidental elbow playing for West Ham against Fulham were both taken after VAR consultations and both later rescinded — with managerial rebukes not helping his own situation thanks to irate fans.
Burnley boss Sean Dyche didn’t try to hide his disappointment.
‘We were miles off. We looked really flat, we had no clarity of play,’ he said. ‘When they went to 10 men we were just making unrecognisable mistakes constantly. West Brom played well, they worked hard, were frustrating and could have scored on the break. In the end, I am pleased with a point.’
The honeymoon period for Burnley’s new American owners may already be over.
Dyche didn’t strengthen his squad in January and — with a fresh crop of injuries — had only three senior outfield players on the bench yesterday alongside two goalkeepers and a group of kids.
‘We are stretched to the limit and that has showed. We do need players to get fit as that was unrecognisable. We can’t let this continue. We have asked a lot of these players, we have had injuries galore.’