Leeds United manager Daniel Farke was booked for his protests following the challenge.
Dermot Gallagher, a former Premier League referee, believes Ben Whiteman ought to have been sent off during the first half of his Preston North End team’s 1-1 draw with Leeds United on Saturday.
After a hard challenge saw Whiteman follow through on Jayden Bogle just outside the area, the midfielder appeared to be in serious trouble. Whiteman was first booked for hauling down Brenden Aaronson to halt a Leeds counterattack. Referee John Busby was promptly called for a second yellow after blowing up for a free-kick.
To the annoyance of Daniel Farke and his team, however, he decided not to dismiss Whiteman after speaking with both the opposition captain and Pascal Struijk. At halftime, Paul Heckingbottom replaced his captain, which was as obvious a clue as any that he had gotten away with it.
Gallagher told Ref Watch on Sky Sports, “I think the only certainty here is that the player has to leave the field one way or another.” That, in my opinion, is a red card in and of itself. Although the referee believed he didn’t catch him, I believe he did. He misreads it, I believe. He must be sent away.
Heckingbottom, the manager of Preston, acknowledged that his captain might have easily been reprimanded for the challenge on Bogle and chose to substitute him during the half knowing that he would almost probably be fired for another infraction. The possibility of an early soaking was so great that the former Whites manager even contemplated an instant substitution.
The decision, which came only two weeks after Tyrhys Dolan of Blackburn Rovers avoided a straight red card during a 1-0 home victory at Ewood Park, left Leeds feeling disgruntled. After Whiteman’s tackle and a run-in with one of Preston’s backroom staff, Farke was booked. The Whites manager did not criticize the referee in general, but he did point out another crucial mistake.
“I don’t want to judge the referee today, I rate him as a referee and have a good relationship with him, I won’t judge publicly,” stated Farke. “There was a circumstance where Whiteman was on a yellow and there was a brutal tackle with a straight leg, and I was irritated by the yellow against myself. At least it was a foul, a yellow. Paul, an experienced manager who understands what he needs to do, replaced him at halftime. I’m not alleging that he was sent off after the game.
However, is it okay for me to discuss why it’s not at least a yellow with the fourth official? It would have been a game-changing moment if we had faced ten. I don’t mind if we argue with Paul or the fourth official, but I’ve never had the experience of someone from the opposing team trying to get me to leave when I want to speak with a fourth official. This struck me as disrespectful.
Leave a Comment