Leeds United manager Daniel Farke was raging at full-time after some very questionable officiating from Peter Bankes and those in charge of VAR.
More often than not, we can dwell on refereeing howlers more so than the actual performances that are the actual reason for results not going our way.
Our performance against Manchester City, though, was superb and could have earned a draw on another day. What is obvious, though, is that Peter Bankes’ performance in the middle was not good enough whatsoever.
Should Leeds United have been awarded penalty for Matheus Nunes handball incident?
Daniel Farke’s red card after full-time was a summary of every Leeds fan’s emotion at losing 1-0 to Man City. Bankes was ready to dish out the red before Farke even got in the referee’s proximity. You’d imagine he was well aware he was going to get an aggressive earful.
Bankes inexplicably reward Man City’s time-wasting by not playing beyond the additional six minutes. But before that, Leeds were left aggrieved at two particular incidents.
First, a looping cross was turned away from danger by the flailing arm of Matheus Nunes in the second half. The North Stand appealed but Bankes waved it away and VAR didn’t intervene.
Sky Sports’ Ref Watch segment gave Dermot Gallagher the chance to run the rule over Elland Road’s flashpoints. To the surprise of no one, he sides with the officials.
“I don’t think that’s a penalty but Ruben Dias in front of him is very, very lucky,” Gallagher said, via the YEP. “He’s got his hand so far in the air that if it strikes his hand he’s got no argument whatsoever and it would be a penalty. But I don’t think the one that Peter Bankes waves away is.”
Why wasn’t Rayan Cherki red carded for stamping on Ilia Gruev?
Another talking point was Ilia Gruev left writhing on the turf after Rayan Cherki was seen stepping on the Bulgarian during a stoppage in play.
During the replays, it looks very clear that Cherki makes a movement to intentionally stand on Gruev’s leg, before strolling off.
There wasn’t an aggressive ‘stamp’ from the Frenchman. That is what Gallagher and Jay Bothroyd believe spared Cherki from a red card for violent conduct.
“I agree and that one there, I think that’s why Farke was upset because there were some decisions that could have arguably gone in Leeds’ way and they didn’t,” Bothroyd began.
“I’m not sure. I don’t like to profile but Cherki doesn’t strike me as the kind pf person that wants to get a sly dig in there. I genuinely think he’s knocked the ball away and he’s put his foot back to sprint, as you do and obviously he’s caught him in his leg. I didn’t think that was intentional me.”
“I think the other thing is there’s no intensity whatsoever,” Gallagher responded. “You can see that he is almost trying to start his run, he doesn’t come down in anger, he doesn’t come down with malice.”
To me, it’s plainly obvious Cherki moves to step on Gruev. He could have put his foot anywhere else, but stands on him and then doesn’t apologise.
If you stand on someone by accident, you know you’ve made a mistake and you’d turn to apologise. If you’re doing it on purpose, you don’t apologise.
0% Love 0% Funny 0% Wow 0% Sad 0% Angry
Post navigation