Paul Tierney finds himself in the middle of the Chelsea huddle.placeholder image
Paul Tierney finds himself in the middle of the Chelsea huddle. | Getty Images
Liam Rosenior said that he would be speaking to the PGMOL about the new Chelsea huddle.
Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has given his take on a head-turning moment that occurred prior to the meeting between Chelsea and Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge on Saturday night.
Liam Rosenior’s side have started a new tradition of huddling around the ball in the centre circle prior to kick-off in recent weeks. The Blues players went to do that prior to the 1-0 defeat but found Paul Tierney at the centre of the huddle.
The referee refused to budge and Chelsea were forced to have their talk with the official stood in the middle of the circle in a comical affair. Speaking after the game, Rosenior had criticised Tierney for how he handled the moment.
However, speaking on Sky Sports segment Ref Watch, Gallagher viewed Chelsea as much to blame as the referee, suggesting that the London outfit should choose to have their pre-match tradition in another location.
‘I Think Not’: Dermot Gallagher drops verdict on new Chelsea huddle
Gallagher said: “I couldn’t believe it, honestly. I get it, they want to show they’re together and bond before the game. Do they have to do it there? I see no need for it. He doesn’t have to stand there and they don’t.
“I see teams do it all the time, do they have to do it there? If you want to show bonding and that you’re together, great. But do you have to do it on the centre spot? I think not.”
Speaking after the defeat, Rosenior admitted that Tierney had brought up the huddle in a pre-match conversation with his assistant. The Chelsea boss said: "I'm disappointed. There's more focus and emphasis on the things that don't matter.
"I'm going to make it really clear. I want to protect my players. I'm respectful to the game. My players made the decision that they wanted to be around the ball, to respect the ball and show unity and leadership.
"That is not my decision. That was a decision between the leadership group and the team. There is nothing that they're doing with that huddle that is disrespectful to the opposition."
Rosenior went on to say that he would be talking to the PGMOL about the moment, but had not had a direct conversation with Tierney. He explained: "I didn't speak to Paul today or his officials. I thought it wasn't the right thing to do today. But I'll be speaking to PGMOL.
"I'll be speaking to the refs and just trying to get an understanding of why that happened today. We were told in the rule book it's about timing. You can be where you want on timing. I just want to find a solution to this because we're actually talking about something that's nowhere near as important as what's happening on the pitch."
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