Tuesday 9 May 2017 00:17, UK
Following another round of football fixtures, Ref Watch returns to debate a number of the weekend's controversial talking points.
Former top-flight official Dermot Gallagher has been in the Sky Sports News HQ studio to give his view on a number of incidents from the latest round of games.
Handballs, red cards not given, time wasting and offside goals all feature in this week's edition....
INCIDENT: Jack Stephens handles the ball in the box
SCENARIO: The Southampton centre-back scoops away Lucas Leiva's ball into the box with his arm, with referee Robert Madley pointing to the spot
DERMOT'S VERDICT: Correct decision
DERMOT SAYS: It is handball because he lifts his arm towards the ball and it is a great spot by the referee if you see where he is.
INCIDENT: Simon Mignolet handles the ball outside the area
SCENARIO: The Reds 'keeper charges off his line to clear but, under pressure from Dusan Tadic, makes contact with the ball with his hand, only for referee Madley and his assistant to judge he was inside his area.
DERMOT'S VERDICT: Wrong decision
DERMOT SAYS:
He was deliberately handling the ball outside the area, so he would have got a red card. Let's be fair here, that was difficult to spot there. The assistant is not up with play, but I really feel for him as through no fault of his own, Simon Bennett [the assistant] has had to follow that ball from 10 yards inside his own half. And when Mignolet gets to that ball, he is actually three and a half yards short of Mignolet, who is half a yard outside the penalty area. If he guesses and gets that wrong, Liverpool were down to 10 men then without a specialist goalkeeper because they had already used three subs. And so that is a situation you have to know, you cannot guess.
INCIDENT: Ryan Bertrand is booked for time wasting.
SCENARIO: The Saints left-back needlessly kicks the ball away late on at Anfield, with referee Madley booking the player.
DERMOT'S VERDICT: Correct decision
DERMOT SAYS: That was an easy decision as it was so blatant what he had done. It is the more subtle ones, like the goalkeeper chasing the ball out for a goal-kick and then slowing his run down, bringing the ball back and going from one side to the other, which is time consuming. The first thing the referee has to do is identify it [timewasting], but with a goalkeeper, I think what you have to do is set him up, unless it is a really blatant one. And by that I mean you publicly whistle and make it obvious to everybody - him, the players and everybody watching - that you are aware of what he is going to do and then the next time you take action. But you have to do it early enough - if you yellow card a goalkeeper for timewasting in the 92nd minute, he has actually won and it serves no purpose….
INCIDENT: Fraser Forster speaks to James Milner just prior to his penalty.
SCENARIO: The Saints No 1 tries to put his opponent off by embarking on some mind games in the lead-up to the Reds left-back's spot kick, with referee Madley telling the player to return to his goal line, but taking no action.
DERMOT'S VERDICT: It is unsporting behaviour
DERMOT SAYS: I think it does raise a few issues - firstly, the referee was booking Cedric Soares for dissent and then [James] Ward-Prowse sends one into the back of the net. And what happens is that because a penalty has been given, everybody is focused on that situation, rather than Forster….
INCIDENT: Hugo Lloris races off his line to clear the ball, clattering Manuel Lanzini in the process.
SCENARIO: Referee Anthony Taylor decides the Tottenham goalkeeper just about got enough on the ball outside the box, before catching his opponent, to avoid a foul and red card.
DERMOT'S VERDICT: Correct decision
DERMOT SAYS: He [Lloris] definitely plays the ball with his leg, while Lanzini has not played the ball, and one foot is planted - he is upright when he makes the challenge with his legs planted.
INCIDENT: Harry Arter goes in recklessly late on Joe Allen.
SCENARIO: The Bournemouth midfielder only gets cautioned by Paul Tierney after committing a dangerous, two-footed tackle on the Welshman.
DERMOT'S VERDICT: Wrong decision
DERMOT SAYS: I think it is a red card. The referee has not given himself the best position to see, he has not recognised that he [Arter] has come in at speed and is off the ground. If he had got a red card, then he could not have complained. I am looking at speed, intensity and the fact that he has left the ground the way he has gone in for the challenge. It is a red card, but the trouble for Paul is he just does not have the angle we have got. He has not seen it or recognised it, it might be too close, he has not seen where he has come from. But it ticks all the boxes for a red card…
INCIDENT: Jermain Defoe touches in Seb Larsson's centre.
SCENARIO: The Black Cats striker bundles the ball over the line late on at the KCOM, with the goal allowed to stand despite the player appearing to be in an offside position when the cross came in
DERMOT'S VERDICT: Wrong decision
DERMOT SAYS: This is easier to spot as it has come from the dead ball and has come earlier. It is very, very tight, although you draw the lines across the pitch and it is marginally offside.
INCIDENT: Joel Ward tangles with Gabriel Jesus at the back post
SCENARIO: The Eagles defender appears to pull the Brazilian back, but referee Michael Oliver waves play on
DERMOT'S VERDICT: Correct decision
DERMOT SAYS: No, not enough for me, both players are there and he [Gabriel] just falls back.
