Dermot Gallagher had a lot to analyze from Nottingham Forest’s weekend game in the recent segment of Sky Sports’ Ref Watch.
The former referee turned pundit was asked to share his thoughts on the incidents that took place at Goodison Park on Sunday, particularly concerning Nottingham Forest’s apparent denial of three penalties. This led to reactions from the club, manager Nuno Espirito Santo, defender Neco Williams, and consultant Mark Clattenburg, which in turn received significant backlash from the football community.
Both the Premier League and Football Association have initiated investigations, possibly resulting in penalties for any misconduct. Meanwhile, pundits like Gary Neville and Alan Shearer have also expressed strong opinions.
In a more composed setting, Gallagher was asked for his expert assessment on three specific incidents involving Ashley Young from Everton. He was questioned about how many of these incidents he believed the officials got correct.
Regarding the penalty incident involving Ashley Young and Giovanni Reyna, Gallagher expressed his view that it was not a penalty.
He emphasized that the referee had an ideal vantage point and noted that while there was contact, not all contact constitutes a foul. Gallagher highlighted the importance of not overly sanitizing the game, where every bit of physical contact is deemed a foul. Despite being pressed twice on the matter, Gallagher maintained his stance that there was contact but not enough to warrant a penalty.
“In the last three or four weeks, we’ve seen a slight shift in as much as physical contact. There has been a higher threshold, which I think is better. Earlier in the season the tolerance level was too low – there were penalties given that people were like ‘is that enough?’
“I think as referees have got used to it, they’ve gone ‘yeah, people are happy with this, people are not happy with this’, and I think we’re in a better place. That sits in line with what we’ve seen in the last month, certainly.”
Gallagher believes: “This is the most difficult call, I think. Is his arm there because he’s running? Is he too close? All kinds of things [to consider].
“I think he’d be very, very harshly treated if a penalty was given like that, but that said we’ve seen – certainly in the SPL [Scottish Premier League] – everything like that is given. In the Premier League the referee thinks no, he thinks he’s too close, thinks he’s running in a natural position.
“I think it is a decision that could have gone either way.”
Gallagher believes that the incident involving an arm potentially obstructing the ball is the most challenging call. He notes that various factors need consideration, such as whether the arm’s position is due to running and if the player is too close to the ball. Gallagher mentions that in leagues like
the Scottish Premier League (SPL), such situations often result in penalties being awarded, but in the Premier League, the referee’s perspective might differ. He concludes that it’s a decision that could have swung either way.