Surprise surprise: Dermot Gallagher has shocking take on Jacob Ramsey red card incident on Sky Sports Ref Watch
Just when we thought that common sense had prevailed in the world of football punditry following Jacob Ramsey's red card for Newcastle United last night, in comes former referee Dermot Gallagher and his dopey sidekick to ruin it.
Jacob Ramsey was dismissed for a second yellow card in the game against Manchester United last night. With the game rapidly approaching half-time, Jacob Ramsey was through on goal when Man United goalkeeper Senne Lammens came off his line to close down the Toon midfielder.
Anticipating contact, Ramsey knocked the ball to the side and jumped the challenge. No contact game, but Ramsey had already adjusted his body, and that led to an awkward landing, which saw Ramsey fall to the floor.
Ramsey just lay on the turf, didn't appeal in any way, but Peter Bankes produced a yellow card. Ramsey had already been booked for a pull on Casemiro, so the former Aston Villa man was given his marching orders. It was a very harsh decision, and so said every commentator and pundit who covered the incident last night.
Dermot Gallagher and Jay Bothroyd need to take a time out
Enter Toot and Ploot. Sky Sports duo of numpties who cover refereeing decisions as part of their Ref Watch segment. Former referee Dermot Gallagher and ex-striker Jay Bothroyd, who both say the referee got it right.
INCIDENT: Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe thought it was a poor decision by referee Peter Bankes to send Jacob Ramsey off for diving, after showing him a second yellow.
DERMOT SAYS: "I back the referee because of the angle. Does he have to do that? Is he caught? No. He goes down so far after the incident has happened, and I don't think he needs to.
"I would also suggest that if he hadn't have got a yellow card for that, people would be screaming and saying we don't want diving. So Peter Bankes has taken positive action, so back him."
BOTHROYD SAYS: "I do think it is [a dive]. When you see Ramsey, he starts clutching at his leg like he's been kicked and he hasn't been touched. He's looking for a penalty which means it's a dive."
Jay Bothroyd's take is even worse than that of Dermot Gallagher
We can sort of get where Gallagher is coming from to a degree, if we're being fair and removing our biased specs. There likely would have been those wondering where the booking was if they felt it was a dive, and with VAR currently unable to rule on second yellows, the referee had to make a call and that call sticks.
It was the wrong call, though, and we will die on this hill.
But for Jay Bothroyd, someone who has actually played the game to have that take, that's absolute madness. But he has never come across as the sharpest bulb in the shed since he took over from Steven Warnock.
