Bruno Fernandes was denied a free-kick in the build-up to Che Adams’ goal in Manchester United’s clash with Southampton on Saturday, much to the frustration of the midfielder and the travelling supporters at St Mary’s.
Fernandes was booked for his protests after a strong but seemingly fair challenge from Jack Stephens, which led to Fred’s own goal, deflecting a shot from Che Adams.
United’s players were still remonstrating with referee Craig Pawson as they walked down the tunnel at half-time but former midfielder and Sky Sports pundit Roy Keane was more preoccupied with the defending of Fred and team-mate Harry Maguire in the aftermath of the Fernandes challenge.
“I don’t think it was a foul,” said Keane. “Fernandes probably should have got his body across more. But the frustrating bit was what happened afterwards. Maguire and Fred have to do better.
“Fred… as a midfielder, when someone comes into your area, you have to be ready to nail him. Fred just dangled a leg. He’s unlucky with the deflection but he has to do better.”
Fellow pundit Graeme Souness disagreed though
“[Stephens] comes across him, his right thigh against the left thigh of Fernandes,” Souness said. “I think there’s so much contact there, I think it’s a foul.”
United had looked reasonably comfortable leading up to the goal, having themselves already hit the crossbar through Harry Maguire and seen Anthony Martial’s rebound cleared off the line by Mohammed Salisu. The visitors hadn’t looked particularly threatened by Southampton but were undone in a flash.
It was a deep-lying Fernandes who received the ball facing his own goal on the left flank and, as he sought to turn, was shut down by Stephens who came in from the side to dispossess the Portugal international. The challenge left the ever-animated Fernandes in a heap protesting to the referee, as Stephens’ pass inside eventually came to Evans, who clipped home via a deflection off Fred that wrong-footed De Gea.
United were incensed but referee Pawson waved away the protests and in eventually booked Fernandes for his persistence, with the visitors demanding the referee consult VAR.
However, one of the new regulations that has come into play for the Premier League season is a change in how VAR is implemented. Whereas in the past two campaigns incidents in the build-up to goals would be immediately checked by the video referee, there is now more emphasis on the on-field official overseeing what are termed “trivial offences”. Likewise, the benefit of the doubt in decisions of interpretation are supposed to be given to the attacking player.
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3z9U7Ws
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