Referee was right to send off Darren Fletcher, says Graham Poll. Was he?

Ex-ref says Roberto Rosetti was right to show red card to Man Utd player
00-1-thumb-425x237-88726.jpgThat’s right folks, Poll says Fletcher deserved to be sent off in last night’s CL semi. The Scot will now miss the final.
In his Daily Mail column, Poll wrote:


“Italian referee Roberto Rosetti had a fine match and can justify in law the penalty he gave after Darren Fletcher brought down Cesc Fabregas. When commentators and former players say: ‘He got the ball, it can’t be a foul,’ they are wrong.
“Even though Fletcher got a slight touch on the ball, Rosetti felt it was impossible for the Manchester United midfielder to avoid taking his opponent in the follow-through. Therefore, he had no option but to dismiss the Scot.”

Well, Mr “I once showed a player three yellow cards in the same match” Poll, the law is an ass, and so are you. Rosetti had the option of using common sense. Fletcher and Fabregas got tangled up, but the former nicked the ball and that has to be defined as a fair tackle, every time.
Don’t you think? Vote below…

Posted in Arsenal, Champions League, Man Utd

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7 Comments

  1. Kipp says:

    You get caught up in the whole “from behind” aspect of the tackle, he got the ball oh yes, but “from behind”. Which as far as my knowledge of the game is usually illegal, how and ever i feel that when playing the game myself, you make a tackle like that, get the ball and a mere tangle of legs. You know there and then it was legitimate. Cesc didn’t feel it was a penalty, not in the Andrei Arshavin waggling of fingers way, but that’s twice in two games for Arsenal. Perhaps the lesson is, don’t let Arsenal in behind you

  2. Kipp says:

    Oh and sorry for the double post but Poll in the Daily Mail. Made for each other. Useless.

  3. J.B. says:

    The law is an ass? Is that what you say to policeman when they pull you over? It’s a penalty, get over it. Plain and simple. It’s arguable that Cesc would have been able to regain control anyway had he not be brought down, that excuse enough. Being he was the last man, and stopped a legitimate scoring chance, a straight red. Deal with it.

  4. Niall says:

    Well, Poll didn’t say Fletcher deserved it at all. He said the ref had no choice but to send him off, which is true.
    The game does not stop when Fletcher nicks the ball away, so the foul is still a foul whether he touches it or not. Rosetti had no choice because refs are obliged to follow the guidelines about the last man foul denying a goal.
    So, it was a foul that was clumsy at worst, but the excessive double punishment stinks. The pen was right, but refs should be able to use their discretion in these situations, but they can’t.
    BTW, I am a United fan, but this ‘he got the ball’ rubbish bugs the hell out of me. :)

  5. Greg Taylor says:

    If the law is an ass, and every referee who has made a mistake in his life is such an ass, make up your own game, this post has made me regret coming back to read the pies, this is ridiculously stupid, I will give you this warning, never bad mouth the laws of the game, you play the game, you are bound by them, and never diss a referee, people know Poll gave three yellow cards, get the fcuk over it. Infantile losers

  6. Mark says:

    As far as I can see, the only controversy is that the red card went against United. Had Gibbs brought down Ronaldo in identical fashion, Ronaldo would have given birth from the force of his appeals to the ref, Gibbs would have been dismissed and we would never have heard of it again.
    Did you see the red card awarded to Abidal vs Chelsea? Ludicrous. I don’t know why ManU think they are entitled to special treatment. The ref’s decision does not need justification. Fletcher was sent off because he slaughtered Fabregas. That is a red.

  7. fourstar says:

    “…the former nicked the ball and that has to be defined as a fair tackle, every time.”
    Incorrect. Read the rules again.
    His intent was clearly to deny a goalscoring opportunity, from behind, taking the opponents legs so that even if he didn’t get much on the ball (which he didn’t) Fabregas would not have been able to continue his run.
    It’s a penalty and a sending off and whilst I feel for Fletcher, why did he feel the need to make the challenge? They were 3-0 up and going through anyway. It was a brainless tackle to make, Van Der Sar was already rushing out to meet the attacker head on.
    Sorry. Sad for him but the ref got it right.

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