talkSPORT EXAMINE whether Enzo Fernandez should have been SENT OFF for PUSH on the referee!
talkSPORT debates whether Enzo Fernandez should have been sent off for pushing the referee
After a brief mention of Michael Carrick confirming Martinez in the Manchester United squad, the show focuses on Enzo Fernandez pushing the referee in the PSG match. Former Premier League referee Graeme Scott explains referee positioning and the threshold for punishment, arguing there was mitigation and it did not look like a red-card offence, though Fernandez should have shown remorse.
- Can understand Fernandez wanting to move the referee out of the way — The referee was blocking his run to the ball, so Fernandez was trying to say “get out of my way.”
- There is no perfect position for a referee, and this time he was in Fernandez’s way — Modern referees are told to stay closer to the action to judge technical decisions like penalties, but the trade-off is that they can block passing lanes; that gives the player some sympathy.
- Fernandez should have shown contrition or tried to make peace with the referee — He kept on his path and put his hands out, and the referee cannot see behind him, so the player needed to rebuild the relationship.
- The incident should not be described as lashing out — Fernandez did not divert his path into the referee or drop his shoulder into him, and his hands may have been out to protect himself or brake.
- Fernandez has quite a bit of mitigation — He stayed on his running line rather than changing direction to hit the referee or dropping his shoulder, and his hands may have been used to protect himself or brake.
- It did not feel like a red-card offence to him — Players occasionally bump into referees, and it is usually a bit of fault on both sides before everyone moves on.
- Referees should be praised when they perform well — Without positive feedback, refereeing becomes an impossible job.
Graham Scott joins Max Scott and Andy Jacobs to discuss Enzo Fernandez's push on Sven Jablonski during Manchester City vs PSG. Subscribe: https://youtube.com/c/talkSPORT?subconfirmation=1 🏆 Ready to win? Check out the latest prizes at talkSPORTwin.com Enjoyed this YouTube video? 😍 🖥️ talkSPORT's Website: https://talksport.com/ 📲 talkSPORT's X/Twitter: https://x.com/talkSPORT 📷 talkSPORT's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talksport/?hl=en 👤 talkSPORT's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/talkSPORT/ 📱 talkSPORT's Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talksport ? 🔴 Download the talkSPORT app HERE! - https://talksport.com/apps/ 🔎 Want to see if you feature on our YouTube channel? Check out our Best talkSPORT callers playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFVMnSsi04LGLa9pS9xDvme-Gjmlu2 mancity psg ucl talkSPORT PremierLeague
Transcript
You're listening to Scott and Jacobs here on Talk Sport. We're with you through till 4. We've just had the breaking news. Michael Carrick confirming that Landro Martinez will be in the United squad to face leads. We'll hear from Andy Mitten and Mickey Gray. Talk a little bit about that and look ahead to a big game for Manchester United at the weekend. Big game for Michael Carrick. Uh but we are crossing Manchester to s Manchester City. No, not the charges, but some on the field incident which has kind of caught fire really on social media. And this is Enzo Fernandez who pushed referee Sven Yublonsky in their loss to PSG. Fernandez was running towards the ball. The ref blocked him. >> Yeah, he was in the way. >> Yeah, he was in the way. So, Fernandez sort of properly pushed him, didn't chase a loose ball, but kind of says, "Get out my way." Which I can kind of understand. Um, and to join us to talk about the sort of rules and regs around this and what should or shouldn't have happened, is a friend of the show, former Premier League referee Graeme Scott. Good afternoon, Graeme. How you doing? >> Good afternoon. It looked like a charge to me, but [laughter] uh >> yeah, I mean, look, there was a level of aggression. You know, we see this happen every now and again and players kind of just try and try and shimmy the ref out the way. This was a proper push. Um you I've seen on on on Twitter, you've kind of described the laws around this. Can you just give us the context around why the referee was in this position in the first place? Yeah. So they've they've changed the referee's positions or they tried to persuade the ref to change to take up different positions in the last few seasons and that's reflects the way the teams are playing now. So they we used to stand further back. We used to stand and keep everyone keep many players in front of us, the ball in front of us and now they're running past the ball often and getting into position on the edge of the area where they're in in the thick of the action. Yeah, >> it means they're better placed when there is a penalty decision and often those are quite technical and in fact in this game the referee made a very good judgment that a PSG player just got a toe on the ball and didn't concede didn't award a penalty rightly because he was in in that position but it also there's a there's a trade-off always and there's no perfect place for us and here he he is in the way and I loathe to say too much sympathy for the player here but I have got quite a bit I think I he is in the way and he inevitably um the pass is the pass that the city want to make. Um obviously it's disappointing that Fernandez kept on that path and didn't even try and get out of the way and indeed >> put his hands out whether that's to protect himself or to push the ref over only he knows. And I'd have liked to have seen a bit of contrition and a bit of a, you know, sorry ref, >> but you were in the way. Even something that just kind of tried to build the relationship back up because contrary to popular rel uh belief, refs don't have eyes in the backs of their heads. So, he does he might have heard him coming, but he wouldn't have seen him. So, there's not much the ref can do there, unfortunately. >> It's interesting you make that point, Graeme, because Michael Oliver has been struck by the ball, I can think of four occasions this season, which is unusual for him. And that must be a similar thing, isn't it? >> It is. You I mean it depend. Usually you can keep out of the way because you can the play is quite predictable. Um especially when when team like City where they pass the ball around the area, you can generally can avoid it. Salt just seems to follow you. Um other refs have had this a couple years ago. There's another ref where he got just kept getting hit and we you know even between us he's just being unlucky. Um and that can happen. Um, but it's that kind of it's that trying to find that perfect balance, that sweet spot between being close to the action. It'll be too close. You want to be about 10 15 yards from a tackle normally to judge it properly, but not being in the way of the of the passing lanes and and of players who are trying to take up different positions. So, the refs now are taught to scan. So they look to keep your keep moving your head, keep moving your eyes, keep being look over your shoulder, check your shoulder both sides all the time and you see them doing that and then they make micro movements to try and keep out of the way. >> U but it is it's always tricky. Um and players generally are very good about it. They understand we've got to be on the field and we've got to be somewhere. I know of course the other night the ref was wearing quite a bright yellow. I mean I think we could probably >> probably see him. >> Enzo would have known he was he was there. he wouldn't have needed. He would it would have been in his peripheral vision at the very least. >> So is the reason that he that he wasn't sanctioned precisely because there's kind of acknowledgement from V or referees in general that the ref has to be in that position and that look this is a a passionate player in a heightened environment very competitive in the moment and he kind of lashes out a little bit and so is there that kind of mitigating circumstances? >> I think I wouldn't describe as lashing out. I think it I think is I guess it's the same threshold as we always have which is is it an obvious act by Fernandez and I think he's got quite a bit of mitigation that look I was running on that path. I didn't divert my path into the ref >> and I didn't then drop my shoulder into him. I guess I put he did put his hands out but as I said earlier I think we can >> is that to stop yourself. Yeah >> exactly. or is he using him [clears throat] using them as a break and actually helping >> maybe mitigate maybe make that impact less, >> you know, [clears throat] who knows? Um it but it didn't feel to me like a I mean I I have had a player run into me and I thought afterwards I didn't like that. I was very suspicious. [laughter] >> Um but every now and again you do bump into people and it's usually a little bit of fall on both sides and you move on. >> It's very interesting. The other day finally I was singing the praises of a ref on the show and >> goodness me. >> Yes, I know. I thought he had a particularly good game and made a particularly good decision and it came back to me that he'd heard this and was quite appreciative and I think that is an important thing is it that you do need when refs do well you do need to say this otherwise it does become like an impossible job. >> Yeah, there's a book out right now by by William Rollston called the the impossible job and um very good it is too. It's it's we don't do it for the for the for the feedback, for the positive feedback. If we did, we'd be choosing a different profession, I'm sure. But it is it does help. And it does, you know, it also encourages people to maybe Actually, it's not that bad a job. It is worth a go. It's actually quite enjoyable most of the time, believe it or not. >> Oh yeah, man. What a view you've got. >> You have the best seat in the house. >> Absolutely. >> Graeme, thank you so much for joining us. Fascinating stuff really cuz it's it's kind of that stuff you would you don't really think about. The referees are being told to be in a certain position and you kind of take it. >> That's what I like Graeme. He gives you no >> at all. Take care. Absolute pleasure. >> Lot of insight there.