Former Premier League referee and Sky Sports expert Dermot Gallagher has claimed that Newcastle United midfielder Jonjo Shelvey should have been sent off for his challenge on Paul Pogba on Wednesday night.
The Magpies man raked Pogba’s thigh with his studs in his team’s 2-0 defeat to the Red Devils, but only a free kick was awarded in United’s favour.
Gallagher believes that there should have been a harsher punishment for the former Swansea City ace: “It’s a red card because he’s high, he’s come with force, and the point of contact is just too much, it’s gone down his leg,” he told Sky Sports.
“The referee is behind Shelvey so whether his body has shielded him I don’t know. He’s given a free-kick so the argument would be no [retrospective action].”
OPINION
It wasn’t the best challenge from Shelvey, was it, let’s be fair. Any time you arrive late with your studs up you’re in trouble and the Newcastle man must have been thanking his lucky stars that he didn’t receive a sterner punishment during the game. Even better, because the referee saw the incident he can’t be penalised retrospectively. It’s a funny old system but it’s one that the FA has stuck to for some time now. You could see how upset Pogba was by the challenge and you can’t really blame him with this one. Shelvey did rake his thigh and the Frenchman had every right to be frustrated by both the incident itself and the referee’s decision to only give a free kick. Shelvey needs to use this as a learning experience and ensure that he’s not as cavalier where his studs are concerned next time, because he was lucky to avoid being sent off here.
