Morgan Gibbs-White was sent off after two yellow cards for Nottingham Forest versus Brighton, with Alan Shearer discussing the issue with Gary Lineker and Shay Given afterwards.
Alan Shearer feels Morgan Gibbs-White can have ‘no complaints’ about his controversial sending off for Nottingham Forest against Brighton, but Gary Lineker disagrees, claiming the challenge might have earned a straight red card.
Sunday’s 2-2 draw with the Seagulls on the South Coast devolved into a frenzy in the dying minutes as Gibbs-White made a challenge on forward Joao Pedro. His sliding tackle not only won the ball, but it also took a chunk out of the man.
Referee Rob Jones used his hands to indicate that he agreed the skipper had fairly taken the ball, but then chose to administer a second yellow card, and eventually a red card, to the player. Nuno Espirito Santo, the Forest manager, and his Brighton counterpart, Fabian Hurzeler, were both sent to the stands following their complaints.
When asked to summarize his thoughts on BBC’s Match of the Day 2, Shearer responded: “Yeah, there is no doubt [it warranted the sending off]; he’s on a yellow card, isn’t he?” I understand he gets some of the ball, but he also gets a lot of the opposing player. “I think it’s dangerous.”
However, the former striker said he understood why Jones contradicted his initial belief that the ball had been won. Noting that VAR could not intervene in this event, he delegated the final judgment to fourth official Anthony Taylor, who would have had the best view and been in contact with the on-field referee.
“The referee says he receives the ball first and foremost through his actions, his hands; he makes that gesture, doesn’t he? However, while the VAR cannot intervene, the fourth official can, and Anthony Taylor will undoubtedly inform him that his initial impression was incorrect and that tackle merited a yellow card. It’s the correct decision.
Co-pundit Shay Given concurred, saying: “I think it’s the right decision, but the referee did say he got the ball, so there’s some confusion, and obviously both managers were sent off as a result.” I believe Anthony Taylor, the fourth official, made the decision for the referee, but in the end he made the correct judgment.”
Later, Gary Lineker interviewed Shearer about the sending off on The Rest is Football podcast. This time, he responded, “No, I don’t think he can [complain], that was the right decision. Dangerous tackle; that should have been a straight red!”
“Not quite, I don’t think,” Lineker said. “I think it was a yellow.”
Finally, backtracking, Shearer clarified: “It would have been one of those if it had been reversed, but when you’re on a yellow card and put in a tackle like that, no complaints whatsoever.”
The 24-year-old is now set to miss Forest’s next Premier League game against Fulham on Saturday.
