Ref Watch: Celtic, Rangers, Nottingham Forest and Liverpool controversy analysed by Dermot Gallagher

Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher dissects the flashpoints from the weekend’s Scottish Premiership, Premier League and WSL action…

‘Iwata handball harsh – but officials are consistent’

INCIDENT: Following a lengthy VAR review, Hearts were awarded a penalty against Celtic when the ball came down onto the arm of Tomoki Iwata as he rose amid a cluster of bodies to try to head the ball out of his box.

DERMOT SAYS: “I think it’s harsh but we’ve seen this in the Scottish league all season. The one thing they’ve been consistent about, any incident like that has been penalised. Harsh, very unlucky, but to their credit, every single one like that they’ve given.”

STEPHEN WARNOCK SAYS: “That’s a bad decision.”

SUE SMITH SAYS: “I don’t know what he’s supposed to do with his arm. I don’t like that decision at all.”

‘Celtic penalty should have been a Hearts free-kick!’

INCIDENT: Celtic are awarded a penalty for Alex Cochrane’s challenge on Hyun-Jun Yang.

DERMOT SAYS: “Extremely harsh. I thought it was a foul the other way. Cochrane was in front so I find it hard to see how he commits a foul. The Celtic player goes into Cochrane.”

‘Yang red harsh but correct’

INCIDENT: Celtic’s Hyun-Jun Yang was sent off for a high boot on Alex Cochrane.

DERMOT SAYS: “I think the player is unlucky but it is a red card. He has no idea where the player is, he’s genuinely going for the ball but if you catch a player in the face with your studs it’s going to be a red card.”

STEPHEN WARNOCK SAYS: “Red? No.”

‘Casey deserved red for McCausland tackle’

INCIDENT: Rangers were unhappy there was no card for Motherwell’s Dan Casey after a challenge on Ross McCausland which took him out of the game.

DERMOT SAYS: “I don’t know why [there’s been no punishment]. I think it is a red card. The pace he goes in, not a nice tackle.”

STEPHEN WARNOCK SAYS: “It’s a poor tackle.”

SUE SMITH SAYS: “It has to be a red card. It’s late, aggressive…”

‘Tierney got drop ball wrong – but why didn’t officials help him?’

INCIDENT: Referee Paul Tierney stops play because of a potential head injury to Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate, with Nottingham Forest’s Callum Hudson-Odoi in possession. The game is restarted with an uncontested drop ball for Liverpool. They score a 99th-minute winner less than two minutes later.

DERMOT SAYS: “[Caoimhin] Kelleher collides with Konate and knocks him down. If the ref stops play at that point, the ball would go to Kelleher. He chooses not to. The law has changed [when the ball leaves the penalty area and he stops play].

“The ball then has to be given to the team in possession of the ball [Forest] and it must be dropped at the point where you stopped it. The mistake the referee made was dropping the ball in the penalty area rather than outside.

“What happened after is a red herring because it was one minute, 50 [seconds] before the goal was scored. I can’t see that’s directly attributable to Liverpool scoring the goal.

“It didn’t lead directly to a goal so they [VAR] can’t get involved. It’s also from a restart. They don’t watch restarts – it’s goals, red cards…

“Tierney will be beating himself up about it but also questioning ‘why didn’t one of my colleagues say anything?’ As soon as the ball goes dead, you should be saying to your colleagues, ‘remember to tell me how to restart the game’. It’s basic refereeing.”

STEPHEN WARNOCK SAYS: “He’s got it wrong, there’s no two ways about it. There’s a lot to go on before the goal but it’s a poor decision.

“You’ve got to read the players. Look at the Forest players and go, ‘why are they moaning so much?’

“If I’m a ref, I’m thinking, ‘what are you all shouting at me for?’ Have a quiet word, what’s the problem? Then you can talk to your officials and get it right.

“It’s the heat of the moment, it’s not the easiest task.”

SUE SMITH SAYS: “It’s an error and you can understand Forest’s frustrations – they’ve had a lot go against them. But they certainly had opportunities to clear the ball. Why didn’t the other officials help him out?”

‘Weak’ – No foul on Rashford before Foden goal

INCIDENT: Manchester United complained Marcus Rashford was fouled by Manchester City’s Kyle Walker in the build-up to Phil Foden’s equaliser.

DERMOT SAYS: “The referee is close and says no foul. If VAR overruled the ref there it’s re-refereeing. I didn’t think it was a foul. It’s too far back as well.”

STEPHEN WARNOCK SAYS: “I didn’t think it was a foul. I thought it was weak from Rashford.”

‘Great tackle!’ – Ederson avoids Garnacho foul

INCIDENT: Alejandro Garnacho went down under a challenge from Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson but no penalty was awarded.

DERMOT SAYS: “Good tackle for me. He has to get the ball or he’s in big trouble – it would be a penalty and a sanction.”

SUE SMITH SAYS: “Great challenge!”

‘Not nice’ – Kluivert gets away with Cullen red

INCIDENT: Bournemouth winger Justin Kluivert was shown a yellow card for a challenge on Burnley’s Josh Cullen. But should it have been red?

DERMOT SAYS: “He got a yellow for one earlier in the season so the referee’s being consistent. Foot on foot, yellow card. Higher up the leg, red card. Not a nice tackle.”

‘Cullen goal correctly ruled out’

INCIDENT: Burnley thought they had scored through Josh Cullen but the goal was ruled out because Jacob Bruun Larsen was deemed to have fouled Adam Smith in the build-up.

DERMOT SAYS: “I think there’s force in this one, climbs on his back. I expected a foul.”

STEPHEN WARNOCK SAYS: “Foul.”

SUE SMITH SAYS: “I don’t know if this is. There are no hands [in his back], he’s attempting to go for the ball.”

‘Zouma rightly punished for handball’

INCIDENT: Everton were awarded a first penalty of the season against West Ham for handball against Kurt Zouma.

DERMOT SAYS: “Yep, arm out. VAR spots it, sends him to the screen.”

SUE SMITH SAYS: “He moves his arm to the ball. Everton’s first pen, first pen missed!”

‘Luiz didn’t deserve second yellow’

INCIDENT: Douglas Luiz was already on a yellow card in Aston Villa’s game against Luton when he fouled Ross Barkley. Should he have been shown a second yellow?

DERMOT SAYS: “Is he breaking up a promising attack? I’d say no. It’s a foul. Just because a player is on a yellow doesn’t mean the next one is a red card.”

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