Delph's dismissal

[ktvillan]

I saw it as a yellow, he didn't have both feet off the ground so wasn't out of control, the studs were showing but it was by no means a leg breaker of a challenge, he was just unfortunate it landed on the guys foot.  Compare to the Clint Hill flying lunge with both feet off the ground against Palace for which only a yellow was given, mainly because he didn't connect with the player - if he had, it would have been a potential career-ender. But as others have said refs are brainless attention seeking automatons these days, so why give them the opportunity for their pavlovian reaction whenever a player does the dying swan/shot by a sniper act.  It seems our squad is, collectively, as thick as Lambert and Lerner.

[supertom]

I was surprised to learn this was Delph's first professional Red Card. Granted this was arguably pretty harsh and far, far away from the worst tackle he's made but perhaps tackling Karma just caught up with him last night.
Again though my major issue with the tackle was that there was absolutely no need for him to make it and put himself in the position of giving that ref the choice to make.

[rob_bridge]

The exact same thing happened in a game I played in before Christmas, I move the ball on quicker than the opponent thinks and he catches my foot with his studs. It does make you shout out, as you expect it to hurt, but there was no need for the player to roll about.

The fact players feel the need to con referees is indicative at how inconsistent they are in their decisions.

Or as is more likely to be the case, that fact that players routinely cheat makes it harder for referees to make the correct decision.

Yes. There is a lot of that about.

[paul_e]

The issue I have with the poll on here is that this site seems far more willing to 'blame our own' than is fair in many cases.  I haven't seen a single genuinely neutral report that doesn't suggest it was very harsh but on here you'd think it was at best a 50/50 one that probably deserved a red, I really don't understand it, it's as if there's a collective requirement to prove that the site doesn't have 'claret and blue specs', it was a tackle that 9 times out of 10 gets a yellow and the wider perspective supports that.

[Dave]

I haven't seen a single genuinely neutral report that doesn't suggest it was very harsh but on here you'd think it was at best a 50/50 one that probably deserved a red, I really don't understand it

The majority of responses as I've read it is that a yellow card probably would have been fair and more in line with other similar challenges but his stupidity in making THAT tackle in THAT place at THAT time means that he can't complain about it being red.
 
The average neutral report isn't going to bother with the last bit, because it's a partisan sentiment because they obviously don't care who wins so they don't really care about whether a player's action has a detrimental affect on their team.

More a case of punishment for a lack of forethought rather than punishment for the tackle itself.

[paul_e]

I haven't seen a single genuinely neutral report that doesn't suggest it was very harsh but on here you'd think it was at best a 50/50 one that probably deserved a red, I really don't understand it

The majority of responses as I've read it is that a yellow card probably would have been fair and more in line with other similar challenges but his stupidity in making THAT tackle in THAT place at THAT time means that he can't complain about it being red.
 
The average neutral report isn't going to bother with the last bit, because it's a partisan sentiment because they obviously don't care who wins so they don't really care about whether a player's action has a detrimental affect on their team.

More a case of punishment for a lack of forethought rather than punishment for the tackle itself.

but a ref shouldn't be thinking like that, it was a poor challenge in a 'safe' situation but it was still only a yellow, it's the 'clear red', '2 foot high' and 'stamped his studs down on his ankle' comments that I find odd, it's like "I'm so fair that I'm going to go the other way and actually judge Villa players much more harshly than anyone else", I just can't agree with that attitude, we've had 4 reds this season and 3 of them are very harsh, the Richardson one is a fair cop, it was a shocker of a tackle.  We shouldn't be accepting those decisions and blaming the players for giving the ref an opportunity to fuck us over, in my opinion.

[olaftab]

Red as a baboon's arse.

[adrenachrome]

Red as a baboon's arse.

Yellow as the stripe on Gobby Savage's back all day long.

And also in the winter twilight.

[adrenachrome]

Irish Indie

Aston Villa have appealed Fabian Delph's red card after the midfielder was dismissed against Sunderland.

The 25-year-old became the third Villa player to be sent off in four games when he saw red for a challenge on Jordi Gomez in Sunday's 0-0 Barclays Premier League draw with Sunderland.

It forced manager Paul Lambert to deny they are a dirty team after Kieran Richardson and Gabby Agbonlahor - who had his red card agianst Manchester United rescinded - also walked early this month.

Villa hope to get another card overturned after launching a protest for Delph. Lambert said: "I thought it was a harsh red card and we think three games is excessive.

"Fabian hasn't gone in maliciously at all. I can kind of understand why the referee's done it, but I still think it's excessive."

Delph is facing a three-game ban starting with the New Year's Day visit of Crystal Palace if Villa fail in their appeal.

It was their fourth red card of the season, including Agbonlahor's, after Christian Benteke was dismissed against Tottenham in November and Lambert feels they are being harshly treated by officials.

"I think it's been unfair at times," he said.

"I think because we are a youngish kind of side, we can be a target for that.

"Even when you ask the lads about it sometimes they can't believe it either. It's just something you have to try and get through.

"You just have to try and keep 11 guys on the pitch, but I saw some challenges over the weekend on TV and they weren't punished with anything. You think to yourself 'how is that different from ours?'

"I think if you go back to Gabby's red card, everyone knew that shouldn't have been sent off.

"So we were down to 10 men against Manchester United then they told us that Gabby shouldn't have been sent off - well thanks very much.

"Christian's red card I would also debate, too."

Press Association

[Matt Collins]

It was a yellow for me but I'd be very surprised If it was overturned. They have to be horrendous mistakes to get overturned

[frank black]

It won't be overturned

[brian green]

There are clearly two lines of thought here. Was the tackle a sending off offence? Probably not. Just like the stupidity of Benteke's dismissal was it an act of bone headed irresponsibility by the player. To expect Villa players in the current climate to know what tarts referees have become is not being gratuitously anti Villa it is part of the modern game. As has already been said it probably indicates the same vein of stubborn stupidity in the manager and the players.

[ROBBO]

I havn't read through all posts but Stirlings slap in the face against Swansea was every bit if not worse that Bentekes indiscretion, the difference was that the Swansea player didn't roll around holding his face.
Refs have to use a bit of common sense there are too many  players trying to get the opposition player sent off.

[Ads]

Yep. Sterling, if wearing Claret and Blue, would have been sent off.

I don't necessarily mind that the linesman ignored it, it was handbags, but once again it's the complete lack of consistency.

[tomd2103]

I havn't read through all posts but Stirlings slap in the face against Swansea was every bit if not worse that Bentekes indiscretion, the difference was that the Swansea player didn't roll around holding his face.
Refs have to use a bit of common sense there are too many  players trying to get the opposition player sent off.

I personally think there are also too many players getting sent off and it is ruining many games.  I have sympathy for referees as some challenges can appear a lot worse when viewed at a certain angle, but it seems a little too easy at the moment to go straight for the red card.