FLASHPOINT... Darren Fletcher nudges
the ball away from Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas
UEFA head of communications Rob Faulkner has confirmed:
"Manchester United have the right to file a protest within 24 hours
of the match.
"However a protest against a caution or sending off is
only admissible if the referee's error was to mistake the identity
of the player."
What is the point in a red card appeal process that
only allows one argument for the defence?
The TV evidence could not be clearer for any UEFA
official who could be bothered to check the footage of Fletcher
nicking the ball away from Cesc Fabregas.
But god forbid they have to rule that a referee may
have actually dropped a rickett.
Roberto Rosetti has previously proved himself to be a
competent match official, but on this occasion he was wrong.
What is wrong now is that there's no way to make up for
that mistake and Fletcher is the one who will suffer as a
result.
There's an equally irrational system in place in this
country when a player is sent off for receiving two yellow
cards.
A player can appeal against a straight red, but not
against one of the two yellow cards that could have contributed to
him being sent off.
Why? What is the logic in allowing an appeal against
some cards but not others if the result of those cards is the
same?