A former referee has dismissed Tottenham players' appeals for Brian Brobbey to be sent off following the collision that left Cristian Romero injured
Tottenham captain Cristian Romero was withdrawn injured during his side's 1-0 defeat to Sunderland following a collision with goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky. However, several of his team-mates believed Brian Brobbey was responsible for the clash and ought to have been shown a red card.
Spurs quickly fell behind in the second half of Roberto De Zerbi's maiden match in the dugout. Just eight minutes after Nordi Mukiele broke the deadlock for the hosts, a through ball was played, with Romero tracking back as it reached Kinsky.
Brobbey was giving chase and following some hesitation from the keeper, both Kinsky and Romero collided with one another quite forcefully. Romero was replaced in tears as he appeared to sustain a knee problem. Kinsky's head required bandaging after it struck his colleague's leg and 1-0 remained the final result.
Sunderland's Brobbey seemed to shove Romero while pursuing the ball and some of the Tottenham squad protested to the official about this, given the Dutchman was already carrying a yellow card. Yet former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has dismissed these appeals, as has ex-striker Jay Bothroyd.
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"I think we have to be careful we don't get seduced by the outcome, the injury. If the goalkeeper is not there, a little nudge there, are you going to send him off?" said Gallagher on Sky Sports' Ref Watch.
"Is it a second yellow card? The answer is most certainly no. But, unluckily, the goalkeeper comes out and a collision occurs and that suddenly ramps up everyone's perspective that it's suddenly a very serious foul. But it's not a very serious foul. When you look at it, nuts and bolts, it's a little push."
Bothroyd added: "Forwards hate this. When you look at it, Romero is not in control of the ball and all he is doing is trying to block the player from getting the ball. I hate this. They are not in control of the ball but you are blocking the player from getting the ball. He doesn't want control of the ball and that's what's happened.
"So at some point, Brobbey cannot see the ball because he's so close to Romero. It's almost like he has pushed him to one side so he can see the ball, but that's the incident that comes because defenders are trying to shield the ball. We see it all the time when it's going out of play."
When told it happens all the time, Bothroyd replied: "You're not allowed to block a player if you're not in control. But that's what happens now. Romero is trying to shield the ball. He's not thinking I want to control this and pass it back."
Brobbey had already been shown a yellow card by referee Rob Jones following a first-half clash with Pedro Porro. The striker seemed to throw an elbow towards Porro while competing for possession and debate has emerged over whether this merited a red card.
On the incident, Bothroyd said: "For me, I've been in that situation, when a defender is on your back and you're trying to shove him off. You're not throwing an elbow. Yes, he hit him with an elbow. It will be sore, but he's not throwing it. He's trying to shrug him off. He wants to go back to the goal. The fact that Porro is there, holding onto him, is the reason why that happened."
Gallagher responded: "I completely agree. It is almost like, 'Get off me, get off me.' They're so close. It's not like he's a yard away and then 'bang'. He's trying to use his strength. That's what ramps up the second one. There is this myth that if you foul somebody after a yellow card you're going to get an early bath. It's a myth."
Boss De Zerbi was quizzed on the fitness of the substituted Romero following the final whistle. He said: "We have to see in the next few days. I hope that it is not too important a problem. He's a good guy and a good player with a big personality. We need him to finish the season." When pressed on whether it was a knee issue, De Zerbi added: "Maybe yes, but I don't know."