Dermot Gallagher blasts Luis Sinisterra for red card in Leeds United draw v Aston Villa
Luis Sinisterra gave the referee “no option” but to send him off during Leeds United’s draw with Aston Villa, according to Dermot Gallagher.
Sinisterra was given a second yellow card when he stopped a free-kick being taken quickly by the halfway line, leaving Jesse Marsch forced to adopt a more defensive style to get a point from the game.
While speaking on Ref Watch live on Sky Sports News [3 October], former Premier League and FIFA referee Gallagher questioned why the Colombia international did what he did.
“To quote Stephen [Warnock], ‘why give the referee the opportunity?’”, he said.
“You’re on a yellow card, you’re just asking the referee to make a decision and the only decision you can make there is yellow card. He’s got nowhere else to go, he’s already on a yellow card and he’s got to be sent off.
“He’s sent off for a halfway line, very little danger. He’s paid a heavy, heavy price.
“Well we see that sometimes, the referee gives a free-kick to you and I am there, I have got time to retreat. But Sinisterra, he just puts his leg up waist high, he’s given the referee no option, why give him that decision to make?”
Madness
It was a moment of madness from the player, who in the midst of the game was trying to buy his team some extra time to get back into shape.
Instead of just retreating and getting into position himself though, he stuck his leg in the air and it’s not only potentially cost his team two points from the game but it also means that he won’t be able to play next week against Crystal Palace.
It was a stupid decision to make, as Roy Keane made clear on Sky Sports after the game, and now his teammates have to bear the brunt of that.
Thankfully it could have been worse and the player will learn from that next time so as to not do that in future, and hopefully it won’t be something we need to deal with again.
He’s got no sympathy from the fans who know he was wrong for what he did, but we will support him going forward as he’s been a great signing so far.
In other Leeds news, one first-team player is likely to play for the Under-21’s in midweek