Ryan Mason is so far unbeaten as head coach at West Bromwich Albion, but this weekend’s draw against Portsmouth saw him get sent off.
The cause of the red card (or two yellows) were two questionable calls made that went against WBA. The second yellow came with roughly 20 minutes to go in the game, and Mace now faces a touchline ban.
NB: This video is unavailable to watch in the US, unfortunately. But here it is anyway:
It’s annoying some of us actually can’t see what happened in this tweet, but there were two yellow cards that Ryan Mason received:
- The first incident occurs when the Baggies player (can’t identify who) is just about through on goal inside the six-yard line when the Portsmouth defender appears to make a pretty clumsy tackle, getting absolutely none of the ball. Mason and Co were screaming for a penaltyh that never came. Instead, Mason saw yellow (and I don’t mean the Portsmouth kits).
- The second no-call was much more egregious. WBA’s Aunne Hegebo was clear on goal after a really nice through ball was delivered to him, beating the final defender. But Portsmouth’s defender can be seen grabbing Hegebo by the shoulder, a clear red card for denying him a goal-scoring opportunity. A furiou Mason could be seen bangin his hand on the ground before he was sent off.
According to the BBC’s match report, WBA assistant manager Nigel Gibbs after the game said “everyone in the stadium thought it was a penalty” aside from the referees. And I have to agree with Mason here. There were two very clear missed calls.
With the draw, West Brom sit fourth in the table on goal differential. And it’s got to be very frustrating, as those two points could be a big difference towards the end of the season.
A quick look at the footie stats also shows me this was Ryan Mason’s first ever red card (or double-yellow-to-red card). It’s one heck of a way to do it.
Fitzie’s track of the day: Frankenstein, by the New York Dolls
And now for your links:
Alasdair Gold: “The fascinating thing Thomas Frank did in the dugout and Tottenham’s Savinho transfer hope”
The Athletic ($$): “The Thomas Frank tactic that was crucial to Tottenham beating Manchester City”
The Standard: “Thomas Frank reveals Tottenham half-time team talk which saw off Man City”
The Guardian: “Nuno Espírito Santo to hold talks with Nottingham Forest owner over future”
And now for your extra link:
BBC: “Semenyo wants jail and life bans as racist abuse punishments”
BBC, pt. 2: “Sikh owners, Sikh manager – what Morecambe takeover means to community”
CBS Sports: “USMNT star Weston McKennie target of racial abuse after Juventus win vs. Parma, club says”
