Wolves boss – Bassong should NOT have been sent off after Walcott incident
After just 8 minutes of Arsenal’s game at Wolves, Theo Walcott was bundled over in the penalty box by Sebastien Bassong. The Wolves boss Terry Connor has no objection to Arsenal getting a penalty (subsequently converted by Robin Van Persie) but thinks the referee made a mistake by sending off his on-loan Tottenham defender.
Connor said: “I saw a tangle of legs. I saw the referee run over and give the penalty kick, I saw the referee produce a red card.
“I don’t think it’s fair no. I think if there’s an intention to bring an opponent down in the box then you have a penalty kick and a red card. There was no intent there just a tangle of legs.
“Two lads going for the ball, a tangle of legs, the referee saw it as a penalty which I think he’s right to do so but I think the red card was a little bit harsh.”
With ten men (and Walcott’s second goal two minutes later) Wolves had very little chance of getting back into the game, so do Arsenal fans think that Bassong should have stayed on the field?
Martin Keown said basically the same on MOTD, and both are actually right. Bassong and Walcott were merely going in the same direction, and due to his pace, Walcott beat Bassong to it, but could not get as far ahead as to avoid any contact. He was in a shooting position, hence the penalty, but this definitely wasn’t intentional. A red was too harsh. The game would have looked much different if it wasn’t a red, not only because Wolves would be stronger with 11 men, but also because they wouldn’t play with the kind of reckless abandon they did. It’s hard to imagine what it would look like if that didn’t happen.
Am an Arsenal fan en I even told de lads we were with dat the red card too harsh. Also thinks he did good not 2 give Doyle a red card also though he was deserving coz he would have killed de game completely! how i then wish we had diz ref during our game with man city coz baloteli could av gotten a straight red 4 his HORROR tackle on Song wich even de FA decided nt 2 look at!!
bassong took took walcott out what ever way you look at it at a goal scoring moment, red card all day.