Dermot Gallagher delivers verdict on big West Brom controversy in clash v Southampton

Tue 13 April 2021 13:40, UK

West Brom striker Mbaye Diagne had a goal disallowed against Southampton and former referee Dermot Gallagher explained how VAR reached the decision.

The striker appeared to be in an onside position when he connected with a Darnell Furlong shot, and replays seem to prove that too.

However, Gallagher backed VAR instead and pointed to a technical problem as the reason behind the officials’ decision.

Offside ❌
🗣"The VAR has to be convinced that there is proof that he is onside and they could not find the proof."
Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher says there was insufficient evidence to prove that Mbaye Diagne was onside and therefore his goal was ruled out pic.twitter.com/CN6aIEvJka
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) April 13, 2021

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Gallagher explained on Sky Sports’ The Football Show, “The VAR drew the lines and the furthest player back is Kyle Bartley and [Jannik Vestergaard] the other side, but Mbaye Diagne is actually in between.

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“And what they couldn’t do is they couldn’t find an angle that got the back of [Vestergaard’s] boot and Diagne’s shoulder in the same clip.

“So they couldn’t come to the conclusion at what point was the 3D shoulder, [and] at what point was [Vestergaard’s] boot, so they were forced to default back to the on-field decision which was offside.

“The VAR has to be convinced that there is proof that he is onside, they could not find the proof because of the angles and therefore they default to the on-field decision.”

Utterly ridiculous

Everyone who watched the match knows the officials messed up with the decision, both at Stockley Park and at The Hawthorns.

For Gallagher to show loyalty to the refereeing union is laughable, as the logical response is to accept a mistake has been made.

Lines or no lines, the above image clearly shows that Diagne is clearly onside, and by some margin.

Gallagher brings up nonsense about Diagne’s shoulder but he is clearly leaning towards the right and therefore in an onside position. His feet are clearly onside too.

Also, if Diagne’s upper body was offside then it would be in line with Bartley’s shoulder, which it clearly is not.

We are simply puzzled that the officials could reach the decision to rule it out and even more perplexed by Gallagher’s refusal to accept an error has been made.

In other West Brom news, Gary Lineker jokes about Sam Allardyce after Albion beat Southampton on Monday.

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