'Live with it' - Dermot Gallagher's message for Leeds United amid Chelsea tactical timeout fury
Leeds United were once again left frustrated by a momentum-halting goalkeeper injury.
Leeds United must ‘live with’ tactical timeouts for the rest of this season after being left frustrated by another phantom goalkeeper injury, says former referee Dermot Gallagher.
Daniel Farke’s side saw their FA Cup campaign come to an end at the semi-final stage following Sunday’s 1-0 defeat to Chelsea at Wembley. Enzo Fernandez scored the decisive goal on 23 minutes, heading home Pedro Neto’s cross after a Pascal Struijk error.
The Whites chased an equaliser after half-time but fell victim to gamesmanship from their hosts as a familiar sight returned. Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez went down with a supposed injury as his teammates flocked to interim boss Calum McFarlane for a tactical teamtalk.
Leeds fans were left incensed and made their feelings clear, having regularly fallen victim to the controversial tactic. The Premier League and FA are believed to be thinking up plans to eradicate the tactic, with referees currently powerless.
"We've got to live with it for four more weeks,” Gallagher told Sky Sports’ Ref Watch. “See the season out and address it in the summer. It is a problem, but it's something you've got to work your way around.
“We've seen it a multitude of times. Next year you have to go off for one minute because that's the law."
Leeds captain Ethan Ampadu tried to take matters into his own hands, sprinting towards the technical areas and breaching Chelsea’s unofficial timeout. The midfielder certainly ruffled a few feathers but momentum was successfully halted by Blues interim boss McFarlane.
"They are just playing to the rules,” former striker Jay Bothroyd insisted. “If you can get an advantage by stopping the game, killing the tempo.
“The rules are not in place to stop it. Chelsea haven't done anything wrong. But for the game, you look at it and say you don't want to see that."
Dermot Gallagher on Dominic Calvert-Lewin alleged hair pull
Another key incident came earlier in the first-half, with a VAR review for violent conduct taking place after Marc Cucurella accused Dominic Calvert-Lewin of pulling his hair. The Spanish defender was animated in his reaction but replays showed no sort of pulling motion.
VAR assistant Paul Howard quickly agreed with referee Jarred Gillett’s initial decision, with no punishment sent Calvert-Lewin’s way. But after Lisandro Martinez was recently sent off for a hair pull on the Leeds striker, Chelsea felt aggrieved.
"I'm not convinced he pulled his hair,” Gallagher said of the incident. “He might have just brushed against it, but we've gone way overboard with this now.
"Every single incident where somebody's near somebody's hair it's 'oh he's pulled his hair'. It just goes on and on.
"You've got to be sure. We don't want red cards thrown about like we're in a casino. It's got to have an impact, a reason and a purpose and it's got to be for an offence."
Bothroyd added of the alleged pull: "When you say pulling hair, I need to see a tug. Because players have long hair and it's tied up, of course at some point, you're going to get your hand tangled in someone's hair.
“I think that's what has happened here. We're always going to be looking at this situation because we've seen [Lisandro] Martinez get a red card. Because of that, there's consistency that comes into it."