Paul Merson, who was covering the game for Sky Sports, explained: “Fernandes got the ball, he put his head up and went to play. Angulo, who came on as a substitute, came running back and just elbowed him in the face a little bit as he ran. It wasn’t a big contact, but he meant it on purpose. I think this could have resulted in a red card.”
Dean, the judging panel’s officiating expert, interjected: “I’m not putting too much effort into it, but I don’t understand why a player would run and put his arm behind his back and put himself in danger.”
“I don’t know what’s going on. They were obviously looking into it. They didn’t do anything. They just talked to Fernandes and the checks were done. With VAR, there’s risk. It could have gone either way.”
Afterwards, Marson stated, “They didn’t even book him, Mike.”
Dean responded strangely. “Well, it’s May now, right?”
Lead presenter Simon Thomas asked: “What? It may be May for you, but referees still have a job to do, right?”
Dean went on to elaborate: “It’s just frustrating when you don’t make good decisions in games. Fulham were a typical example of that today. They just didn’t perform well on the pitch.”
“They’re just not making decisions on the pitch. Whether May is joking or not, it’s an easy decision. There was a penalty shout five minutes before the Man United game, but it could have gone either way and it will be a challenge in another game. They just aren’t making decisions. I don’t know why.”
Mr Thomas responded by asking: “Is that something we have to deal with this summer?”
Dean responded: “They’ll have to, because that’s not enough. We talked about that before off-air. It’s easier to get a red card and make a big, brave decision and get a red card. And if they (the decision) stays on the field, then everyone’s happy because it’s a good decision. I think they’re just scared of getting a red card. They’re just scared.”
At the same time as United’s goalless draw, Fulham and Bournemouth both had players sent off for red card offenses following a VAR review. The Cherries won this game as well, putting them in a good position to qualify for the Champions League.
