Craig Pawson got Allan booking right first time, Stuart Attwell re-refereed the game – Mark Halsey

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Everton will feel aggrieved to have had midfielder Allan sent off against Newcastle United on Thursday evening – and rightly so.

There is only one really big talking point from Thursday’s match at Goodison Park – the sending off of Allan for his challenge on Allan Saint-Maximin.

You’ve got to look at the challenge. Is it a reckless challenge or a challenge that endangers an opponent’s safety with excessive force and brutality?

Craig Pawson was in a fantastic position. He was right there and as soon as the challenge went in, he cautioned the player for a reckless challenge. Looking at it, I thought ‘yeah, that’s right’, but you’ve got to ask yourself ‘is that, or was that a clear and obvious error by Pawson?’

He’s right there, great position, pulls out a yellow card and cautions Allan. No one complained, they just got on with it but then all of a sudden, Stuart Attwell is reviewing the situation.

When you’re looking at that and Attwell is looking at it so long, he took a long time to make up his mind – a long time.

So that told me that it was not a clear and obvious error. If you’re looking at an incident so many times, you’ll get out of it whatever you want to get out of it. So I think Attwell has re-refereed that.

So, yes it’s subjective, some people may say ‘yeah, that’s a red card’, and some people will say ‘no, it’s a yellow card’ – now if that is the situation then it’s not a clear and obvious error and Pawson got it right in the first place.

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We all know that once the referee goes over to the monitor, we know what the outcome is going to be. We know it’s going to be a red card because the referees are told that if they go to the monitor, they have to go with the decision of VAR. I know that because I have been told by colleagues that are working in the VAR bunker room.

Craig Pawson reviewing the pitch-side VAR monitor during Everton vs Newcastle on 18 March, 2022.

I think also whether Frank Lampard and Everton appeal that red card, they may have a case because of the positioning of Pawson during that incident and obviously has Attwell re-refereed that incident? – I believe he has.

But as I said before, yes it is subjective, some will say ‘yes’, some will say ‘no’, so it’s not a clear and obvious error but also I think Allan could face further charges because once he has been sent off, he has to leave the field of play, he’s then gone back to remonstrate with Pawson. Then, as he’s walking off the field of play, he remonstrates with Mike Dean, the fourth official, so he could face further charges.

I also think Everton will be charged for failing to control their players during that incident.

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