It’s a simple one there was no intent to pass it to the keeper. It came off his foot and went to the keeper which was lucky for him but it was never a deliberate back pass
To me it looked like he didn’t hit the ball ‘cleanly’ and I can only think the ref thought he didn’t intentionally pass it back to the keeper. The worst non-decision today was that ‘kick’ on Connell in the second half, the assistant was only a few yards adjacent from it and nothing.
We were behind the goal and it looked to me like the defender hadn’t much of an idea what he was doing with the ball when it came towards him. Looked more like he intended to kick it out for a corner and shanked it. Would like to see it again though.
Fair enough, looked like a deliberate pass from my angle but I was nowhere near it. The Connell one also looked like Connell tried to wrap round him to stop him getting up so he forcefully wriggled out of it by thrusting his leg. Again from a **** angle
Problem for me with basing it on intent is that it’s subjective - so he didn’t intentionally mean to kick it back to the keeper but that’s what happened and really the keeper could have dealt with it without picking it up.
The laws says intentionally so not really subjective if it’s deemed unintentional. The alternative to not allowing the keeper to pick it up after it is last come off a defender would descend into chaos
I don't think a single Barnsley player appealed for it, which is usually a decent sign the ref got it right.
Have to admit most of those sat with me ESL. Thought it may have been a back pass. inc. me. But I did think he struck it too hard for it to be clear cut. (Good job goalie was alert) As for the Connell incident, I didn't see it tbf.
I had a great view from the West Side of the Ponte. It was either 100% unintentional, or the best no look pass you've ever seen.
Looked like a blatant back pass to me, but I was over in the Family Stand and haven’t watched it back. And I’m never ever going to watch that game back.
From where I was (Ponte) he appeared to be more focused on the runner outside him and the ball more or less hit him and bounced to the keeper.
He was going to leave it, panicked, didnt know what to do. His head was on a swivel and it hit him and luckily bounced back to the keeper. Never intentional.
Out of interest where do the two of you sit? Having just read the thread I'm curious now if the split in people who thought it looked intentional to unintentional is east stand versus basically everywhere else.