Roberto Firmino

[Kenneth]

Why did the ref go and talk to the 4th official - he was miles away and wouldn't have heard anything - can't believe Holgate got off without even a yellow.

To report the claim.

[Exiled_red]

Why did the ref go and talk to the 4th official - he was miles away and wouldn't have heard anything - can't believe Holgate got off without even a yellow.

I guess he was telling the 4th official that there was a racist allegation made by Holgate against Firmino immediately that it happened, that way there would be 2 officials aware, perhaps also to get advice as to whether to book/send off Holgate for the foul in light of the allegation.

[Kenneth]

Which is weird, because even if there was reasonable evidence or suspicion of Firmino saying what Holgate says he thought he said, the two incidents are surely quite separate offences.

[Exiled_red]

Which is weird, because even if there was reasonable evidence or suspicion of Firmino saying what Holgate says he thought he said, the two incidents are surely quite separate offences.

They should be two separate incidents, but I guess that as the ref hasn't dealt with the push before the second incident takes place, meaning that they merge. I guess that sending off someone as the are making an allegation of racist comments doesn't put the ref in a comfortable position.

Holgate should have been punished for the push regardless, but now he'll have got away with that.

[BigChief]

At no point was Firmino using English according to Portuguese speakers / lip readers. So the question is how good is Holgate's Portuguese? If, as I believe, it's negligible (and you can clearly make out from Firminos mouth his lips he doesn't utter a word starting with the letter n) then Holgate is playing the race card to prevent getting a yellow/red one himself.

That is a serious offence in my mind. Almost as bad as racism itself.

[Exiled_red]

At no point was Firmino using English according to Portuguese speakers / lip readers. So the question is how good is Holgate's Portuguese? If, as I believe, it's negligible (and you can clearly make out from Firminos mouth his lips he doesn't utter a word starting with the letter n) then Holgate is playing the race card to prevent getting a yellow/red one himself.

That is a serious offence in my mind. Almost as bad as racism itself.

That would be a serious offence if he deliberately did that, but would be impossible/difficult to prove, so it's very unlikely that it would be punished.

[BigChief]

That would be a serious offence if he deliberately did that, but would be impossible/difficult to prove, so it's very unlikely that it would be punished.

And Holgate knows it. Sickening if he went down that route.

[calvoboy]

Unbelievable. Holgate should have been sent off. Fact. Anyone talking about anything else is playing into their hands. He’s a cunt, regardless of race.

[Les Zeffelin]

I don't know , it all looked a bit handbags at ten paces to me.

[Kenneth]

Problem now is that the FA will go over it with experts etc and find him guilty of "using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or gestures" even without the racial element. And Holgate will go unpunished.

[Roboklopp]

Yep

[topscorer]

To report the claim.

This, but couldn't be have done that through his mic and earpiece, isn't that the point of those things?

[topscorer]

It will be interesting to know what language the comment was supposedly made in because it looks as if Firmino is shouting in Portuguese but Holgate is claiming to understand (Does Holgate speak Portuguese?). If it was in English the ref couldn't have been better placed to see or hear what was said. If he has heard what Holgate alleges Firmino said he (Firmino) would certainly have been sent off. So unless video evidence shows anything else I can't imagine anything happening. There are a few other players around as well, Lallana and Kenny are probably the closest.

In fact the referee is so close and Firmino shouting so loudly wouldn't it be picked up by the Refs mic?

Do they record what's said through the Mic?

Moving forward, at this level, wouldn't it be sensible to mic up all the players to avoid racist players getting away with it and false accusations being made to innocent players to deflect attention from another infraction?

[BobTheCharmer]

We all expert lip readers in foreign tongue again.

[Exiled_red]

In fact the referee is so close and Firmino shouting so loudly wouldn't it be picked up by the Refs mic?

Do they record what's said through the Mic?

Moving forward, at this level, wouldn't it be sensible to mic up all the players to avoid racist players getting away with it and false accusations being made to innocent players to deflect attention from another infraction?

Intesting point I have no idea if they record it. Hopefully they do as that would clear it up quickly.