Thomas Frank is usually upbeat in his press conferences, even when Brentford suffer a disappointing result. He talks about drinking glasses of wine, eats slices of pizza and cracks jokes with reporters. However, he was furious following Brentford’s 1-0 defeat to Newcastle United at St James’ Park.
The referee Craig Pawson awarded Newcastle a penalty in the 63rd minute when goalkeeper Mark Flekken brought down Anthony Gordon in the box. Callum Wilson converted the spot kick to earn Eddie Howe’s side all three points and end Brentford’s unbeaten start to the campaign. Frank disagreed with the decision, to put it lightly.
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“I’m pretty sure that Howard Webb (PGMOL chief) will come back to us to say, ‘Sorry, we made a mistake’,” Frank said. “We just got told four weeks ago when Kevin Schade went through on goal against Tottenham and the goalkeeper took him out that, ‘No, he pulled out before’ so we can’t give you a penalty. Mark pulled out before (so it is) not a penalty.
“It’s so rare I complain about it because I think, ‘OK, it’s human beings’ and we all make mistakes. So that happens, but it’s extra frustrating when we lose because of that.”
Frank was referencing a conversation he had with Robert Jones, who took charge of Brentford’s 2-2 draw with Spurs in August. The Athletic contacted PGMOL on Saturday night to confirm whether the meeting between Frank and Jones took place. They were unable to confirm at this stage.
When The Athletic asked Frank for clarification about the incident involving Schade he said, “When a player goes around the goalkeeper and they can’t get the ball, if the goalkeeper pulls out they will not give a penalty.”
It’s unclear what the right answer is. The International Football Association Board (IFAB) determines the rules and regulations within the sport but there is no explicit reference to this type of situation in their latest Laws of the Game handbook.
So what should happen? We asked some experts.
Let’s rewind to the opening day of the season when Brentford hosted Spurs at the Gtech Community Stadium. In the 87th minute, Frank’s side are pushing for a winner when Schade chases a through ball into the box.
When Schade makes contact with the ball, Spurs’ summer signing Guglielmo Vicario is a few yards away from him.
Schade attempts to chip the ball over Vicario.
The 21-year-old’s shot flies harmlessly towards the top of the stands but Vicario crashes into him. Jones did not award a penalty and was not told by the video assistant referee (VAR) to review on the pitchside monitor.
In Saturday’s incident, Harvey Barnes floats a cross towards the back post. It’s not at the right height for Hickey to head it into Flekken’s arms, so he attempts a pass with his right foot. Flekken dashes out of his goal to grab it.
Gordon’s left boot pokes the ball forward and Flekken pulls his left leg back just before he was about to take a meaty swipe at it.
You can clearly see Flekken’s knee makes contact with Gordon’s body.
Pawson delays making a decision until after he speaks to one of his assistants and then points to the spot. John Brooks, the VAR, would have checked the incident but he did not refer Pawson to the monitor.
There are clear similarities between the two situations and Frank found support from an unlikely figure.
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“I totally understand his frustration because I don’t think this is a penalty,” the Premier League’s all-time top goalscorer and Newcastle legend Alan Shearer said on the BBC’s Match of the Day. “Anthony Gordon leaves his leg hanging in there and the ‘keeper pulls out. There is contact, but Gordon makes the contact.
“Schade versus Vicario, we were told, was an inevitable collision which is why they didn’t give that. There is no consistency at all.”
Sophie Harris is a retired goalkeeper who played for Brighton & Hove Albion and London Bees. It seems like this is a rare occasion where strikers and goalkeepers are in agreement, yet Harris believes Flekken could have handled the situation better.
“We want goalkeepers to be that last line to support the defence,” Harris says. “It’s about knowing when to come. Just recover back into your goal and let your defenders deal with it. Instead, Flekken has gone to make the challenge, doubted himself and tried to pull away. By that point it’s too late.
“There is contact, but it’s more from Gordon going into him than Flekken instigating it. It’s not a penalty. Vicario pulls out so, if you compare the two, the decisions given by the referees have to be the same.”
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Matt Pyzdrowski played in goal for Swedish sides Angelholms, Helsingborgs and Varbergs and is now a goalkeeping expert for The Athletic. Pyzdrowski thinks Flekken gets put into “a messy situation” by Hickey’s backpass but criticises his decision-making too.
“Any time you slide at the feet of the attacker you open it up to the possibility of a penalty,” Pyzdrowski says. “Flekken has nothing to win by going down for it as Gordon is not in a dangerous position. I don’t think it’s a penalty but I understand why it was called.”
A few minutes before this incident, Wilson had a goal that was disallowed for a foul on Flekken. Kieran Trippier whips a cross into the box and it loops off Ethan Pinnock’s head up into the air.
Flekken tries to punch the ball.
But the Netherlands international completely misses it.
The ball bounces around and Wilson pokes it into the net.
Was there enough contact for a foul?
“That was really soft from the referee to give that,” Harris says. “Flekken should have been a lot stronger in that situation, especially when he went to punch the ball. Goalkeepers abuse that a little bit. That situation probably put a bit of doubt in the referee’s mind when he made the next decision.”
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It is important to remember this is only Flekken’s fifth appearance since he joined Brentford from Freiburg in May for £11.2million. The 30-year-old is still establishing relationships with his team-mates and adjusting to his new surroundings.
“Flekken is going to have to get used to the physicality of the Premier League,” Pyzdrowski says. “It’s not a situation every referee will overturn.
“It is a hard ball to claim because it is so high and spinning. Wilson has his hand up and grabs Flekken’s arm. He backs into the goalkeeper, but Flekken needs to be strong. In both moments, you want your goalkeeper to be in command and there was indecisiveness.
“He has been fantastic since he came to Brentford and replaced (David) Raya. He made a wonderful point-blank save (from Bruno Guimaraes’ header) in the first half. This game will be a teaching moment. It’s probably fair one of those calls went against Brentford.”
