'Absolutely shocking': Pundit says Newcastle star looked like a seven-year-old in 2-1 win on Sunday

09/16/2024 02:21 PM

Newcastle recorded a second successive win in the Premier League on Sunday.

Eddie Howe watched his side equalise through Fabian Schar in the 75th minute, before a wonderful strike from Harvey Barnes put the Magpies 2-1 up in the 80th minute.

Newcastle deserve immense credit for snatching three points from the jaws of defeat, although one player has been described as a seven-year-old child for a bizarre moment…

Stephen Warnock criticises Joe Willock

It was Joe Willock who assisted Barnes for the winner, although the Newcastle No.28 was mocked by Stephen Warnock on Sky Sports for his amateurish foul throw in the 69th minute.

Speaking on Ref Watch, the 42-year-old said: “It is terrible. Taken like a seven-year-old kid at the park when they don’t know how to throw a ball properly yet. It is one of the worst throw-ins you’ll see. Absolutely shocking from Willock.”

In case you missed it, the 25-year-old’s foul throw did not even matter in the end, as Jason Tindall was bizarrely yellow carded for throwing the ball to Willock, who Emile Smith Rowe rates highly.

As also seen on Ref Watch, Dermot Gallagher revealed that the booking was brandished due to the fact only players can pick up those balls on cones surrounding the pitch.

While Willock’s foul throw was abysmal, we would rather focus on just how utterly stupid the rule which saw Tindall booked really is.

Newcastle should complain

It might sound petulant, but Newcastle should make an official complaint about Tindall’s yellow card.

What could possibly be a logical explanation for a member of backroom staff not to be allowed to help the players out, and chuck them a loose ball? It gets the match up and running sooner, it saves the players bending over – some may have back issues – and it is generally just a completely innocent action.

Of course, if Tindall were to have touched the ball to stop Wolves from taking a quick throw, that is another story, but the generic rule that only a player can touch the ball simply makes no sense.

Furthermore, the mere fact there is a weekly show called Ref Watch on Sky Sports is part of the problem – it simply normalises refereeing mistakes, when really, there absolutely should not be enough content to fill a programme of this nature on a weekly basis.