Ex-referee issues verdict on Sheffield United v Blackburn Rovers flashpoint

Former Premier League referee Keith Hackett believes that Sheffield United defender Charlie Goode deserved his dismissal against Blackburn Rovers on Wednesday night.

The 26-year-old joined the Blades on transfer deadline day from top flight side Brentford last month to bolster the Yorkshire side’s defensive options going into the rest of the season, having already played six Premier League matches during the 2021-22 campaign for the Bees.

Finding himself out of favour though at the Community Stadium, Goode headed to Bramall Lane and after spending the first four matches of his loan rooted to the bench, he came off the bench against Swansea City in the 4-0 trouncing last weekend.

Goode was thrown in from the start though against Rovers this week and was having an assured performance until a moment of madness on 66 minutes.

He went lunging in to Reda Khadra on the touchline and in-front of the dugouts – a tackle in which he went over the ball and connected with the German winger.

It was a tackle that Sheffield-born ex-FIFA listed referee Hackett could not accept and he believes that Goode’s dismissal was justified in a tweet posted to his account.

You cannot make those challenges in todays modern game. When you launch yourself with excessive force off the ground with one or both feet forward you are endangering the safety of your opponent-red card referee correct https://t.co/qXBXqXrZhN

— KEITH HACKETT (@HACKETTREF) February 24, 2022

The Verdict

Goode’s moment of madness could have seriously cost his new side last night at Bramall Lane.

The man disadvantage that followed put the Blades under the cost and Rovers had several chances to score – including from the spot – and if it wasn’t for Wes Foderingham’s heroics then the