Roberts: Kompany Red or Yellow?

So Neil Warnock of QPR was fired by owner Tony Fernandes, we got a 4th Round FA Cup draw to savour - including a Wear Tees derby - but still the main talking point was the Manchester derby-changing sending off of Vincent Kompany for his two footed challenge on Nani.

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I've branded a few reds in my time for Serious Foul Play, that's what he was dismissed for, and there are key factors that go into a referee making an instant decision on that one. These are all about whether the player used ‘brutality' or ‘excessive force' in the challenge. Yes, Kompany went in with both feet but was it the much feared ‘two footer?' 

Here's the intriguing answer, in Asia probably - but in England I don't think so.

The key points in a referee's mind on this are, was he in control of his body? Were his legs locked straight to use as a weapon? Did he use excessive force by throwing himself into the challenge at high speed?

A lot to try and assess accurately in one or two seconds, but that is what a referee faces each time one of these rears its ugly head. So what of the evidence surrounding arguably the Premier League's most in-form defender?

Was he in control of his substantial body weight? No, he was off the ground due to his lunge and without wings the Belgian has no control of 85kg of stretched sinew, so there is definitely potential for injury there.

Were his legs locked, effectively giving no cushion if there was impact with a player? No, both knees were slightly bent, one leg sweeping round from the side. This alone meant the challenge was not as brutal as it could have been. 

Did he throw himself into the challenge with excessive force? Not really - it wasn't a full blooded sprint and then a bone shattering lunge of full body weight. A big telling note, Kompany reconnects to Mother Earth a fraction before impact, meaning his bulk was falling to earth and not through the shin of the opponent.

The challenge was borderline. In Asia contact is very much outlawed so I would expect him to have been sent off, however let's not forget football is a contact sport and in England this traditional part of the game is acceptable as long as it is not dangerous. 

Having said this, some refs sporting the three lions would still have given red, FIFA and UEFA would have cried out for it as it did look ugly, but taking these last two points of evidence into account, there is sufficient doubt to classify it as 'Serious Foul Play' - so a yellow could have sufficed.

One other factor, from watching ESPN Star Sports' reverse angle it appears as though Chris Foy was unsighted by bad positioning at the very last minute. It is highly likely that he did not see the moment of impact clearly. 

He could well have seen Kompany launch into the tackle and then come clear with the ball, however there's every chance he has allowed Kompany's take -off, together with Wayne Rooney's bleating to come to a decision. 

If you get chance to see a replay, notice how long Foy takes before putting his hand into his pocket for the red card. This alone indicates he needed to allow himself a couple of seconds to review what he saw in his mind as he was unsure.