Time to change red card rule?
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FLASHPOINT... Darren Fletcher nudges the ball away from Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas
DARREN FLETCHER is likely to miss the Champions League final because of a ridiculous system that needs overhauling now.
UEFA head of communications Rob Faulkner has confirmed: "Manchester United have the right to file a protest within 24 hours of the match.
"However a protest against a caution or sending off is only admissible if the referee's error was to mistake the identity of the player."
What is the point in a red card appeal process that only allows one argument for the defence?
The TV evidence could not be clearer for any UEFA official who could be bothered to check the footage of Fletcher nicking the ball away from Cesc Fabregas.
But god forbid they have to rule that a referee may have actually dropped a rickett.
Roberto Rosetti has previously proved himself to be a competent match official, but on this occasion he was wrong.
What is wrong now is that there's no way to make up for that mistake and Fletcher is the one who will suffer as a result.
There's an equally irrational system in place in this country when a player is sent off for receiving two yellow cards.
A player can appeal against a straight red, but not against one of the two yellow cards that could have contributed to him being sent off.
Why? What is the logic in allowing an appeal against some cards but not others if the result of those cards is the same?