Bartley and Gylfi were dismissed at either end of the game at Ewood Park but an angry Monk confirmed after the game that there would be little point in appealing the decisions meaning both now have to sit out a suspension at a time when the Swans could do with as many options as possible.
It has become almost a running battle between Monk and referees this season with some very high profile dodgy decisions being made with us seemingly on the end of many more bad decisions than those which go in our favour.
That said it was easy to see why Bartley was sent off today – Gylfi was probably a disputable one but if you are going to lunge in then you are going to force the referee to make a decision.
The early sending off of Bartley forced Monk to change his personnel with Fernandez coming on for Carroll and he said รขโฌลIt’s a coming together, but you run the risk when you are the last defender and thereรขโฌโขs a coming together like that
รขโฌลKyle should have seen the danger coming because all they were looking for was long ball over the top. Our centre-backs needed to get their positioning right early but we didnรขโฌโขt do that.
รขโฌลNormally those decisions fall in favour of attacking player. To be fair their player didn’t appeal, but referees will always side with the attacking player in those situations.รขโฌย
The game had been lost by the time a frustrated Gylfi was shown his red card, a decision that the manager did not agree with รขโฌลI thought it was harsh,รขโฌย he added.
รขโฌลYes, you can’t react like that and I spoke to Gylfi about that afterwards.
รขโฌลBut he had a kick, nothing happened and then he had a lunge.
รขโฌลIt wasn’t reckless or dangerous, he was not harming their player, but the ref sprinted to get the red, he couldn’t wait to get the red out.”
The Swans red card tally for the season now stands at eight.
<#rovers>