Decision to send Darren Fletcher off was correct

Oh no", writes former Premier League referee Graham Poll in the Daily Mail, voicing the fears that will have been running through fellow official Roberto Rosetti's mind when he saw Darren Fletcher's challenge on Cesc Fabregas during Tuesday night's Champions League semi-final tie between Manchester United and Arsenal.

The decision to show the Scottish midfielder a red card for the tackle meant that Fletcher will miss the May 27 Champions League final against Barcelona. But the "superb and experienced" Italian referee was absolutely right, says Poll.

"Remember that the Italian guided the Chelsea players through their semi-final second leg against Liverpool last season, managing not to caution those players facing suspension from the final."

He wasn't looking to make a name for himself by sending Flecher off, says Poll. Indeed, "Rosetti will have felt dreadful, well aware of the ramifications. He [even] looked apologetically at the Manchester United players, who appeared to ask him: 'Do you have to send him off? He'll miss the final.'"

Rosetti had positioned himself perfectly to view the incident, and from his angle - and without the benefits of seeing the tackle in slo-mo or from myriad angles - made a decision which his linesman backed him up on.

"Having seen the challenge from the camera behind the goal, all sorts of doubts raise themselves in my head," concludes Poll. "Fletcher clearly got the ball; however, his following motion was to take Fabregas, which is a foul.

"Could it be that, as the ball had been fairly knocked away, a referee could say it was not a goalscoring opportunity? Or are we just looking for excuses to allow a player to play in a Champions League final?" ·