Leeds United are set to face a familiar foe in referee John Busby, who will officiate their upcoming match against Preston on Saturday. Busby was at the center of controversy in December when he failed to send Preston’s Ben Whiteman off for a reckless challenge on Jayden Bogle, despite the midfielder already having a yellow card.
The incident sparked widespread criticism, with many feeling that Whiteman should have been dismissed. Former referee Dermot Gallagher suggested that the second tackle could have been a straight red, while Leeds manager Daniel Farke insisted that it was at least a yellow card.
The PGMOL and Busby himself have since acknowledged that a mistake was made, with Leeds receiving a formal letter of apology. However, Busby will now take charge of the reverse fixture at Elland Road, which could be a major talking point if big calls are missed again.
Farke’s frustration with the refereeing decisions has continued, with two perfectly good Leeds goals being incorrectly ruled out for offside in their recent win over Middlesbrough. The first, from Ao Tanaka, was disallowed by the same assistant who had made errors in previous games, leading Farke to question why the official is repeatedly assigned to Leeds matches.
