Discrepancy in punishments for Blackpool, Newcastle United and Rangers players only highlights inconsistency in refereeing

Now I’m no conspiracy theorist and there’s nothing more frustrating than one-eyed, rose-tinted whataboutery and tribalism. But there’s no wonder supporters get frustrated with the lack of consistency from officials.

The problem I’ve always had with refereeing, VAR and the rules of the game is that whatever you do, whatever technology or new law you bring in, there will always be an element of opinion and subjectivity.

It’s not like cricket where the ball is either hitting the pad or it isn’t, or like tennis where the ball has either landed on the line or outside it. In those sports, the technology works well because there’s a black-and-white nature about it.

In football, there’s only really goalline technology where we have that element. We had it for offsides and look how much bother that created!

But when it comes to fouls, penalty decisions and so on, football can be extremely difficult to decipher. One referee’s yellow card is another’s red. While one official might deem a tackle to have used excessive force, another might not.

Most of us will have seen the Kieran Trippier incident during Newcastle United’s 3-3 draw with Manchester City. There was very little difference, if any, between that and what Sonny Carey did to Ian Maatsen at Turf Moor on Saturday.

But with the use of VAR, Trippier’s red was downgraded to a yellow while Carey’s dismissal stands, despite Blackpool lodging an appeal. It makes little sense.

Just to stick the knife in another inch, former Seasider John Lundstram had the red card handed to him during Rangers’ draw against Hibs rescinded upon appeal.

Again, there was very little difference between the two tackles. If anything, Lundstram appeared to use more force than Carey.

For context, Carey’s red was considered “serious foul play” by referee Keith Stroud, as he cynically tripped Maatsen to stop a Burnley counter six minutes from time during last weekend’s thrilling derby.

According to the rules, serious foul play is defined as: “A tackle or challenge that endangers the safety of an opponent or uses excessive force or brutality must be sanctioned as serious foul play.

“Any player who lunges at an opponent in challenging for the ball from the front, from the side or from behind using one or both legs, with excessive force or endangers the safety of an opponent is guilty of serious foul play.”

Did Carey’s tackle endanger Maatsen’s safety? I don’t think so. He certainly didn’t use brutality, but was it excessive? Again, it’s subjective. But the FA’s independent commission (not the EFL) obviously decided against Blackpool’s wishes.

Either way, it leaves the Seasiders in a bit of bother in midfield considering they were already short on options already.

It’s not like things are particularly going to improve soon either. Carey will serve a three-game ban, but Charlie Patino, Lewis Fiorini, Kevin Stewart and Keshi Anderson are all three or four weeks away at least.

It leaves Michael Appleton with Matty Virtue, Kenny Dougall and Callum Connolly as the only fit and available central midfielders.

I like the three of them, but I’m sure they’d be the first to admit there’s not a great deal of creativity among them.

But I’m sure Blackpool will do what they always do, whether it’s Neil Critchley as their boss or Appleton, they’ll find a way and manage to work through it, just as they did against Burnley last weekend.

Appleton may have to alter from his principles a little bit, as he showed at Turf Moor, and utilise two deeper-lying midfielders rather than one and allowing Josh Bowler freedom just ahead of them.

I’m scared to even write his name at the minute given his situation could change at any minute, but thankfully – at the time of writing, anyway – he remains a Blackpool player for now.

One midfielder who won’t be coming in is Grant Ward, despite his appearance during Tuesday’s Central League outing against Bolton Wanderers.

The 27-year-old continues to train with the club to help build up his fitness but a contract offer is deemed highly unlikely.

When asked if Ward could be a solution to Blackpool’s mini-midfield crisis last week, Appleton was pretty blunt in his one-word reply: “no”.

Thankfully we only have a week left of the transfer window, because it’s felt never-ending at times.

But the Seasiders must make good use of these final few days, it’s not being overly dramatic to suggest the success of their season, or otherwise, could well depend on it.

That throws up entirely different questions about the transfer window and why it remains open over a month into a season and why clubs feel the need, or simply have no option, but to take their business down to the final day. And in some cases, the final hours and minutes.

But that’s where we are, that’s the situation we find ourselves in.

Under Simon Sadler’s ownership, Blackpool have tended to pull a rabbit out of the hat at some point in the window, even right at the dying moments. Just look back to last year with Ryan Wintle, Jordan Gabriel and Dujon Sterling all arriving during the final couple of days.

We could certainly do with a repeat of that. As encouraging as Blackpool’s start has been, and there’s been plenty of good signs, Appleton needs the right tools at his disposal.