This ref has previous having sent somebody off for Man Yoo this season. This time he thought the challenge was fine, but VAR, who will have known he has previous for red carding for hair pulling, sent him to the screen. The ref is then in an impossible position having eyes on him with that previous red card.Looking at Dan’s defenders on the way home I might be showing my age, but I don’t get this at all. It’s funny how attitude change with time.
I grew up watching football in the 1970s when:
a) most players had long hair;
b) we generally tolerated a lot more physicality. For example, a two foot out of control tackle through the man that got a touch on the ball wouldn’t get a red card, it would get a “great tackle” shout. And a full-blown right hand to the chin would probably not get a red card either, only a booking. Not even that if the ref thought the recipient deserved it.
But hair pulling, behave. It would’ve been beyond the pale. In a less enlightened age described as something that only a dirty Italian or a girl might do. Maybe, to try to be more 21st century, I’d call it something a six-year-old might do. Do people seriously want to make it acceptable?
This is also the 2nd red card given to a centre back for the offence on the same striker, with Michael Keane also seeing red for Everton. The same ref missed a horrific foul on an Everton youngster in the same game.
That striker now exaggerates every challenge from behind if he feels a tug on him and goes down screaming and holding his hair out to simulate the pulling.
This is an embarrassing mess of the FA's own making