Dermot Gallagher, a former referee, offered his professional judgment on some important refereeing decisions following a thrilling Merseyside derby between Liverpool and Everton. Mohamed Salah scored both goals as Liverpool prevailed 2-0 in the game. But there were a few problematic instances that made the referee’s performance intolerable.
Ibrahima Konaté, a defender for Liverpool, was fortunate to avoid receiving a red card, according to Gallagher. Konaté’s cynical and lackadaisical challenge on an Everton player, which he acknowledged, was not an attempt to play the ball. Even the Liverpool bench, according to Gallagher, was prepared to replace Konaté, showing that they understood the gravity of the foul.
Gallagher believed that his choice to dismiss Ashley Young after two cautions was the right one. “I believed so,” he replied. “I consider that both yellow cards were appropriate. After receiving his first caution for an extremely risky challenge, everyone anticipated that he would receive another one. Even Sue [Smith, Gallagher’s co-pundit and a notorious Blues supporter] told me she agreed!”
Gallagher disagreed with the referee’s judgment, nevertheless, with the game’s most contentious incident involving Konaté. Konaté, he said, was “a very, very lucky boy” to have stayed on the field without suffering the same penalty as Young. Gallagher emphasized Konaté’s dishonest foul.
I believe there are a few things, he said. They are so pessimistic, he doesn’t even try to play the ball. Perhaps Craig’s defense is that Beto won’t catch the ball, but Konaté knew what he was doing. The bench’s statement to [Joe] Gomez, “Get ready to go on, they’ve subbed him and that tells you the story,” one minute later, I believe, best captures the situation.
Gallagher also touched on the controversial penalty given to Liverpool for a handball that resulted in Salah’s opening goal. Gallagher admitted that it was a straightforward penalty based on the instructions given to referees. He emphasized that, regardless of personal preferences, a spot-kick is appropriate when an arm is extended and blocks a cross.
