1 year ago
173 Peter Crouch has shared that Phil Jagielka was calling for Jurgen Klopp to take Ibrahima Konate off after he brought down Beto for the first of two fouls on the Everton striker while already on a yellow card.
Crouch was speaking on TNT Sports (broadcast on 21/10; 14:56) as the pundits expressed their disbelief at the Frenchman avoiding a red card before he was substituted midway through the second-half.
Ibrahima Konate was very fortunate to stay on the pitch in the Merseyside derby. He was initially booked for a foul on Amadou Onana five minutes into the second-half while the game was goalless.
Konate was potentially fortunate for then holding onto Beto when Everton had the chance to launch a counter. And Everton fans had every reason to be somewhat baffled by what happened next.
Liverpool fortunate to not have Ibrahima Konate sent off
Once again, it was Beto who was brought down by Konate. Nevertheless, the referee – who had already sent Ashley Young off for two yellow cards in the first-half – did not show the centre-back another caution.
Jurgen Klopp reacted by immediately replacing Konate with Joel Matip. And Peter Crouch suggested that Phil Jagielka was issuing a warning after Konate fouled Beto for the first time.
“Just after that [first foul] actually, Jags, you said, didn’t you: ‘take him off. You’ve got to take him off,” Crouch told TNT Sport.
“It shows us with what Jurgen Klopp does [by taking Konate off],” Jagielka replied. “I heard Rio say he’s clever. He’s not clever. Well, he is, but he’s obviously realised that basically they’ve somehow got away with one. And as soon as you give a free-kick there, the way he’s refereed the game, he has to produce another yellow card.”
Reds deserved slice of luck
Of course, Liverpool will feel that they are more entitled than most to benefit from a dodgy call from the referee. They were rightly infuriated when they wrongly had a goal disallowed in their defeat to Tottenham before the international break.
In many ways, the derby perfectly summed up how inconsistent the refereeing tends to be. If Craig Pawson decided that Ashley Young deserved a red card for Everton, there is surely no way that he can justify keeping Konate on the pitch.
Everton will feel hard done by. But on another day, the Toffees may benefit from a dreadful decision from the referee.
As Jagielka suggests, Jurgen Klopp made the smart decision in that moment by getting Konate off as soon as possible. And capitalising on their good fortune ensured that they were able to get the three points.
The post 'Take him off': Peter Crouch says TNT pundit was calling for Klopp to replace 24-year-old in Liverpool win appeared first on TBR Football.
