Stephen Warnock has questioned the decision-making of Everton striker Beto, after the Portuguese forward was bundled over by Ibrahima Konate during the Merseyside Derby.
In a moment that proved a flashpoint for the fixture, the former Reds defender would tell Sky Sports (via Football Daily) that he felt the striker should have stayed on his feet rather than go to ground, whilst also admitting it had been a ‘terrible decision’ regardless.
As the Toffees’ game plan seemed to be working, frustrating the hosts and limiting their chances despite enjoying 78% of the ball, two bookable offences from Ashley Young saw the former Manchester United man dismissed despite being the only two fouls he had committed.
Grievances were exacerbated as Kostas Tsimikas avoided a yellow despite making three fouls, before Jurgen Klopp’s French defender truly got away with one.
Having already been booked, the 24-year-old fouled Beto as he raced through on goal, yet Craig Pawson waved away complaints.
Warnock has since slammed the referee’s decision-making, but also questioned the £26m marksman too.
“But the other thing is, why is Beto going down? He’s actually in, into the Liverpool half, and he’s going to go in on a 1v1. There’s no reason for Beto to go down at all.
“It was such a cynical foul and how it’s not a yellow card is beyond me. It’s a terrible decision.”
Should Ibrahima Konate have been sent off vs Everton?
The dismissal of the hulking centre-back is one which many fans of the Premier League have come together to agree on, with the bearing of the match completely altered following the decision to allow him to continue.
It marked a searing indictment of Pawson’s failure that Klopp would substitute the defender just minutes after the incident, having since suggested that Sean Dyche and his side will “get over it” in time despite admitting they were “probably lucky” to avoid their own red card.
With the scores level at the time of the incident, and the subsequent penalty that turned the tide only conceded after he had been substituted, it could be argued that the referee’s failure to punish that foul ruined Everton’s chances of earning the hard-fought point they had set out to attain.
However, to suggest that Beto should have stayed on his feet is somewhat unfair to the 25-year-old, given Konate both grabbed his midriff and connected with his knee to send his man sprawling.
It was a foul and a yellow card, as clear as day, but one which the officials have yet again missed that will leave Dyche rightly furious.
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