Keith Hackett: Ashley Barnes should have been sent off v Leeds
We’re delighted to welcome former Premier League referee Keith Hackett to the MOT Leeds News team. Each week, Hackett will discuss the big moments from the latest Leeds United games and deliver his verdict on whether his successors got their calls right or wrong…
Keith Hackett has insisted that Burnley forward Ashley Barnes should have been sent off in the 1-1 draw with Leeds United.
The attacker went through Stuart Dallas with a high tackle and was only booked, something which resulted in a small VAR check.
Hackett was also left “amazed” that there wasn’t a bigger discussion about the challenge on Match of the Day 2 last night given the severity of the incidnet.
Speaking exclusively to MOT Leeds News, Hackett said, “We had a player receiving the ball in an offside position, and at that point, the assistant should have raised his flag.
“Ashley Barnes is coming in at knee height, but it was wreckless and for me, that’s a red card offence – he should have gone.
“He came in high, it didn’t look good. There wasn’t a massive discussion about it on Match of the Day, I was amazed.”
Shock.
We still can’t believe that Barnes wasn’t shown his marching orders.
It was a shocking challenge, and the Leeds players were rightly fuming, which makes the lack of a close review with VAR laughable.
There has to be consistency in the Premier League, and the new rule of allowing more contact has seen that thrown out the window.
Liam Cooper was shown red at Manchester City last season when he actually won the ball, compare that to Barnes who was nowhere near the ball, it makes it even more of a joke.
One thing for sure, he can count himself a lucky man over this break.
In other Leeds United news, the Whites are now leading the race to announce this deadline-busting new signing – report