Keith Hackett: Leeds United keeper Illan Meslier was more guilty than Raul Jimenez
Leeds United keeper Illan Meslier was more guilty than Wolves striker Raul Jimenez in the incident that saw both players exit the game says Keith Hackett.
The pair collided early in the second half at Molineux, with the Frenchman being substituted with injury and the Mexican sent off for a second bookable offence.
From that point the Whites went on to score three times to claim a hugely dramatic win, but the former head of the PGMOL doesn’t believe either player should have been punished and was unimpressed by referee Kevin Friend.
Writing on his personal Twitter account last night, Hackett was apparently referring to friend when he said: “When the temperature of a game rises then the referee must raise his game and intensity. Too laid back, lacking in authority another reactive rather than proactive official”.
In response to one of the replies, on the decision to show a second yellow he said: “Yes both players were attacking the ball not each other. I thought that the goalkeeper well out of his area was more guilty than the attacker.”
In a final follow-up message he confirmed: “I would not have issued any sanction”.
50-50
It was a hefty challenge that left both players needing treatment, and was definitely a turning point in the match.
The Wolves player can probably feel slightly unlucky since there appeared to be no intent.
But in challenges elsewhere on the pitch, even being a split-second late can lead to punishment, and goalkeepers always seem to be afforded extra protection by officials.
Both were entitled to go for the ball, and ultimately the one who lost, albeit by a tiny margin, was punished.
The Wolves manager Bruno Lage was furious about the decision, as it gave United the impetus to go on and claim an improbable win.
Jesse Marsch on the other hand felt it was a clear booking, to demonstrate the marginal nature of the event.
Friend arguably could also have sent off Joao Moutinho for a challenge that left Stuart Dallas hobbling later.
The Whites won’t feel like they were given too much of an unfair advantage, as they lost four players to injury and still had to score three times against the league’s fourth-best defence.
That they managed it was a spectacular achievement and sends them into the international break on a high.
In other Leeds United news, Jamie Carragher posted a hilarious video clip on Twitter in response to the drama.