‘He should have been sent off’ – Ex-PGMOL chief re-analyses Derby vs Birmingham City controversy
Mohammed Fuseini should have been sent off in Derby County’s 2-1 defeat to Birmingham City on Saturday for an off-the-ball incident.
That is according to former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA referee, Keith Hackett, who exclusively told Football Insider that his push on Alex Cochrane was an act of violent conduct and worthy of a red card.
It was another awful game for the Rams as they picked up their third straight defeat in the Championship.
However, it could easily have been a lot worse if referee John Busby had elected to send off Fuseini for a clash with Cochrane.
After the Derby player passed the ball off, the Blues star then pushed Fuseini in the back.
The winger then turned around and pushed Cochrane to the ground, with the Rams attacker only receiving a yellow card for the incident.
Keith Hackett: Mohammed Fuseini should have been sent off vs Birmingham City
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Hackett explained why he believed that Fuseini should have seen a red card instead of a yellow for his clash with Birmingham City’s Cochrane.
He said: “The push by the player constituted an act of Violent Conduct and should have received his marching orders (red card).
“The player who instigated the first offence should receive a yellow card.”
Luckily, this mattered little to the result, with the Blues managing to come from behind to secure all three points at Pride Park in the early kick-off on Saturday.
Did Birmingham deserve to beat Derby?
Birmingham were no doubt the deserved winners on Saturday when examining the stats.
Overall, the Blues had 41 per cent possession, 18 shots, nine of which were on target, a 3.05 xG and five big chances.
In comparison, Derby had 59 per cent possession, 18 shots, four of which were on target, a 1.01 xG and three big chances.
Therefore, despite the red card controversy, the Blues got what they deserved and boosted their promotion hopes early into the season.
However, it remains to be seen if Derby can bounce back from yet another defeat, with the Rams stuck inside the relegation zone after seven matches and an awful start to the new campaign.