Ex-Premier League referee: Harry Maguire should be banned as controversial Man United footage emerges
Harry Maguire should have been sent off as Man United were humiliated in a 4-0 defeat to Brentford on Saturday (13 August), according to Keith Hackett.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the ex-Fifa and Premier League referee claimed Maguire should have been shown a second yellow card for a challenge on Pontus Jansson.
The Man United skipper, 29, was shown a first yellow card when he brought down Ivan Toney on the edge of his own penalty area after just 16 minutes.
Lisandro Martinez was covering his teammate so Stuart Atwell did not produce a red card.
As shown on the BBC’s Match of the Day show, Maguire then pulled Jansson down as they challenged at a Brentford corner but that went unpunished.
A second yellow card would have seen him slapped with a one-game ban so he would have missed United’s game with Liverpool next Monday (22 August).
“There was a covering defender and that helped him,” Hackett said after analysing the footage with Football Insider correspondent Connor Whitley.
“I think Stuart Attwell was right to issue a yellow card and not a red, he got that right.
“The potential pulling offence, he’s a serial offender. On this occasion, he’s got away with it.
“In truth, that should have been a penalty kick. When is a referee going to take action on Harry Maguire and his holding offences?
“He’s wrapping his arms around his opponent and that is sufficient to me to say, that’s a cautionable offence.
“He should play with his feet and his head, not his arms. It’s a regular offence with him and referees are ignoring it.”
In other news, Kieran Maguire has issued a “huge” Man United claim as a £238million-plus deal is tipped.