Ex-Premier League referee: Kane should get extended ban after Tottenham controversy analysed
Harry Kane should have been sent off for his challenge on Andy Robertson as Tottenham drew 2-2 with Liverpool yesterday (19 December).
That is the view of ex-Fifa and Premier League referee Keith Hackett, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about how referee Paul Tierney and VAR operator Chris Kavanagh handled the incident.
Kane launched into a challenge with Robertson with his studs high and caught Robertson’s ankle but was only shown a yellow card by Tierney.
The VAR operator did not intervene and Tierney did not review the incident on the pitchside monitor.
A straight red would have seen Kane handed a three-game ban meaning he would miss Spurs’ Premier League games against Crystal Palace, Southampton and Watford.
The England captain told Sky Sports after the game it was a “strong tackle” but was not worthy of a red card.
“When I’ve examined this, in fairness to Tierney, he’s probably got part of Kane’s body blocking his viewing angle,” Hackett said after analysing the footage with Football Insider correspondent Connor Whitley.
“He’s justified a yellow card for what he’s seen and he hasn’t got a clear view. If he moved to the left or the right, he might have had a better angle but he didn’t.
“It’s fulfilled serious foul play, it’s excessive force, he’s endangered the safety of his opponent. The law is clear.
“You ask yourself ‘Could the assistant referee, who’s relatively close with a side-on view, could he have helped?’ If I was reviewing the performance, I’d be asking that of the team.
“VAR, Chris Kavanagh, had an amazing afternoon. I don’t think he could have done any worse than not to come in and suggest that Kane’s challenge was not a red card has put his colleague, Tierney, in jail. He’s the key holder and has to be part-accountable for this major error.”
In other news, there has been a big update on Tottenham talks to agree a blockbuster signing and a deal could be done in days.