Jarred Gillett told to ‘have empathy’ as ex-refs chief analyses Vitor Pereira red card vs Brighton
Jarred Gillett could have avoided reaching for his red card as Vitor Pereira was sent off during Wolves’ 1-1 draw with Brighton.
That is according to former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA referee, Keith Hackett, who exclusively told Football Insider that the under-pressure boss could have been warned after kicking a football into the dugout.
Pereira could now miss three matches due to a suspension, which would see him unavailable for Premier League clashes against Sunderland and Burnley, and then Chelsea in the Carabao Cup.
Football Insider understood last month that Wolves were not planning on sacking Pereira, but the Old Gold are still bottom of the Premier League table with two points after seven games.
Vitor Pereira sees red as Carlos Baleba cruches into Hugo Bueno
His frustrations clearly got the better of him in the 20th minute, and while it is unclear whether the red card was for kicking the ball or something he said, the ban is unlikely to be overturned.
This came after Carlos Baleba went into the book for a pull-back on Hugo Bueno, a rather straightforward decision by Gillett, but the Wolves manager was not done talking just yet.
Luckily for him, just one minute after his dismissal, a long-range volley from Marshall Munetsi cannoned off the crossbar, onto Bart Verbruggen’s back, and into the net, causing Molineux Stadium to erupt.
Pereira was elsewhere in the stadium at this point, but given the pressure that he is currently under with the Old Gold, Hackett wanted to see more leniency towards his actions.
Jarred Gillett should concentrate on the pitch after Pereira’s sending off
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former referee said: “If that’s the match ball, he’s effectively delaying the restart. That’s not a good thing to do. But could he have just given him a yellow?
“I have empathy with managers. They have such a difficult job, which we’ve seen with Russell Martin at Rangers, being driven away instead of getting on the team coach.
“You don’t suddenly become a bad manager overnight. It’s such a frustrating job, so there needs to be some empathy and a stepped approach.
“The fourth official tells the manager not to do anything daft before yellows and reds come out. Could this not have been a yellow and a warning instead of a red?
“Let’s concentrate on the football match, let the fourth official deal with the sidelines. Give him a yellow card in a stepped approach.”