Ex-PGMOL chief: Mohamed Salah lucky not to be hit with ban after what he did vs Brentford
Mohamed Salah was fortunate to remain on the pitch during Liverpool’s shock defeat to Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium.
That is according to former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA referee, Keith Hackett, who exclusively told Football Insider that Simon Hooper was left with a difficult decision after the winger’s challenge on Kevin Schade.
Virgil van Dijk conceded a controversial penalty just moments after the Egyptian star’s tackle, which landed him a yellow card, and while it was heavily debated, Igor Thiago slotted away on the hour mark.
Dango Ouattara, Schade, and Milos Kerkez had all netted in the first half, and although Salah scored a stunner in the final minute of added time, the Bees’ penalty put the game just about out of sight.
Simon Hooper at the centre of controversy in Brentford vs Liverpool
Questions are now being asked of Arne Slot, with the Reds losing five of their last six matches, and only beating Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League during that time.
Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate have been heavily criticised for their performances, and Keith Andrews‘ side clearly took advantage of some shaky defending to claim an unexpected win against last season’s league winners.
Matters could have been even worse had one of the Reds’ most integral players, although he is struggling a lot this season, been sent for an early shower. The referee showed a yellow card, though, and Hackett can understand why.
Salah clearly landed on the top of Schade’s foot in the 57th minute, and the referee certainly saw the incident. Despite some fans suggesting that a yellow card wasn’t enough, it cannot be addressed retrospectively.
Referees must stamp down on challenges like Mohamed Salah’s
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the winger’s challenge, the former referee said: “This is a vulnerable area for a player. Referees have to protect players, so get to grips with it and stop it.
“We don’t have a dilemma because the law says more yellow than red. It has to be excessive force to endanger the safety of an opponent.
“The backstop has to be yellow. What the referee then has to judge is whether or not the player has used excessive force. For Salah, ultimately, the minimum is a yellow card.”