Wataru Endo Exclusive: ‘Ipswich Town star should be getting extended ban’
Julio Enciso should have been sent off minutes into his Ipswich Town debut against Liverpool and been handed an extended ban, Keith Hackett has said.
The former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA referee exclusively told Football Insider a reliance on on-field decisions advocated by Howard Webb should be overlooked for challenges like Enciso’s on Wataru Endo.
After joining on loan from Brighton earlier that week, Enciso came off the bench to make his debut for the Tractor Boys at Anfield on Saturday (25 January).
Hackett though feels that the Ipswich debutant should not have been on the field for long as his side slipped to a 4-1 defeat to Liverpool.
Julio Enciso lucky not to see red at Liverpool
Arne Slot’s side were already 4-0 up by the time Enciso was brought on in the 79th minute of that match at the weekend.
Goals from Dominik Szoboszlai, Mo Salah and a brace from Cody Gakpo – the second of which had been subject to a long VAR check – had already set Liverpool on their way to victory.
Enciso would provide the game with another flashpoint just two minutes after his introduction, after a challenge on Endo, in which he appeared to jump and turn so his side caught the midfielder in the face.
That left the Japan international on the ground in pain for some time, although Salisbury ultimately decided only to book the Ipswich man.
However, there is some belief that Liverpool ought to have found themselves playing against ten men for the latter stages of the game, and that VAR should be directed to get involved in such incidents.
When asked by Football Insider if Enciso should have been sent off for that challenge, Hackett said:
“I think that this could easily have been red. I think the player’s lucky, I think the referee’s given him the benefit of the doubt and that’s why he’s got a yellow.
“But this could easily have been a red card, you can’t make challenges in that situation. But I think the referee’s given him a yellow and said ‘right fine’.
“I think the referee’s given him the benefit of the doubt. From my perspective I’ll be quite clear that these challenges should be outlawed in a game.
“Despite the fact that you don’t want to give a red card, I think you’ve got to give a red card because the boot’s high and it’s in the facial area.
“So therefore it’s endangering the safety of an opponent, it does have some force and therefore it’s serious foul play and my expectation would be that he goes.
“He’s very fortunate that the referee has given yellow, and surprised to some degree because I think there’s this aspect of VAR that could come in and say ‘look have a review of this’.
“These are the challenges where I do think, a yellow’s been given, I know that Howard Webb talks about referee’s call, but I think there’s an element here that says ‘have another look and make another call.”
Although the visitors pulled a goal back late on, that 4-1 win ensured Liverpool remain six points clear at the top of the Premier League table.
Ipswich, who were recently on the wrong end of a similar challenge when Christian Walton was caught by Brighton striker Joao Pedro, remain in the relegation zone.
In other news, a football finance expert has been left stunned by an expert by the latest update on Liverpool’s wage bill.
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