‘Salah was lucky to escape ban’
“MO Salah has been a very lucky boy,” says former Everton and Wales captain Kevin Ratcliffe, after the Liverpool striker escaped an FA ban following the incident which saw a penalty awarded for a challenge on him by Newcastle’s Paul Dummett on Boxing Day.
The FA decided the Liverpool forward will not face any retrospective disciplinary action after a penalty was awarded when Dummett touched his arm during the Boxing Day match against Newcastle.
But the most successful captain in Everton’s history said: “It was pretty clear that Salah exaggerated the effect of the contact and that the contact itself was clearly not enough to have made him fall to the floor.
“But the FA examined the incident and said it did not meet their threshold for deception of a match official.
“You look for consistency everywhere in football. You look for consistency from players, consistency in team performances, you want consistency from referees and you want consistency from the FA.
“And in this case there does seem to be one rule for one and one rule for another.
“When Oumar Niasse became the first player to be banned for simulation last season, the FA said: ‘The arching of the back and collapsing of both legs, were simply not consistent with the amount of force exerted upon him by Dann and in exaggerating the effect of the contact made, Niasse deceived the ref and this led to a penalty being awarded.’
“I don’t see much difference between Niasse’s reaction and Salah’s.
“The difference is Salah is playing for a team at the top of the Premier League and Everton were struggling last season.
“It’s always been the case. Bigger clubs do get away with things more.
“Your Cardiffs and your Fulhams don’t get the same kind of treatment – and Everton found themselves in the same boat last season.
“It’s frustrating – but absolutely no surprise.”