Pogba lucky to escape red for reckless lunge on Alli
Mike Dean went into this match with a reputation for being card happy, having issued nine red cards and 64 yellows in his 16 previous matches. This time, he was too cautious. The tally should be 10 red cards following the shocking challenge by Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba on his Tottenham counterpart, Dele Alli.
Pogba’s studs went into the back of Alli’s knee. It was clearly a reckless challenge. The laws demand a red card if a challenge endangers the safety of an opponent. Pogba’s certainly falls into this category, and for Sky pundit Jamie Redknapp to argue that the contact was accidental is stretching credulity.
Dean had a clear view of the
incident and has made a mistake by showing only a yellow card. That means that no further action can be taken against the United player.
This is the stupidity of the current system. If football wants to protect employees it has to have a mechanism whereby the card or punishment can be upgraded. Yet again, we are left bemoaning the absence of the video assistant referee (VAR) in this circumstance. Its introduction in the Premier League cannot come soon enough.