Jurgen ‘backing for Dyche’ over Konate’s let-off
JURGEN KLOPP admitted sympathy for rival Sean Dyche after the Everton boss was booked for protesting during Liverpool’s 2-0 win in the Merseyside derby.
Dyche was furious that Reds defender Ibrahima Konate escaped a second yellow card at 0-0 in the second half for fouling Beto, after his defender Ashley Young had been dismissed after 37 minutes for a mistimed tackle on Luis Diaz.
‘I think people would be stunned that Konate isn’t a second yellow,’ said Dyche. ‘It was incredible to me. I don’t know how I got a yellow card for literally gesticulating like everyone else in the stadium. That is just ridiculous.
‘The referee told me he didn’t feel it was a bookable offence (Konate). There are fair-minded people in football and they would be stunned it wasn’t a second yellow.
‘I’ve seen the footage back and within a second the referee is saying “No chance, no chance”. If he’d given himself 10 seconds, you’d think that has to be a yellow.’
Dyche found an unexpected ally in Klopp, who took his defender off almost immediately.
The Liverpool boss has been on the wrong end of decisions this season, notably at Spurs when his side were reduced to nine and had a goal wrongly disallowed for offside. ‘I knew it would be tricky when Konate made the challenge,’ he said. ‘When he didn’t get the red card, I thought I wouldn’t take any chances and took him off.
‘I can understand the frustration of Everton and Sean, absolutely.
‘Would we have won 10 v 10? I don’t know but we would have had a chance still because we were the better team. In the end, we deserved the three points, there is no doubt.’
On TV, pundit Rio Ferdinand agreed Konate had been fortunate. ‘I was squealing up in the gantry, thinking, “Oh no, he is going to go”. I cannot believe the referee gave the free-kick and didn’t book him,’ said Ferdinand.
Dyche did not complain, however, about Young walking for mistiming his tackle on Diaz. ‘He is wise enough to know there he didn’t have to make a challenge,’ he said.
Liverpool may face action after Palestinian flags were held aloft at Anfield yesterday, even though the Premier League had banned them.
Footage showed a number being waved, plus a banner, on show during the minute’s silence, that read “For God’s sake, save Gaza”.
The Premier League and Football League had said political banners and flags should not be displayed, but clubs should hold silences and wear black armbands in memory of those killed in the Middle East.