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🚨Gary Neville on Ryan Gravenberch receiving a second yellow card after fouling Jérémy Doku, in a conversation with Roy Keane: 🗣️ Gary Neville: “I have to say, I’m really not comfortable with that decision. I looked at Roy Keane beside me and said, ‘Roy, are we seriously sending a player off in a game like this for that?’ Roy looked at the replay and said, ‘Gary, he’s already on a yellow. You have to be careful when you’re in that position.’ And I said, ‘I understand that, Roy, but look at the incident again! Doku is quick, Gravenberch gets across him, there’s contact, and suddenly Liverpool are down to ten men. Is that really what we want deciding a game of this magnitude?’ Roy replied, ‘The referee has to judge the foul, not the occasion. If you’re on a yellow, you can’t give the referee another decision to make.’ Fair point. But I still think the referee has to use some common sense. Not every foul from a player on a yellow card automatically deserves another booking. You have to look at the nature of the challenge, the intensity and whether it genuinely warrants a second yellow. I turned to Roy again and said, ‘The problem is that Liverpool are now facing a completely different game. Their midfield has to change, their shape has to change, and everything they planned before kick-off has gone out of the window.’ Roy shook his head and said, ‘That’s why you don’t put yourself in that position. At this level, you have to be smarter.’ And I can’t disagree with him on that. Gravenberch has to be more careful when he’s already been booked. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t question the referee’s decision as well. Two things can be true: Gravenberch should have been more disciplined, and the referee’s decision can still be debated. What frustrates me is that we’re talking about a second yellow card instead of the football. Liverpool are at Anfield, the crowd is electric, and one decision has suddenly put them in a position where they have to chase the game with ten men. I asked Roy, ‘If that were one of our teams in a title race, would you be happy with that decision?’ He replied, ‘I’d be furious if my player got himself sent off. But I’d also want to know whether the referee got it right.’ And that’s exactly where I stand. The referee has the authority to make that call, but authority doesn’t make every decision correct. Gravenberch has to take responsibility for the foul, and the officials have to take responsibility for the consequences of sending him off.”

🚨Roy Keane on Ryan Gravenberch’s red card against Manchester City: 🗣️ Roy Keane: “I’m sorry, but that is never a red card for me. Absolutely ridiculous. We’re playing football here, not a game where every bit of contact means somebody has to be sent off. I have watched the incident several times, and I still cannot understand how the referee thinks that deserves a red. It’s far too soft. You can talk about the letter of the law all you want, but surely we have to use common sense as well? It’s Manchester City against Liverpool at Anfield, a massive game, and suddenly we’re making decisions that can change the entire match. Gravenberch gets sent off, Liverpool are left fighting an uphill battle, and we’re all supposed to pretend the referee got everything right? Utter bollocks! And what frustrates me is that these decisions always seem to create more questions than answers. Manchester City are already facing serious scrutiny over their financial case, which they are appealing, and now you have another controversial decision going their way. I’m not saying this incident proves anything about those charges, but you can understand why Liverpool supporters are furious and why they feel the game is slipping away from them. Liverpool are playing at home, in front of their own supporters, and now they’re left feeling robbed by a decision that, in my opinion, was nowhere near clear enough to justify a red card. The referee has to understand the magnitude of these decisions. You’re not just sending one player off; you’re changing the balance of a huge game. If you’re going to do that, you need to be absolutely certain. For me, this was too soft, too harsh and completely unnecessary. Let the players compete. Let the game breathe. Liverpool fans have every right to feel cheated tonight, because when a decision this questionable changes a match of this magnitude, the referee has some serious explaining to do.”