Brentford manager Thomas Frank was visibly irritated when Liverpool ace Wataru Endo was not sent off for a powerful tackle on Christian Norgaard at Anfield on Sunday night.
The Japanese international made a late tackle and caught his Brentford adversary on the leg. While there was no malice intent, identical tackles have resulted in players being sent off in the Premier League this season.
It was thus a heart-breaking moment for Reds fans as VAR investigated the event thoroughly. Fortunately for Anfield, the officials did not find probable reason to dismiss Endo, keeping the game at 11 players apiece. One can understand Thomas Frank’s annoyance given that he was on the wrong end of the judgment.
Wataru Endo avoided being sent off against Brentford.
Speaking to the press after the game (h/t Metro), Frank expressed his thoughts about the situation in a clear and concise manner. While the tackle may not have been categorized as a sending-off at the time, the goalposts have since shifted, according to the Beeds’ manager.
“I believe it was probably not a red card back in the day.” But with the VAR and the slow motion these days, I think it’s a clear red.”
With VAR now slowing down every incident, the referees can determine the probable cause as they see suitable. With this strategy, any tackle in slow motion will appear significantly more dangerous than it was intended to be. This was also the case with Endo, whose foot did, in fact, snag Norgaard’s leg.
This season, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has had to cope with a number of questionable judgments.
One may argue that the Reds’ players have been sent off for minor infractions this season. Endo’s tackle, on the other hand, was not designed to injure and was, at most, a 50-50 battle between two players. While we were shocked that the referee did not blow for a foul, it was far from a punishable offense.
Frank went on to say that Norgaard’s blood spurting when Endo’s studs caught him could have tilted the verdict in the visitors’ favor. Thankfully, it was not to be, as Liverpool went on to win all three points.
“When you have that still footage, plus the force, he’s going over the ball, plus the pictures of clear studs on Nørgaard’s leg with blood and everything, then it’s a red card.”
The score was 1-0 in Liverpool’s favor at the time of the event. If we had been reduced to ten men, Brentford might have gained a second wind in their attempt to salvage something from the game. Fortunately, we did not let the incident deter us and went on to score twice more to move into second place in the Premier League standings.
While we understand Frank’s frustration, far too many situations this season have gone against us. Endo’s tackle, while strong, was not as hazardous as it was made out to be, and it was simply two players attempting to win a 50-50 ball. In the end, we’d like to think that justice was served.
