Liverpool just about did enough to squeeze past Wolves at Anfield on Sunday with it being suggested that the Premier League leaders were fortunate not to have been reduced to ten men.
Wolves boss Vitor Pereira claimed Ibrahima Konate should have been sent off in his side’s defeat to Liverpool.
The Black Country side fell to a gutsy 2-1 defeat at Anfield on Sunday with Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah scoring in the first half before Matheus Cunha made it a nervy finish for the hosts. But the Reds might consider themselves fortunate to have still had 11 players to see their win over the line.
Konate was booked for a mistimed headed challenge and then another tackle handed Wolves a free-kick on the edge of the box. Wolves players and staff appealed for a second yellow but Konate remained on the pitch.
Liverpool boss Slot took action at the break as he replaced the defender with Jarell Quansah. And Wolves coach Pereira claimed Konate should have seen red before then.
He said: “I am not the referee but yes for me. What I say now will not change anything but in my opinion the second yellow card should be shown.”
And while Pereira thought Konate should have been having an early bath, ex-Liverpool star Jamie Carragher did not think the same. He claimed that it was right for the French defender to escape further punishment.
Speaking on Sky Sports, he said: “It is a stupid challenge by Konate but it’s not a yellow card, just two players going for a header and one gets there before the other,”
“It’s not a yellow card,” Carragher added. “He just misjudges the header, daft challenge though it’s absolutely ridiculous. He does have those moments Konate, was a little bit like that Wednesday night as well, wasn’t switched on for that free-kick for the first goal against Everton.”
Meanwhile, Slot has also explained why he decided to take Konate off and admitted that he was fearing a second yellow card. The Dutchman said: “I took him off because of that. I saw him getting his first yellow – that for me was a soft yellow.
“If he got his second one for a shoulder push that would have again been a soft yellow so he would have been sent off for two soft yellows. I think the referee felt the same and that’s why he didn’t [book him again].
“But I’ve watched football so many times in my life and I know that a player and the referee is then under pressure. So the next foul will lead to a referee thinking that maybe he should give it. It is so difficult to play 45 minutes against a strong Wolves team so I had to take Ibou off because you can’t play football knowing in your head you can’t make a foul against such good players as Wolves have.”
