Sean Dyche left baffled by Konate not seeing red as he expresses frustrations with VAR

Sean Dyche has been left baffled by Konate not seeing red in the Merseyside Derby this weekend as he expresses frustrations with VAR.

Liverpool picked up a win over their rivals, but Everton’s James Tarkowski said post-match that it “didn’t feel like a fair game”.

The Toffees saw Ashley Young receive marching orders in the first half having picked up two yellow cards, but referee Craig Pawson didn’t do the same to Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate.

The more you see it the worse it gets

Konate kicks him in the leg whilst last man and on a yellow

Shoulda been 10 men apiece at 0-0 pic.twitter.com/hltg01anll

— Andy Castell (@AJ3) October 21, 2023

Sean Dyche said this had been an “incredible” decision, with Jurgen Klopp saying his side were “lucky” with the call, with Mohamed Salah taking advantage of his opponents being a man down by netting both goals in the second half for the 2-0 Premier League victory.

It was the decision made by official Pawson to send off full-back Young for two fouls on Luis Diaz but not do the same to Konate for bringing down Beto in the second half while already on a yellow card that got people talking.

Pawson also handed Liverpool a penalty with Michael Keane adjudged to have handled the ball in the box, and had to watch it back on the pitchside monitor after consulting with VAR.

“For me it didn’t feel like a real fair game,” stand-in skipper Tarkowski told TNT Sport.

“We had a man sent off, they got a penalty which I have not seen back but at the time did not feel like a penalty at all.

“Their lad should have been sent off and they were dragging him off the pitch to save him. It didn’t feel like a fair game. We got done with a penalty and a late counter attack.

“It is disappointing not so much in our performance but the game. I got booked in the first half for fouling a lad in midfield and the referee said, ‘you are out of position and fouled him so it is a yellow card.’

“Konate is out of position, fouls our lad and it is not a yellow card, so for me where is the consistency? If he is saying that is why he has booked me, I expect the same in the second half, and that’s where it doesn’t feel like a fair game.”

“I’m getting bored of all this running over to the TV, we all know what’s going to happen” 📺

A frustrated Sean Dyche on VAR slowing the game down after Everton’s loss to Liverpool 😬pic.twitter.com/Qn3ZUnfPfP

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 22, 2023

“Why does the ref have to run over and kill the game even further and we are waiting like doughnuts.” 🍩

Sean Dyche has hit out at VAR after Everton’s defeat to Liverpool 😬#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/R8LlmHgXXD

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) October 21, 2023

“It’s the bizarre nature of the modern game” 😳

Sean Dyche talks the big decisions in the Merseyside derby including Ashley Young’s red card and Ibrahima Konate’s evasion of a second yellow…

🎙️ @julesbreach pic.twitter.com/XbbvU1U2CJ

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) October 21, 2023

Dyche said: “I must say, I am getting bored of running over to the TV, we know what is going to happen. I don’t know what the strike-rate is but it is probably 99% chance that the referee will give what he has been told in his ear.”

When questioned over Konate not being sent off, he said: “I have no clue. I have asked the referee, he said he didn’t feel it was a bookable offence and felt that straight away.

“I would like to think there are a few fair minded people in football, people here today, would be stunned that is not a second yellow.

“Their manager, fair play, he took him off as quickly as he could. He has seen it and realised he has got away with one, I would imagine. He could not wait to get him off. He knows and we know.

“I don’t want to bleat too much about the fact that we lost because we did lose. I don’t want to talk about referees, it is rare, I can’t remember the last time I spoke so openly about referees and decisions but that one was incredible to me.

“And I got a yellow card, I don’t even know how, it was a near impossibility. I was literally gesticulating like everyone else in the stadium. Liverpool fans got away with one, our fans are going crazy and I got a yellow card for that. That is ridiculous.”

Rio Ferdinand said Liverpool had “got away with one” whole Stephen Warnock called it a “stinker” of a decision and Ally McCoist believed there had been “a lack of consistency” in decisions.

Klopp told TNT Sports: “Yes, we are probably lucky with Konate that he didn’t get the second yellow.

“Of course I understand Everton’s frustration. It is hard but with time you get over it.”

Player ratings (via Sky Sports)

Liverpool: Alisson (6), Alexander-Arnold (6), Konate (5), Van Dijk (6), Tsimikas (5), Mac Allister (6), Gravenberch (7), Szoboszlai (8), Salah (8), Jota (7), Diaz (8).

Subs: Nunez (7), Elliott (7), Matip (6), Gomez (6).

Everton: Pickford (6), Young (3), Tarkowski (7), Branthwaite (6), Mykolenko (6), Garner (5), Onana (6), Harrison (5), Doucoure (6), McNeil (5), Calvert-Lewin (5).

Subs: Keane (5), Patterson (5), Beto (6), Danjuma (6), Chermiti (n/a).

Player of the match: Luis Diaz.

There was plenty of reaction on Twitter with Sean Dyche left baffled by Konate not seeing red as he expresses frustrations with VAR…

@_Matt_E: He’s right, in a way. The process needs to be changed so the ref can look for himself; not being TOLD what to see and what the decision should be. Let them look independently. But that was also a handball & a penalty. Time taken is irrelevant if the correct decision is made.

@sullers45: Put it on the big screen like they do in rugby and cricket. Open the comms between ref and var. simple.

@gilkeson80: It’s all about accountability. Shift the onus onto some else to make the final call.

@wrightyn1974: Absolutely correct… let the vast panel decide in his ear like Rugby etc 🤷‍♂️ football run by absolute tools

@Jayleach10563: He is right tho.

@yidarmy1988: VAR is completely ruining the game. Get back to the good old days when we’d talk about a genuine human error. Keep goal line technology. And sort the handball rule out. Don’t remember it ever being a problem 10 to 15 years ago. Football was way more exciting then!

@atto1955avfc: Don’t normally agree with this guy but he is so right. I hate Var

@creamolafoam1: The powers that be should have the courage to admit that VAR isn’t working. We are now at the point where we no longer need a referee because every detail is being analysed externally. Add in the fans now not being able to immediately celebrate and you have to ask where this goes

@mprwilson: 100% on this, just make the off field decision and save the pantomime of sending the ref to look at the monitor with the inevitable decision to follow

@matthewKett: I don’t think I’ve ever seen a referee go over to the screen and go against what he’s been told by a VAR.

@Bristol_Dave1: Plays negatively, encourages his team to time waste but it’s VAR slowing the game down 🤷🏼‍♂️