'His intention was...' - Pundit disagrees with ex-PL referee amid Tottenham v Man Utd controversy

Noel Egan believes Bruno Fernandes deserved to be sent off as Tottenham beat Manchester United 3-0 at Old Trafford on Sunday (29 September).

The ex-FIFA official feels as though the Manchester United captain intended to foul James Maddison.

Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher claims a booking would have been the more “palatable decision” (via Sky Sports News’ Ref Watch, 11:07 am, 30 September).

Meanwhile, Sky Sports pundit Sue Smith said, “Never a red. He slips and touches him with his heel. There’s no force in and it’s not endangering the opponent. It’s definitely not a red card. Yellow card at most.”

However, Egan – speaking exclusively to Tottenham News – thinks a red card was the correct decision.

“I’d agree with the referees’ call on that one,” Egan said.

“Yes, we can see that there was a slip from Fernandes. However, when it is slowed down, even though he does slip, Fernandes then extends his leg and catches the player.

“Therefore, I think his intention was to foul Maddison. The fact that the slip may have brought his leg higher doesn’t change the fact that at that point Fernandes is out of control. Therefore, that is a red card.

“For me, I’m going to stick with the referee and VAR on this one.”

Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes unlucky to be sent off against Tottenham?

Opinion is clearly split on whether or not Fernandes deserved to be sent off. However, what can’t be argued is that Spurs fully deserved the win at Old Trafford and were dominating the match before the red card, with Bryan King blown away by one “outstanding” player’s performance.

Therefore, it is hard to imagine that Ange Postecoglou or his players will be too concerned about this incident.

It feels like a landmark win for Postecoglou, and perhaps his biggest as Tottenham boss. Therefore, he will be keen to kick on from this win in the weeks to come.

In other Tottenham news, one player wowed with his “excellent” moment for the club against Manchester United.

For more Tottenham news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.

The post 'His intention was...' - Pundit disagrees with ex-PL referee amid Tottenham v Man Utd controversy appeared first on Tottenham Hotspur News.