Former Premier League referee Peter Walton has defended Paul Tierney’s decision not to send off Tottenham striker Harry Kane for his challenge on Andy Robertson in the 2-2 draw with Liverpool.
Kane was handed a yellow card for a studs-up tackle on the Reds defender part-way through the first half – a decision which caused many thought should have been a red instead.
However, the 28-year-old remained on the field while Robertson was sent off later in the game, with VAR upgrading an initial yellow card following a forceful challenge on Emerson Royal.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was unhappy with the officials’ decisions throughout the encounter at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but ex-referee Walton believes Kane’s tackle did not warrant a red card because there was no serious foul play.
In his column for The Times, he wrote: “The law is strict when a player lunges in as Kane did. Whether it is from the front, side or back, a challenge like that always risks a red card, especially when contact is made above the ankle.
“If the on-field referee, Paul Tierney, had considered the incident to be serious foul play at speed, it would have been fair to send him off.
“What saves the England striker is that Robertson’s foot was not planted. The Liverpool man’s raised leg limited the force of the tackle and convinced Tierney that there was no serious foul play.
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“Both a booking and a red card are justifiable, therefore the referee did not make a clear and obvious error, and VAR was correct not to intervene.”
Walton also dismissed any suggestion that Kane being the England captain may have influenced the officials’ judgement when making the decision to only issue him a booking.
“Referees do study players and formations ahead of a game. They are aware that certain players need to be dealt with proactively. Kane does not fall into this category.
“It has been more than 10 years since his last red card — for Leyton Orient away to Huddersfield Town in League One.”
“Nevertheless, referees still assess each decision in isolation and the England captain’s excellent disciplinary record is not what saved him here.”
However, Walton feels the decision to upgrade Robertson’s initial yellow card to a red was the wrong one and is bemused as to why VAR only intervened for the Scotsman’s challenge.
He added: “If anything, you can argue that Kane’s tackle was more than a yellow, because he is at full stretch and making contact high up.
“Like the on-field officials, the video assistants should strive to apply the rules in the same manner throughout, so I am perplexed at why VAR sent Tierney to the touchline only for the Robertson incident.
“Officials are always going to upset half of the audience with their decisions. They can control only the consistency of their actions and it appears the threshold for overturning decisions changed mid-game.”
Spurs Web Opinion
Both challenges were pretty poor and you have to hold your hands up and say Kane was fortunate to get away with it in the end. VAR should be used to correct decisions and not make them controversial, and in the last week or so that hasn’t happened.
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