Roy Keane blasts Eric Dier’s defending over handball incident

Roy Keane has admitted that he can see why referee Peter Bankes adjudged Eric Dier to have handled the ball in the closing stages against Newcastle and blasted the defender for losing the flight of the ball.

After reviewing the incident on the pitchside monitor following an intervention from VAR, Bankes ruled that Dier had handled the ball, despite the centre-back having his back turned to Andy Carroll and being less than a yard away from the Newcastle striker when he headed the ball.

Replays also showed that the Spurs man received a push in the back from Jamaal Lascelles just as he was about to jump.

A number of former defenders have blasted Bankes’ decision and insisted that there is little Dier could have done to avoid the ball hitting his hand.

However, Keane insisted that it was bad defending from the England international in the first place and that he had to take the blame for swinging his arms in the air.

Speaking to Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football, the pundit said: “I can see why he gave the Dier one, I really can. I think, okay, he’s jumped up, but he’s still flung his arm in the air.

“It’s bad defending anyway, I don’t understand the modern defender not reading the flight of the ball.

“He has swung his hand up, I don’t know why he’s done that, so I can see why that’s been given as a penalty.”

Spurs Web Opinion

It is obviously impossible to jump without raising your arms but I have to admit that I agreed with Roy Keane’s assessment the first couple of times I saw the incident as Dier’s arm movement did not look natural. However, on closer look, it is clear that he was nudged in the back by Lascelles and so the arm came out since he had lost his balance. I doubt the Bankes would have given the penalty had he picked up the push on Dier’s back.

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