Brentford boss Thomas Frank was left bemused after Wataru Endo did not receive a red card during his side’s 3-0 defeat at Liverpool.
The incident occurred in the first-half when Endo challenged Christian Norgaard for the ball and caught the Bees midfielder with his studs. Referee Paul Tierney did not give a foul, but VAR had a closer look at the tackle for four minutes before choosing to stick with the on-field decision and play on. It’s safe to say Frank felt hard done by and the Dane referenced incidents involving Curtis Jones and Marcus Rashford as reasons why Endo should have been sent off. Jurgen Klopp’s Reds went on to win the match comfortably in the end, with Mohamed Salah scoring a brace and Diogo Jota netting the other.
Klopp makes “insane” observation on Liverpool’s Nunez – “Everyone can see” “Then I think, if Rashford’s is a red, Curtis Jones’ is a red, Josh Dasilva’s is a red – then I think this is also a clear red. I don’t think any of them should be, but in this era apparently, it is a clear red. I would just like to have that consistency.” Meanwhile, Brentford centre-back Ben Mee delivered his verdict on the incident and admitted he was surprised it even wasn’t a foul. “It didn’t look like a great tackle in real time,” Mee told BeIN Sports. “I know Christian Norgaard has got a few nasty cuts just under his knee. It looked a foul in real time. I can’t believe he didn’t give a foul.
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Thomas Frank felt Wataru Endo should have been sent off after a challenge on Christian Norgaard The defeat was Brentford’s first since before the international break when they were beaten 2-1 at Manchester United. Frank’s side had won their three previous matches against West Ham, Chelsea and Burnley, but he admitted his team lost to the “better” outfit at Anfield.
“I think in general we played a good game and close to being a very good game,” Frank added. “We need to remember to look behind the numbers. It’s never as good or as bad as them. Today I really liked my team. We were brave, we pressed high, created chances and gave the least away. I felt there was something here for us.
“When you lose 3-0, there’s no doubt they were better in the big moments. And it’s Liverpool. It’s at Anfield. It’s Mohamed Salah. But there were some big moments and chances and the second and third goals we should avoid. That would have kept us in the game. There were lots of positives and we just need to go again. In the big moments they handled them better than we did.”
“I think it’s a clear free-kick and at least a yellow card on the pitch,” he told BBC Sport. “I think these situations are not a red card. But in the VAR world, where we have slow motion, and you freeze it and he clearly goes over the ball with too much force onto the leg of Norgaard.
Thomas Frank felt Wataru Endo should have been sent off after a challenge on Christian Norgaard ( Image: Getty Images)
“Whether it’s a red card, I don’t know, I’ve not seen the replays but it’s one for people to talk about. You don’t want to see players sent off but I was surprised it wasn’t a foul.”
