Liverpool may struggle to convince the Football Association to overturn Alexis Mac Allister's red card from Saturday's game with Bournemouth, according to VAR expert Dale Johnson.
Even though the FA will now review evidence of the tackle through an independent regulatory commission, there is reason to believe it will be a tough ask for Liverpool to convince the chiefs of English football to overturn Mac Allister's dismissal
Johnson said:
"The Premier League has a more liberal approach to tackling compared to the other major leagues...[m]ore consideration is given to the level of force, rather than point of contact.
"Based upon that, we shouldn't be seeing a red card for tackle like Mac Allister's; even Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola agreed with his opposite number, Jurgen Klopp, that the midfielder shouldn't have been dismissed.
"Christie is trying to clear the ball with a sidefoot action, while the Argentina international goes in with his studs leading and makes contact on the shin. Bramall has a good position and has deemed that Mac Allister has endangered the safety of an opponent due to the way he went into the challenge.
"For the VAR, Paul Tierney, this is a difficult judgement. If the referee is saying the red card has been shown due to Mac Allister leading with his studs, can that be said to be a clear and obvious error?"
Johnson added:
"Referees' chief Howard Webb is eager for his officials to be more decisive on the pitch, and not use VAR as a safety net. With the on-field call carrying the weight with VAR protocol, that does rely on good decision-making in tandem with 'clear and obvious.'
"It's always going to be a fine line between what happens on the pitch, a desire not to re-referee the game and the perception that VAR is achieving what it's supposed to.
"Bramall is a recent addition to the Premier League taking charge of only his ninth game, and his first involving a Big Six club. Despite that he certainly isn't without confidence as one of only four referees to reject a VAR overturn at the monitor last season."
Discussing the chances of Liverpool landing a successful appeal, Johnson said:
"Klopp will appeal to the Football Association and hope to avoid the three-game ban that would see Mac Allister miss matches against Newcastle United, Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
"There's a chance it could be successful, but it's by no means certain. As Mac Allister went into the challenge with a studs-first blocking motion, rather than an attempt to kick the ball, the independent panel which sits to judge appeals may feel that, in law, the red card wasn't an incorrect decision."
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