LONDON — Thomas Frank has expressed his dissatisfaction with referee John Brooks’ officiating during Tottenham’s 2-1 defeat at home to Liverpool and raised concerns about the potential three-match suspension facing Xavi Simons following his red card.
Spurs ended Saturday’s match with only nine players after Simons received a red card for a late tackle on Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk, which was confirmed by a VAR review after just 30 minutes.
– Was Simons’ red card justified?
– Liverpool’s victory overshadowed by Isak’s injury; Frank under pressure
– Isak injured while scoring for Liverpool against Spurs
Substitute Alexander Isak scored the opening goal in the 56th minute but sustained an injury in the process. Hugo Ekitike increased the lead with a header, outjumping Cristian Romero.
Romero received a yellow card for protesting after a foul was called against him, and following Richarlison‘s goal narrowed the gap in the final minutes, Romero was sent off for apparently retaliating against Ibrahima Konaté.
As a result, Simons is poised to miss Tottenham’s upcoming matches against Crystal Palace, Brentford, and Sunderland during the festive season.
Former Brentford manager Frank commented, “Regarding the first red card, I’ve seen similar decisions made before. While I have previously expressed my views at Brentford, I believe this shouldn’t be classified as a red card.
“This incident does not appear reckless; he did not use excessive force. Simons was merely trying to apply pressure on Van Dijk when his foot accidentally caught the back of his leg.
“Some might argue he should have been more cautious, but does that mean we can’t have physical contact anymore? That’s the real issue.
“If Simons is handed a three-match suspension for a non-reckless act, how is that justifiable? It’s fundamentally unfair, and filing an appeal seems unlikely.”
Frank also questioned the referee’s decision not to rule out Liverpool’s second goal due to what he believes was a foul on Romero by Ekitike.
“After Simons’ red card, our team’s response was commendable,” he remarked. “However, the second goal should have been disallowed as I witnessed a clear push. I fail to understand how that wasn’t called; it seems inconsistent with other similar situations we regularly see where fouls are called but apparently not within the penalty area. That was the most significant error in my opinion, and I would include VAR in that assessment. We continued to press on.”
Frank defended Romero despite his emotional reaction at a critical moment when Spurs were seeking a late equalizer.
“I cannot judge whether the first yellow card was warranted or not,” Frank stated. “Regarding the second yellow, it was just two strong players competing. Konaté definitely made a foul with his tackle; however, that shouldn’t warrant a yellow card. Romero’s reaction could be seen as overzealous, but there’s a chance it could also have gone unpunished.
“Players need to maintain their composure on the field, regardless of their role as captain. Romero has been a passionate and dedicated player for this club over the years.”