Former Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has criticised Ryan Gravenberch after Liverpool’s devastating defeat at Anfield following a 3:0 defeaatom home. During the match, Ryan Gravenberch was sent off, which helped seal the Reds’ defeat at Anfield.
The former United Striker and retired England international described Ryan Gravenberch’s second yellow card as “Naive and Stupid”, arguing that the midfield was reckless despite picking up the first yellow, which eventually led to a red card.
Facing a stronger team like Manchester City is one big disaster no English team wants, given how strong and organized City is.
The dismissal of Ryan Gravenberch left Liverpool with just 10 men, en and their desperate attempt to fight their way back into the game even made the whole situation difficult for the Reds.
Manchester City Take Control at Anfield
Winning at Anfield is no joke. However, Manchester City did it in style by securing a 3:0 victory over Liverpool on Sunday after a red card was shown to Liverpool midfielder Ryan Gravenberch after he received a second yellow card, leaving fans disappointed and furious over his careless display on the pitch, which led to his dismissal.
The second yellow came around the 62nd minute after a careless challenge on Jeremy Doku.
With the red card being shown to Ryan Gravenberch, Liverpool tried to protest the card to change the referee’s decision, but Chris Kavanagh stood by his call. The Reds have no choice but to play with 10 men.
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Image Credit: Goal.com
Rooney Questions Gravenberch’s Decision
According to reports reaching us, Rooney spoke on Match of the Day, where he questioned why Gravenberch took such a risk when he was already on a yellow card. According to the Former Manchester United Striker, he believes that Liverpool midfield should have shown greater awareness of the danger of playing recklessly when on a yellow card already.
In Wayne Rooney’s words, he said
“When you’ve been booked, and you’re on a yellow card, then you leave yourself in a position where you can get a second yellow card and be sent off,” Rooney explained.
“It’s a bit naive and stupid for that second yellow card.”
The former England international ensured his message was passed properly to the Liverpool Team and fans so they can take note of their blunders. Rooney believes that a team like Liverpool needs a high level of discipline when they are playing ahigh-pressure match, particularly when one of their player is booked and already a time bomb ticking waiting for the referee dismisal. He went further to question the referee’s decision to book Gravenberch.
Rooney Also Questions the First Yellow Card
Rooney went ahead to criticise the first yellow card that was given to Ryan Gravenberch, which he considered harsh. However, he was critical of the midfielder’s second booking. Ryan Gravenberch was booked as a result of the challenge he made on Elliot Anderson shortly after half-time. According to Rooney, he believed it wasn’t a foul as Ryan Gravenberch was attempting to tackle and win the ball,l but in the end, in an attempt to win the ball, he made contact with Anderson’s foot after the opponent’s touch. In his own words, Rooney said:
“I think the first yellow card is harsh,” Rooney said.
He went ahead to add, saying Gravenberch went for the ball and the referee should have been considerate and handled the incident differently.
Based on his assessment, he tries to remain neutral and ensures his views are balanced by criticising Gravenberch’s decision-making but also questioning whether the first booking was justified.
Haaland, Doku and Cherki Punish Liverpool Manchester City started the game in full force by attacking massively, which gave them an advantage against Liverpool, with Erling Haaland opening the scoring sheet three minutes after Gravenberch was sent off, putting further pressure on Liverpool.
The second goal came from Jeremy Doku with an impressive curling finish after getting past his marker.
Rayan Cherki scored the final goal to seal the win for Manchester City in the 78th minute of the game with an impressive individual effort.
In the absence of Ryan Gravenberch, Liverpool found it extremely difficult to recover with one man down,n which gave Manchester City an added advantage to play wide.
Liverpool Star Ryan Gravenberch After Red CardImage Credit: Goal.com
What Next for Gravenberch?
With the dismissal of Gravenberch in a very important match like this, Gravenberch will have to face lots of scrutiny following his dismissal from the pitch, particularly on how he managed the game after receiving the first yellow card.
Many fans believe that his inability to control challenges and avoid unnecessary risk was the reason they lost 3:0 to Manchester City at Anfield.
Despite Rooney’s criticism, the former England international suggests that the referee’s decision played a major role in why Liverpool lost.
For Liverpool, this defeat can serve as motivation to do better if they wish to win major leagues.
SportTori verdict: Rooney believes Gravenberch should have been more careful after his first booking, but his criticism of the second yellow card came alongside concerns about the initial decision. The incident is likely to remain a talking point among Liverpool supporters.