Brentford head coach Keith Andrews felt Jeremy Jacquet was “cute and clever” for his role in Yehor Yarmoliuk’s red card in the 2-1 defeat to Liverpool.
Ukraine international Yarmoliuk was sent off in the eighth minute of first-half stoppage time at the Gtech Community Stadium for catching Jacquet with what referee John Brooks called – after going to the VAR monitor – “a headbutting action”.
The Reds defender went to ground in the box – but Andoni Iraola’s men were not awarded a penalty as a corner on the left-hand side had not yet been delivered.
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“We need to look at ourselves first, which we always do. We don’t really tend to look at what part they played within the incident,” said Andrews in his post-match press conference.
“I do think they were cute, clever – but Yarmo needs to do better, so I can understand why it was a red.”
Asked what he meant, Andrews clarified: “If you look at where Jacquet is walking, he’s not looking at the ball, is he? He’s walking in to Yarmo.”
Yehor Yarmoliuk was shown a straight red card before half-time
A further follow-up asked if he felt Jacquet made the most of the contact.
“We focus on us and our actions within that and you can make up your own mind,” he added.
“Yarmo is an amazing young man. I think we need to remember he is young, very young, and he is someone who we love working with and trying to develop. He will learn from it.”
Goals from Victor Munoz and Alexander Isak turned the game in Liverpool’s favour and Andrews conceded Yarmoliuk’s sending off “changes the dynamics of the game”.
To add insult to injury, his side ended the game with nine men after Vitaly Janelt was shown a second yellow card for bringing down Rio Ngumoha on the edge of the penalty area.
“I’ve seen both of Vitaly’s yellows back and where I’m at overall is that I like our players playing with emotion. I think it’s a big part of the way we play,” he said.
After going to the monitor, John Brooks deemed Yarmoliuk to have committed “a headbutting action”
“I like us to play on the edge and, when you do that and you feel like some decisions aren’t fair, that can be very, very difficult for our players. I feel it and it can become very, very frustrating. Our players aren’t robots.
“I’m more alluding to his first one. I think the second one is about his honesty to get back and chase back towards his own goal, which we have in abundance.
“We have a spirit within this team that I think is really, really special. Most midfielders wouldn’t have been able to get back in to even challenge it.
“Could there have been a bit more common sense with the second yellow? I think so.”
Iraola: VAR shouldn’t have intervened on Liverpool penalty
Iraola, meanwhile, felt the officials were wrong to overturn the Liverpool penalty award before Lewis-Potter’s Brentford opener.
Iraola agreed that Dango Ouattara touched the ball while challenging Alexis Mac Allister but insisted VAR should not have intervened, as was the case for Nottingham Forest’s penalty against his side in their 2-2 draw at the City Ground in August.
A penalty won by Alexis Mac Allister was ruled out after a VAR review
Alisson was controversially penalised for fouling Neco Williams in that game but the key match incidents panel unanimously agreed that it did not reach the threshold for a VAR check and Iraola feels the same logic should have applied to Saturday’s incident.
He said: “I think Dango touches the ball. I don’t think it’s a penalty. But also I don’t think the VAR should intervene in that situation because there is clear contact after.
“I remember in the Nottingham Forest penalty against us this season, where they tell us it’s not a penalty, VAR is not going to intervene because there is contact.
“So I think it’s a very similar situation. I wouldn’t call it a penalty, live.
“I think after watching the replay Dango arrives to touch the ball a little bit. But the way they explained to me the situation against Forest is exactly that one.
“I don’t think the VAR should intervene.”
