'At the elite level...' - Jamie Carragher gives damning verdict over what he's spotted seconds after Liverpool red card on MNF
Jamie Carragher has called out his 'frustration' over what happened seconds after Ryan Gravenberch was sent off for Liverpool in their 3-0 defeat to Manchester City at Anfield.
City scored three second half goals to win away from home after Gravenberch was sent off for a second bookable offence following a foul on Jeremy Doku.
Liverpool legend Carragher analysed the red card incident on Monday Night Football and was left surprised by what happened off the pitch in the immediate aftermath.
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'Someone's got to get this sorted...' - Jamie Carragher on Liverpool red card incident
Following Gravenberch's red card, the Sky Sports cameras panned to Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola, who was in conversation with Victor Munoz on the touchline.
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It was at that point which the footage stopped on MNF, with Carragher voicing his 'frustration' over the fact that a substitute was not immediately ready to come on after the second yellow card was shown to Gravenberch.
"We've seen him [Iraola] after about 50 seconds, calling Nyoni back," he said. "My frustration here is, after a minimum of 15 seconds, he's not got his shirt on. Now whether players don't have their shirt on, don't have their pants on, they're not ready to go on for the game."
The question was posed to special guest Steve Cooper, the former Nottingham Forest, Leicester and Swansea manager, about whether it was common for players to not always be ready to come on the pitch.
"It can happen," he replied. "And for a coach, it's a nightmare. So many things to plan for... the last thing you want to be saying to the subs in the dressing room is make sure you're ready to go on. You would hope that would be the case."
Carragher continued: "But listen, we're at the elite level here. There's nothing higher in terms of football. Yes, I understand the manager's head's gone, he's a bit frazzled about the decision. Someone's got to get this sorted quicker."
After Gravenberch's sending off on 62 minutes, Erling Haaland put Manchester City ahead on 65 minutes. It was a further minute before Liverpool midfielder Trey Nyoni replaced Florian Wirtz to cover for Gravenberch's absence.
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Andoni Iraola on Ryan Gravenberch decision
Speaking in his post-match press conference, Iraola criticised the decision to give Gravenberch his first yellow card for a foul on Elliot Anderson - and admitted that the red card created a 'different game'.
"I think the analysis is quite clear," he said. "I think we played two different games - one until the red card and one from the red card until the end. I think we were the better team, until the red card, in the first 62 minutes. And they were better than us, obviously, after the red card and they scored the goals.
"I think the first foul of Ryan is never a yellow card. Never. This kind of game, just a stomp in the big toe or something like minor... he [the referee] doesn't even call the foul straight away - he lets it go. I think Elliot Anderson does a couple of steps, he decides to go down ... it was in the middle of the pitch, no danger there."
Topics: Jamie Carragher, Liverpool, Ryan Gravenberch, Premier League
Ryan Smart