Sunderland star 'on the edge' in Newcastle United derby clash after referee decision
Sunderland faced Wear-Tyne derby rivals Newcastle United in the Premier League for the first time in a decade on Sunday.
Jamie Carragher has backed referee Peter Bankes for one key decision made during a frantic opening 45 minutes of Sunderland’s Wear-Tyne derby clash with Newcastle United.
In a first-half of limited opportunities at the Stadium of Light, talking points were few and far between as the North East rivals struggled to create any credible chances to break the deadlock. However, there was a point for discussion when Black Cats defender Nordi Mukiele challenged for a loose ball with Magpies centre-back Dan Burn. The latter was taken off minutes later after receiving treatment following a nasty looking collision between the pair and appeared to take Mukiele’s full force into his chest.
On-field official Bankes opted to show a yellow card to the former Paris-Saint Germain star and Carragher backed the decision from the referee.
He told Sky Sports: “It’s not a great challenge but I think a yellow card is right. He is just a little bit late. They go skidding in, obviously there’s the conditions as well. It’s a really bad bang and you feel for Dan Burn because he’s had to go off the pitch. A yellow card is right in that situation.”
There was also a suggestion that Black Cats striker Brian Brobbey could have received a second yellow card for a challenge on Lewis Miley. Carragher’s fellow pundit Micah Richards believes the forward is ‘on the edge’ after the challenge - but the former Liverpool man insisted the referee managed the situation.
“He’s on the edge, he’s very lucky to be honest,” Richards said of Brobbey’s challenge on Miley. “I think that’s a yellow card and I understand why he wouldn’t want to give it in the derby. The game has been ferocious and we’ve seen yellow cards given.”
Carragher replied: “We have - but I speak a lot about referees managing the game and I think he’s managed a situation there. It might also be a situation for Sunderland when the manager says we’ll bring him off at half-time but for me I’m glad the referee kept it eleven v eleven.”
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