Referee Chris Kavanagh has suspended following Bruno Fernandez controversial red card and Manchester United’s defeat to Tottenham
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes was sent off by Chris Kavanagh on Sunday.
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes was sent off by Chris Kavanagh on Sunday.
Chris Kavanagh will remain on Premier League duty despite the controversial decision to send off Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes.
The official ruled that the Portuguese international displayed serious foul play against Tottenham Hotspur’s James Maddison, on the stroke of half-time. Fernandes came out after the match and disagreed with the decision, as he claimed that the England international also felt that the decision to show a red card was incorrect.
Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher also revealed that the on-field decision was incorrect describing the incident as an “optical illusion” and a yellow card would have been the correct decision.
Kavanagh will return to officiating duty on Saturday, albeit in the VAR hub in Stockley Park, as Everton take on Newcastle United at Goodison Park (5:30pm kick-off). He will be back in the middle on Sunday for Chelsea’s clash with Nottingham Forest.
The referee has been highlighted for criticism following the decision to reduce Manchester United to 10 men, as they trailed 1-0 on Sunday. Gallagher added that he felt Kavanagh was misled by information from the assistant referee, he said: “I don’t think many people, at the time, thought the assistant had any input.
“You hear people say the referee was quick to get the red card out. The referee was led and, in my view, the referee was led incorrectly because of that angle we saw. If you pull all your resources together, I think you come to a far different decision.
“I think the angle from the assistant, that will deceive him,” Gallagher continued. “From that angle, he will say that his foot looked high, but he can’t see his point of contact. He can’t see the intensity or the momentum he’s gained in that – I don’t think he has because he’s come from such a short distance and that’s why it’s not a red card.
“I can understand the referee not seeing it, but the assistant seeing it conveys that message, but it’s got lost.”
United will have Robert Jones officiating their trip to Aston Villa with John Brooks on VAR duty. Erik ten Hag will be hoping to pick up an important win ahead of the international break as they sit in the bottom half of the table with pressure mounting on his position at Old Trafford.
Latest Manchester United news as Ruud van Nistelrooy’s small sample size of player development presents an encouragement for Ineos
Ruud van Nistelrooy
Ruud van Nistelrooy is an obvious choice to take over at Man United if Erik ten Hag departs
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is a man under pressure. After losing 3-0 to Tottenham at Old Trafford, the Red Devils find themselves in a similar position.
Humiliating defeats to AFC Bournemouth, Crystal Palace and Liverpool in the past have all placed the Dutchman under the spotlight. After already losing to Liverpool this season, draws to Crystal Palace and FC Twente were followed by Sunday’s latest pivotal result.
MEN Sport understands that United are set to stick with Ten Hag, for now, but the 54-year-old faces a defining week as he battles for his future. He is expected to remain in charge for the Europa League trip to Porto and Sunday’s fixture at Aston Villa.
Should they go badly, a decision will have to be made during the October international break. After the Villa game, United are not in action until Saturday October 19 when they take on Brentford.
Plenty of names have been floated about since it emerged that Ineos were considering a change in the dug-out towards the end of last season. Recently, Ruud van Nistelrooy’s arrival as assistant manager has led to fans sparking theories that he’s the ready-made appointment if Ten Hag is sacked.
After coaching the youth teams at PSV Eindhoven, Van Nistelrooy spent the 2022/23 season in charge of the first-team, winning the KNVB Cup. He was heavily linked with the Burnley job in the summer before opting to rejoin United.
During his time at PSV, he played a big part in the development of Cody Gakpo and Noni Madueke, who joined Liverpool and Chelsea for a combined fee of £65million in January 2023. In a recent interview with Coaches Voices, Van Nistelrooy elaborated on his passion for player development, something that will be encouraging reading for United.
“Of course, in an academy, development is the number one and winning is two – but I felt that they almost went hand in hand. In the Under-19s, especially, the players know that in the Dutch league you can make your debut at such a young age. Players could jump straight from my team into the first team – and they have to be ready.
That happened with Noni Madueke, for example, and Cody Gakpo was another who went from the Under-19s straight into the first team, making their debut and then playing European football. It’s hard to imagine, but that’s what you constantly tell the players at that age.
Noni Madueke and Cody Gakpo
Noni Madueke and Cody Gakpo progressed through the PSV Eindhoven academy with Ruud van Nistelrooy
“Listen, two months from now you could be playing in front of 30,000 people,” I would say to them. “This is what is expected, with and without the ball, and in transition moments. This is what your lifestyle outside of football should look like.”
“As a player, the most important thing I took from working with Sir Bobby Robson and Sir Alex Ferguson was their relationships with the individual. It’s not a football player; it’s a person. When you reach that connection, you get the best out of people – and from there on you can help them build their careers. I never let that thought go out of my mind.
“Sometimes you have to be tough on them, of course, and sometimes you have to get your arm around them. That mixture is important, but the most important thing is to always be honest and straight. When you have knowledge about the game, and what is necessary at the highest level, you must share it.
“As a coach, or as a mentor within a group of coaches, you just try to help players reach their goals. And it is something that makes you feel really proud when you see young players develop. Of course, Gakpo went on to Liverpool and Noni to Chelsea, but there are a couple more from that time who are now in the PSV first team. The feeling I get when I see this is comparable with winning a league, really.”
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