Should ‘Reckless’ Tottenham star have been cautioned vs Everton?; Former PGMOL chief increasingly concerned

The Spaniard has been appreciated more for his abilities in the final third of the pitch, while his defensive side still remains a question mark every now and then. And last weekend, given that the North Londoners took over Everton, it was known that he would be lining up against Jack Grealish.

David Moyes has been able to get Grealish firing on all cylinders again, and that is why it was a sketchy start for the former Sporting Lisbon defender when facing him. And it was only after seven minutes when he clattered into the Man City loanee. But he was lucky to escape any booking for it from Craig Pawson.

And former referee and former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett believes that the Spaniard was reckless. He admitted that Porro should have been punished. He also spoke about concerns with these types of tackles. Speaking in an exclusive interview with Ibrox News (as relayed by Tottenham Hotspur News), Keith expressed his discontent with what he was watching at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. He said:

“I am becoming increasingly concerned with these types of challenges where the player deliberately lands his boot on top of his opponent’s boot and ankle area.

“The challenge at minimum is reckless and should receive a yellow card.”

TTLB Opinion

With Jack Grealish on the flank, you know that he is going to try to get the better of his marker in a 1v1. You need to keep him from his feints and trickery. But it was only true to a point. There were times when Grealish could easily find spaces and get into threatening zones.

And on the defensive side of the game, while Porro managed five (5) clearances, he only won 3 of the 7 ground duels he attempted (via Sofa Score), which comes in line with the defensive frustrations of the supporters.

But Porro did also deliver a brilliant ball for Van de Ven’s second goal. So maybe it is also about focusing on the positives.