West Brom manager Steve Bruce comments on Jake Livermore’s red card in Sheffield United loss

West Bromwich Albion manager Steve Bruce has had his say on the incident which saw Jake Livermore receive a red card in the Baggies 2-0 defeat to Sheffield United.

Livermore was given his marching orders towards the back end of the first-half for a two-footed lunge on Conor Hourihane but Bruce believes the referee got the decision wrong.

“I thought the red card was harsh,” claimed the Albion boss.

“I thought it was a decent challenge.

“There was one by me 15 minutes earlier where the referee doesn’t give a free-kick nevermind a yellow card so, it’s that inconsistency.

“Up until then I was just thinking how much I’ve missed the honesty and how refreshing the Championship is. There’s genuine challenges around the pitch that you don’t get away with in the Premier League.

“However, I thought the referee got it wrong unfortunately.

“And what they have to bare in mind, as soon as they give a red card it spoils the spectacle. It was a good game up until then. Ten men, it gives us too much to do.

“The spectacle is about a challenge and look if it was really really dangerous or reckless - but when you see it - and I’ve seen it, I don’t think it is at all. He’s played the ball. It was no more than the tackle that was next to me.

“As I said, the refreshing thing about the Championship is the honesty of it. The referees are different. You don’t get away with those sorts of challenges in the Premier League but we’ve seen two or three of the same sort of things that Jake did today that the referee has let go.”

Livermore is facing a four game ban due to this being his second dismissal of the season unless a successful appeal is made by the Baggies.

Due to Bruce being pretty positive that it wasn’t a red card offence, he says that it’s something that they way well look at.

“Well we’ll have a look tomorrow and see what the process is,” he added.

“If I feel that it’s right and we’ve got a chance then I’ll look at it and have a clear view. It all depends on the views that we’ve got.

“I’ve seen it where I was on the pitch and I thought he played the ball.”

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