Curtis Jones was at the center of attention during Liverpool’s match against Tottenham, and former Manchester United defender Gary Neville believes the young midfielder was treated unfairly when he received a straight red card.

Neville, reporting on Sky Sports, stated that the red card was excessive and that Jones had engaged in the challenge sincerely. According to the Daily Mail, Neville said:

‘His foot simply slips. He’s gone to make a tackle on the ball. It’s not a red card, but he’ll almost certainly get one, which will destroy the game. You can look at it in two ways. You slow it down all day and it appears to be a leg breaker. It’s one of those when he went in sincerely and his foot slipped.

‘I’m never certain anymore. My first thought was that it wasn’t a player looking to do the opposing player.’

Jones surged in with a tackle on Yves Bissouma in the 25th minute. Jones was first given a yellow card for the challenge by referee Simon Hooper. However, Hooper stepped to the VAR screen, causing the game to be significantly delayed. Jones’ yellow card was overturned after the review, and the 22-year-old Scouser was sent off.

The former defender’s remarks shed insight on the ongoing football argument about how tackles are assessed and if purpose should be the primary determining element in giving cards. Despite the challenge’s initial appearance, Neville was convinced that Jones’ aim was not malicious.

Was Curtis’ red justified?

The incident that resulted in Jones’s dismissal undoubtedly brought a dimension of drama to the game, with both fans and experts weighing in on the decision.

While some may argue that the red card was merited, Neville’s point of view highlights the difficulty of analyzing such scenarios in real time. However, the consequences are only on Liverpool’s side, as Jones will be unable to play in our next three Premier League games. Going into these crucial games without one of our most important players will be difficult, and it will give Jurgen Klopp a headache, a terrible one.

The nature of this red card will continue to be a matter of discussion in Liverpool circles in the coming weeks.

It’s another illustration of the difficulties officials confront when making quick decisions, often at the expense of the game. In this scenario, it appears that the referees made a problematic decision.