“Obviously I’m against it,” the Spurs manager replied. “In many ways, we are talking about a defender who does his best to avoid (conceding) goals.
“It’s a transition, so he’s sprinting back. The ball is sliding down the side and he’s doing everything he can to block that shot.”
“Unfortunately, Isak straightened his leg there and made it look worse than it actually was. That would be a natural reaction for any defender. Or to put it another way, if my defenders don’t do that, I don’t think they’re real defenders.”
“I don’t see it at all. I don’t think I’ve seen anything from Mickey, no reckless challenges. From what I remember, I see him as a very fair and competitive player. That’s one thing. I also know that the two players worked things out, so that’s a good sign.”
Slott was less sympathetic. “It was a reckless challenge for me,” he said.
“The tackle on Xavi Simmons (on Virgil van Dijk) was completely unintentional. I don’t think you would ever get injured in a tackle like that.
“Van de Ven’s tackle, if you make that tackle 10 times, there’s a very good chance that a player will be seriously injured 10 times.”
Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher does not think Van Deven’s challenge on Isak merited a red card. “I don’t think he did anything that a footballer wouldn’t do,” Gallagher told Sky Sports Ref Watch.
“I would be surprised if it was given as a red card anywhere on the pitch. Players always mistime the tackle. He’s a bit late… it’s not a red card. Whether it’s in the penalty box, in the D area, in the center circle or in the other half.”
