OPINION
Anton Ferdinand appeared to question West Ham defender Arthur Masuaku’s decision making when remarking on the player’s red card in the 0-0 draw with Aston Villa.
The former Hammers defender was asked if he had any sympathy for the left-back after he received a red card following picking up his second booking in the game after barely making contact with Ahmed Elmohamady or whether he was miffed by the player’s actions.
Ferdinand didn’t rip into Masuaku but questioned whether a player of his experience should have known better than to attempt a tackle in the way that he did when on a booking.
“I think, if you’re on a yellow you don’t want to give the referee the opportunity to give you a second yellow, y’know?” said Ferdinand on Sky Sports News (10:26am, Tuesday, September 17th).
“I mean, the winger is receiving the ball, Arthur is getting close to him, it’s not like he has to dive in there, it’s not like Arthur isn’t quick, he is very very quick.
“So as a centre-back, I’m saying to my full-back get tight but don’t jump in.
“I’d have mixed emotions (after being asked if he would be miffed with the left-back) as you can see there is minimal contact but he’s given the referee a reason to book him, so I’d be mixed as someone who is experienced like Arthur shouldn’t do that.”
Given Ferdinand is right to highlight Masuaku’s experience, the 25-year-old has played 67 times in the Premier League, and is right to point out he has bundles of pace so he could have easily gotten in a better position to rob Elmohamady of the ball, you have to judge him for his poor decision making.
There’s no denying the Aston Villa winger went down easily despite there being not much contact, Masuaku’s arm brushed him, but the Hammers left-back put himself in a dangerous position having gotten that close to the winger when already booked.
Aside from his silly mistake, Masuaku has made the left-back spot his own this season, as he has averaged four tackles per game, 1.5 interceptions per match and achieved a rating of 7.31 across his four league outings in order to seem more reliable at the back. (Source: WhoScored)
However, despite it being a harsh red card, it does seem like Masuaku has thrown doubt on whether he can be counted on by making an avoidable mistake.
