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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
George Smith

Alan Shearer defends Manchester United player Casemiro after red card

Former Newcastle United and England striker Alan Shearer believes Casemiro was harshly sent off during Saturday's 2-1 win over Crystal Palace.

The Brazilian was dismissed with 70 minutes on the clock after a melee broke out on side of the field furthest from the Old Trafford dugout.. United's players took exception to Jeffrey Schlupp's heavy challenge on Antony, which barged him off the pitch, and it resulted in Casemiro clashing with Will Hughes.

The incident was looked at by VAR, resulting in on-field referee Andre Marriner going over to the pitchside monitor and making the decision to show Casemiro his first red card in English football. The angle Marriner was shown suggested that the Brazilian had his hands wrapped around Hughes' neck.

READ MORE: Sir Alex Ferguson's reaction showed how vital United's win vs Crystal Palace was

However, an alternative angle which was not shown to Marriner, looking from the side of the pitch where the incident unfolded, showed that the United ace actually had his hands on Hughes' shirt collar rather than his neck.

However, a different camera angle showed that the former Madrid ace had got hold of Hughes' shirt, meaning the incident did not look as bad. And it was because of that angle of the whole incident that Shearer felt it was a hard decision to send him off.

"There's a melee in the corner, you can see everyone coming together, there's pushing and shoving and grabbing and everything else," Shearer told BBC Sport, speaking on Match of the Day. "And then the referee is actually sent to the screen because of that, but the angle that he's shown – he's shown a still, and then he's showed it in slow motion – in that position [from behind Casemiro] from that angle.

"But there's another angle where it doesn’t look anywhere near as bad. And this angle here [from behind Hughes] you can see it there closely, he's got hold of him, yes, but by the shirt rather than around the neck.

"There's a lot more going on, i.e [Jordan] Ayew on Fred and what have you. You can see there's slaps and pushing and grabbing and everything else."

Casemiro will miss United's next three games unless there is a successful appeal (BBC Spot/Match of the Day.)

Although United boss Erik ten Hag admitted after the game that Casemiro had "crossed a line", the Dutchman confirmed that the club would consider appealing the decision. As things stand, the midfielder will miss the next three league games, ruling him out of the back-to-back clashes with Leeds United as well as the game against Leicester at Old Trafford later this month.

Ten Hag said: "First of all, we have to deal with it and we will do, but it is not right. It shouldn't have happened. And last week, VAR doesn't do anything about the tackle (on Christian Eriksen by Andy Carroll), but this was avoidable and because in this incident there have to be consequences and they are inconsistent and that is not right, that is not fair against us.

"We have to think about [appealing]. But be fair, we have seen when you're freezing (the frame), Casemiro is crossing the line. But many more players were crossing the line there."

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