Paul Merson in disbelief after former referee Mike Dean defends Alexis Mac Allister red card decision for Liverpool
Paul Merson and former Premier League referee Mike Dean have disagreed over the decision to send off Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister.
The Argentine was shown a straight red card by referee Thomas Bramall shortly before the hour mark against the Cherries. The incident occurred as the Reds were in the ascendancy looking to add a third against Andoni Iraola's side.
As the ball broke, Mac Allister caught former Celtic attacker Ryan Christie with a raised foot as he looked to clear following Liverpool's attack.
The Liverpool summer signing left the Scotland international in a heap, and Bramall brandished a red card for the World Cup-winning midfielder on his Anfield debut.
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VAR did not intervene on the incident, although Paul Tierney and Constantine Hatzidakis at Stockley Park did check the passage of play. And the former referee, Dean, believes it was the right decision to send the Reds man off.
He said: "His foot's raised, the guys cleared the ball and the lads caught him. [He's] Probably caught him shin high, foots off the floor, I've got no issues with it. It was looked at by VAR, that's been checked and cleared, it's the right decision from Tom Bramall.
"Common sense as a ref, you can't have that," Dean joked. "He's gone in quite high, there's not a lot of force in the challenge but he has caught him quite high. It's probably a lazy leg, doesn't need to make the challenge, it's caught him on the shin.
"It's not a wrong decision, he's gone in with stoods showing, it's not a wrong decision, VAR would've looked at it, happy with
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