No Everton appeal planned on Jack Rodwell says David Moyes

Oct 3 2011 by David Prentice, Liverpool Echo

EVERTON will appeal against Jack Rodwell’s controversial red card during Saturday’s Merseyside derby – despite manager David Moyes’ initial hopes that the FA might consider rescinding the decision without being asked.

Blues chief executive Robert Elstone said: “Following a review of the video evidence we believe the decision to be wrong and we will be contacting the FA requesting that the red card is rescinded.”

The Blues will submit written documentation to officials at Wembley Stadium today.

Unless the decision is overturned Rodwell will sit out almost the entire month, missing trips to Chelsea and Fulham and the Carling Cup visit of Chelsea.

He would not be available again until the October 29 visit of Manchester United.

Immediately after the match Moyes said: “I would expect the people in power to stand up and say ‘we got it wrong’ because good people admit their mistakes and hold their hand up and accept it.

“I think if you’re in this game there’s no shame in doing that.

“Referees have apologised in the past. Some have picked up the phone and said ‘hey, I got that way wrong.’”

But the Everton manager was bemused by the FA’s decision to send the derby referee in to see both clubs ahead of the fixture.

“I found it really strange that they sent the referee in to see both us and Liverpool this week,” he added. “And I was surprised it was the first game he’s done since the Manchester United game when myself and Steve Round were fined a year ago.

“He’s not had one other Everton game since then.

“It’s up to the PGMO who they pick for games.

“But you wouldn’t expect players or staff to be happy with a decision of that magnitude. When it was 11 v 11 it was a pretty close game, even stevens, and because of that I just thought it ruined the game.

“We always warn the players to be careful. But that sending off today wasn’t to do with bad players’ discipline or anything like that. Nothing to do with that whatsoever.

“We have to be careful we don’t go down the line of ‘another ill-tempered derby’ because it was certainly not that. It was a bad decision. It was nothing to do with the players running around kicking each other.

“I didn’t think it was a foul. But it’s no point me saying that otherwise it’s a manager having a bit of sour grapes.

“Football people – people who watch, people who play and people who write it, have to say it because otherwise all you’re doing is setting up the manager, we get fined all the time and you all think the same as what I’m saying.”

Despite having to play for more than an hour in 80 degree temperatures, however, Moyes did not blame the red card for his side’s defeat.

“At the end of the day it wasn’t the referee who lost us the game,” he added. “We lost because we made a couple of defensive lapses.

“It would have been hard playing Liverpool with 11 v 11 and it became even tougher but I think the players kept at it.

“We had a couple of defensive lapses just when we were maybe beginning to grow into the game.

“With 11 v 11 I thought we were doing okay and getting more than our fair share and it wasn’t a bad game.”

Moyes also had words of reassurance for Rodwell.

“He’s a young boy who’s making his way in the game and for him to go for that is a big day for him.

“We’ll just have to tell him it was wrong and move on from it.

“He’d made a terrific tackle on Kuyt on the touchline just before that,” said the Blues boss.