Keith Hackett reacts to Oliver Bostock controversy in West Brom defeat vs Norwich
Keith Hackett believes Thomas Bramall got his call spot on when Oliver Bostock was fouled by Harry Darling.
West Brom crashed out of the FA Cup on Saturday, with Norwich securing a comfortable 3-1 victory at Carrow Road.
Norwich dominated the entire first half, though Albion came on strong after the break, after Alex Mowatt was introduced.
The Baggies found themselves in the opposition half much more often, and on one occasion, Bostock was looking to break into the penalty area, but was fouled by Darling.
Bostock won the free kick, and Darling was booked, and Hackett believes that Bramall was right to make that call, despite protests for a red card.
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Harry Darling avoids red card vs West Brom
Given how much dominance they had in the first half, Norwich would certainly not have wanted to go down to ten men so early in the second.
But many Baggies players and supporters were adamant that Darling should have been sent to the changing rooms for denying a goalscoring opportunity.
Bostock was just about to enter the penalty area, albeit from an angle, with several Norwich defenders racing back into their own box.
And that is why Hackett believes that a yellow card was the right sanction.
Speaking exclusively to West Brom News, the former PGMOL chief said: “It was the correct call to give a yellow card.
“The covering defenders rule out the obvious denial of a goal-scoring opportunity.”
Is Eric Ramsay’s time up at The Hawthorns?
Not only is that an 8-1 aggregate defeat against Norwich for Ramsay, but it’s a seventh-straight game without a win.
Relegation fears are strong, and they will only grow stronger the longer this dismal run continues.
His football has been a turgid watch for the most part, and if results are coming, then that can often be dismissed, but they aren’t, and there are no signs to suggest that they will.
If the trigger isn’t pulled this weekend, then it’s difficult to see when it will be, and that will almost certainly only result in one thing.
Relegation.
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