Wayne Rooney has criticised Ryan Gravenberch for his dismissal during Liverpool’s 3-0 Premier League defeat to Manchester City at Anfield, describing his actions as ‘a bit naive and stupid’.
The Liverpool midfielder was sent off after receiving two yellow cards in a damaging afternoon for the Reds, who struggled to contain Enzo Maresca’s side.
Speaking on Match of the Day, former England striker Rooney questioned Gravenberch’s judgement, suggesting the Dutchman should have shown greater awareness of the situation.
While the decision to dismiss the 24-year-old drew criticism, Rooney felt the former Bayern Munich and Ajax star also had to accept responsibility for his actions.
Jamie Carragher was far less forgiving of referee Chris Kavanagh, describing the decision as ‘shocking’.
Speaking as a Sky Sports pundit, Carragher argued that Gravenberch’s foul was barely worthy of a free kick, let alone a booking that ultimately led to his dismissal.
The former centre-back believed the decision was particularly harsh on Liverpool, who were already facing an uphill battle against their title rivals.
Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola also disagreed with the red card, adding to the debate over Kavanagh’s handling of the incident.
However, the dismissal was only part of a miserable afternoon for Liverpool, who City comfortably beat on home soil.
Enzo Maresca’s side capitalised on their superiority to secure a convincing three-goal victory, delivering another blow to Liverpool’s hopes of building momentum in the Premier League.
The result also underlined the challenge facing the Reds as they attempt to recover from an inconsistent start to the campaign.
Several Liverpool players are struggling for form. Gravenberch has suffered a massive dip since winning the Premier League Young Player of the Season award last year.
Florian Wirtz, Bradley Barcola, Milos Kerkez, and several others seriously need to raise their levels, or the Reds could soon fall out of the Premier League title race.