Sky Sport pundits Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville talk about how influencing referees had helped them as former footballers diffuse potential tough situations.
Carragher mentioned he was avoided getting sent off as he talked his way out. The game between Liverpool and Manchester United on Monday night is keenly awaited, and both pundits shared former experienced playing in such high profile games.
Carragher said when both sides met in 2011, he avoided a red card when he was tackled Red Devils winger Nani.
“I was on favourable terms with the referee Phil Dowd. I got him on my own, pulled him and said ‘he just beat me with skills.’ Everyone is fighting and I got him over like an experienced pro. Did I think it was a red card at the time? Oh yeah. I’ve seen the reaction of all the players but like I said, I got Phil Dowd on his own, had a word with him and we came to some sort of a deal,” Carragher revealed.
The game between the Reds and the Red Devils is set to be explosive, with both sides keen on leaving with a victory. The pressure might result predictably in one or two dangerous situations, so the former players were opening up on how talking with the ref can help.
Neville revealed how he pressured Howard Webb to give Javier Mascherano a red card in 2010.
He said: “I went straight to the referee because one of the big things in these games is if you can get someone sent off, you do it straight away. He [Carragher] knew what I was doing and he would’ve done the same, by the way. In those days, you would go to the referee, talk to him and say ‘are you going to make a decision?’”
