Graeme Souness: Kai Havertz ‘dive’ was perfect scenario for a blue card – we could eradicate it from the game

Kai Havertz’ ‘dive’ throughout Arsenal’s conflict with Brentford was the proper situation for a blue card, in line with Graeme Souness.

Soccer rulemakers left the world shocked earlier this 12 months when asserting plans for a blue card to be trialled for dissent and ‘anti-football’ actions.

These may embrace simulation, dishonest and abusing referees, with the punishment being a spell in a sin bin earlier than returning to motion.

These plans have since been shelved, even when the concept of a sin bin being launched remains to be being explored.

Havertz was a central determine in Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Brentford after netting a late winner within the sport, nevertheless Thomas Frank wasn’t impressed resulting from his perception that the German star ought to have already been despatched off.

Having already been booked, Havertz dived within the penalty space as he tried to win a penalty, however as a result of determination going to VAR, no second yellow was allowed to be awarded.

Souness had already spoken about his feeling that Havertz may have been given a blue card for his antics, one thing that he defined on Monday’s White And Jordan.

Requested if he believes {that a} blue card may have been a worthy punishment for Havertz, Souness stated: “100 per cent.

“In the event you ask 100 folks what annoys them most in soccer they’d say it’s diving or pretending they’re injured so we eradicate it in two weeks if we introduce a sin bin.

“What would occur is {that a} staff goes all the way down to 10 males, in some circumstances concede a objective after which lose the sport and so the managers could be after them.

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“I used to be working with Micah Richards on Sky someday and he stated that Jack Grealish ‘buys fouls’. I requested him to elucidate and he stated ‘he buys fouls, he goes down when he’s hardly been touched’

“So that you’re attempting to affect the referee and it doesn’t matter what means you costume it up, you’re dishonest and so in two weekends of the Premier League we eradicate it.”

Jim White then defined a situation the place Havertz spends 10 minutes within the sin bin after which comes out to attain the winner, to which Souness stated: “However possibly Brentford rating in that 10 minutes.

“Are you daft? For 10 minutes he’s off the pitch they usually’re all the way down to 10 males and that signifies that Brentford have an unlimited likelihood to attain a objective and so possibly they win the sport 2-1.”

Simon Jordan added: “The place I agree with Graeme is that if a man is on a yellow card and simulates, I don’t assume he ought to get a blue card, he ought to get a pink.

“However what Graeme’s saying is that if the participant has no offenses on the pitch, no yellow card and so the primary occasion of him doing that sees him get a yellow card, which means there’s no impact on the staff.

“But when that participant will get a blue card and spends 10 minutes off the pitch then it strikes into the participant being consequenced and the staff being consequenced.”

Souness then expanded: “Managers immediately will encourage their gamers to go down within the field and in the event you go down, fake you’re injured.

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“It’s not one thing I ever did and it’s not one thing I inspired gamers to do, however managers immediately will encourage that.

“That’s now half and parcel of our sport and everyone does it – does that make it proper?

“There’s two ways in which the blue playing cards ought to be used, that’s certainly one of them.

“The opposite factor it’s best to use a blue card for is in the event you abuse a referee then go and sit over there for 10 minutes.

“You’re seeking to enhance the sport. All I can say is that after I’ve spoken to individuals who play the sport and individuals who have managed within the sport, after I say what I’ve simply stated they begin to nod their head.

“It’s irritating watching folks throw themselves to the bottom, simulating and dishonest.”

The late winner from Havertz leaves Arsenal prime of the Premier League on objective distinction, with each Liverpool and Manchester Metropolis each inside some extent of them.