West Ham v Liverpool controversy as ex-FIFA chief shares if player faces ban
Keith Hackett does not believe Lucas Paqueta will receive a ban after footage emerged from the West Ham United encounter with Liverpool showing an off-the-ball incident.
The Irons’ 5-0 thrashing by Liverpool brought enough of its own concerns but even more started to arise upon the conclusion of the fixture.
Footage emerged after the game of Paqueta seemingly attempting to strike Diogo Jota off-the-ball, which could have led to retrospective action, but Hackett exclusively told West Ham Zone that is unlikely to happen.
Hackett explained: “They’ll not go for retrospective action. The FA tend to avoid that.”
Lucas Paqueta is a lucky boy at West Ham
Had the officials spotted the incident at the time, Paqueta could very well have received a red card for perceived violent conduct, but with the FA reluctant to hand out retrospective bans, he may be fortunate if he gets away with it.
It wasn’t the only thing he got attention for in the game, with a dire performance to go alongside it as the Hammers once again embarrassed themselves on home soil in front of what Alan Pardew described as a “tough crowd”.
While Paqueta’s availability is certainly a positive, his performances need to improve massively from the one at the London Stadium if the Irons are to have any chance of turning their season around.
Pressure continues to grow on Julen Lopetegui, with fan unrest becoming more and more evident every day, and it is absolutely warranted given what supporters have endured so far this season.
Any decision on the Spaniard’s future is going to have a telling impact on how the rest of the season can pan out for the Hammers.
In other West Ham news, one player in particular left Gabby Agbonlahor puzzled.
For more West Ham news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp channelfor instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.