Sky Sports pundit Sue Smith cringes at something ‘naughty’ she saw in West Ham v Wolves clash
Sky Sports pundit Sue Smith has no doubt Vladimir Coufal should have been sent off for a “naughty” challenge as West Ham defeated Wolves 3-0 on Sunday (17 December).
Czech full-back Coufal avoided receiving a card for a crude challenge on Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, with referee Chris Kavanagh only blowing for a free-kick.
Speaking on Sky Sports News (18 December), Smith felt Coufal should have headed for an early bath.
“I thought it was naughty, I agree with the Super Sunday panel, I thought he was a lucky boy, no yellow card, I think that’s a red card,” she said.
Got away with one
There is no escaping the truth that Coufal was a lucky, lucky boy. It was not a good challenge at all and he should definitely have seen red and West Ham completely got away with one.
It was pretty reckless in a game where they were coasting and on another day he really could have cost his side dear, so it is something for Coufal to try and curb in future because you do not want to be in a situation where you put your team under undue pressure.
From David Moyes’ perspective, it will be a case of some go your way, some don’t, and on this occasion it definitely went the way of the Hammers. Every fan knows they have had plenty of horrendous decisions go against them.
Still, the boss will not want to see too many moments where a member of his team do something daft and put the rest under pressure, so he might be having a gentle word in the ear of his first-choice right-back to curb his enthusiasm.
In other West Ham news, the Hammers have triggered an extension for a player who started v Wolves.