Don Hutchinson amazed live on TNT Sports by ‘harsh’ Edson Alvarez call in West Ham United v Olympiacos
Don Hutchinson felt the yellow card awarded to Edson Alvarez in the first of the Europa League clash between West Ham and Olympiacos was a “harsh” decision.
Alvarez was cautioned in the first half of Thursday’s (9 November) contest at the London Stadium after sliding in on opposition player Sotiris Alexandropoulos.
Hutchinson, commentating on the game for TNT Sports, did not believe a free-kick should have been awarded, never mind a yellow card.
“I don’t think it’s a foul,” he said [9 November, 20:21]. “But if you’re giving a foul, then the yellow seems harsh.”
Seven in 14
Alvarez should know better than to slide in on a player from behind, as he did on Alexandropoulos.
It was something players could get away with before, perhaps explaining why Hutchinson – who had two spells with West Ham in his playing days – did not believe it was even a free-kick.
The Mexico international is certainly no stranger to entering the referee’s book, with this his seventh booking in 14 games already this season in all competitions.
Indeed, he was cautioned 10 times in Eredivisie for Ajax last season, leading to a suspension – something David Moyes could do without right now.
Tough-tackling is what Alvarez’s game is built on, though, and he has ‘only’ been sent off three times in his career, so he clearly knows where the line is.
After what we have seen from him so far in a West Ham shirt, it is hard to imagine him changing his game anytime soon.
In other West Ham news, one of Alvarez’s team-mates was slammed for something “stupid” he did in the same game.