“I’ve never seen anything like it” - James Tarkowski on Michael Keane’s dismissal | OneFootball

James Tarkowski believes that the referee’s decision to show Michael Keane a red card was “bizarre” and that his teammate had his arm raised in a routine defensive action.

"I've never seen anything like it, I thought the decision [to send off Keane] was just bizarre,” Tarkowski said in the aftermath of the 1-1 draw with Wolves.

"I've just seen it back. First of all, I understand the rule that if someone pulls someone's hair intentionally, then I get that. There are a couple of components to it, really.

“First, Michael Keane is the most placid, nicest fella I know, so he's never got any intention of causing harm to anyone. He's gone to challenge for the ball and the hair is where his hand is to put his hand in his back. That's how you defend, otherwise you're just going to end up smashing your head into the back of someone else's head. There's no intention to pull the hair and maybe an experienced referee, who knows the player Michael Keane is, knows he's not the player to do that. I think this is the referee's second game in the Premier League, so, obviously, he doesn't know the players very well yet.

"[The referee] has to [take context into account]. It can't just be a law and [applied] the same for every situation. Keano's hand has to go on his back – that's how you head the ball to protect yourself. I even spoke to the lad after the game and he was saying he wasn't asking for a red card, he just felt a pull on his hair and was asking for a foul, so even he didn't feel like it was violent conduct. If that decision stays it's a three-match ban for something that is absolutely nothing."

Keane scored the first-half opener for the Blues before receiving his marching orders in a chaotic second half. Grealish followed him to the dressing room shortly after for picking up two quick yellow cards for dissent and sarcastically applauding the referee.

"I think we're all frustrated at that point,” Tarkowski spoke about the Grealish dismissal.

“When you see the decision given against Keano, we're all frustrated. Jack will hold his hands up and say he's got to remain composed there because we need our players on the pitch at that point – it's difficult enough with 10 men, nevermind nine.

"I'm sure he'll be disappointed because we needed him on the pitch at that moment, but we dealt with it in the end. We get a point, it's obviously disappointing, because we want to win games and tonight we didn't but to finish with nine men, we take the point and move on."

Reader Comments (45)

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Mick O\'Malley 2 Posted 08/01/2026 at 12:26:37

What a load of shite Tarkowski is chatting there, how can you accidentally pull someone's hair?

You could see the lad's head move backwards, there was no need to do it at all, there was no danger. It was a stupid thing to do.

I'm not having that we are being picked on or the refs are bent or the Premier League don't like us, that's just losers nonsense.

It's just making excuses for another piss poor performance against a bottom 3 team. We are conceding goals galore and we create fuck-all at the other end.

Rob Dolby 3 Posted 08/01/2026 at 13:25:34

If only ToffeeWeb had a a resident expert, maybe like ref watch to come on here and debunk the Tarkowski explanation!

After all, he doesn't know what he is talking about as the expert has seen it in slow motion on the TV and knows better than anyone.

Mike Powell 4 Posted 08/01/2026 at 14:25:04

Yes, it was a piss poor performance...

But it doesn't take away the fact their player should've been sent off for that nasty tackle from behind on Armstrong.

Ian Pilkington 5 Posted 08/01/2026 at 14:33:16

Michael.

Irrespective of Tarkowski's comments, how on earth can pulling a pony tail be classified as dangerous?

Only in the mind of the grossly incompetent Chris Kavanagh who typically has been recently rewarded with promotion to the elite (sic) panel of Uefa referees.

I don't think anyone in the stadium, including Wolves fans, had any idea why play was stopped for this incident.

After sitting in the cold for two successive matches to witness Moyes's inept team selection and game management, this was the last straw.

Tony Abrahams 6 Posted 08/01/2026 at 14:43:25

I don't think Tarkowski is talking shite, Mick, except when he talks about a very inexperienced referee. It was obvious to everyone that, once the decision to send him to the screen had been made by the very experienced Chris Kavanagh, there was only going to be one outcome.

Sly, cynical and sinister... and you could probably throw in another dozen adjectives to describe some of the decisions that have gone against Everton over the years courtesy of Kavanagh.

Edward Rogers 7 Posted 08/01/2026 at 15:46:31

To be honest, up until the Keane incident, I thought the ref was having a decent game.

VAR is the culprit here as the ref is too early in his career to have the balls to overrule Kavanagh.

Darren Hind 8 Posted 08/01/2026 at 15:47:45

There can be few people in world football who have been involved in more aerial duels than James Tarkowski. I can't believe Evertonians are saying he doesn't know what he is talking about. If he doesn't know what he is talking about, we may as well all fuck off home.

He tells us he has never seen anything like it before. That's because he hasn't. Neither has anybody else. And please don't give the Cucurella incident. This was an aerial duel.

This is one of those "Niasse moments" were an Everton player is sent off for something nobody else has ever been sent off for and nobody ever will again.

Why does it happen to us? Because we accept it. Instead of being outraged. We have many within our camp agreeing with this cretinous decision.

Anyone who has played the game knows that aerial duels nearly always involve tussling, pulling, grabbing, pushing and wrestling. It's nigh-on impossible not to have an arm, a neck, a shoulder, or a shirt grabbed. When you have two athletes wrestling for a high ball, one of them will either grab or be grabbed. Often, it is six of one and half a dozen of the other.

Keane definitely made a grab for something but the suggestion that, in the middle of a physically contested battle in the air, he took a look at a ponytail and made a conscious decision to grab it, is just absurd. If the guy's hair wasn't in the way, he would have grabbed his shirt and nobody would have even called for a foul.

There was no attempt to stop the Wolves boy jumping. Nor was there a serious yank of the head to stop him heading it. It was a grab when both players were on the way down.

While other clubs would be screaming their outrage and demanding Kavanagh never get near another game again, we sit here shrugging our shoulders, saying the twat was right.

Violent conduct??? My big fat hairy arse!!!

Rob Dolby 9 Posted 08/01/2026 at 16:01:54

Darren @8, Absolutely spot on.

Remember the phantom penalty the VAR spotted when Keane stood on the Brighton player's foot? If that was any of the big boys, they would be moaning like mad.

Dyche had a go last week about his game v Man City. He wouldn't have said that whilst with us.

Lampard was the last manager to speak out and that got him a fine.

And as you say, people on here are agreeing with some of decisions against us. We aren't the only club on the end of it. Wolves had a torrid time last season and put a motion forward to reject VAR. At that point, the other 14 clubs should have backed them to get rid of it but instead not one club backed them.

A proper 2 fingers up to the fans of all clubs, selling themselves out for the TV money and not protecting the integrity of the game.

Last week, regarding the Liverpool offside goal, a former ref advised there is a 5 cm tolerance in the Premier League for offside! Who the hell knew that? And when does that get applied and to whom?

The game is as bent as a dog's back leg.

Rob Dolby 10 Posted 08/01/2026 at 16:12:51

Edward @7,

I thought exactly the same about the young ref.

In this instance, regardless of seniority, if the VAR instructs them to go to the screen, whatever the decision is will get over-ruled.

If he didn't change his mind, he would get marked down, and similar to the clapping incident.

Has a ref ever stuck to their original decision? There must be a couple, probably against a lower team.

Mike Gaynes 11 Posted 08/01/2026 at 16:15:16

No, Darren, they were on the way up. The grab came before the ball arrived and the player was held down sufficiently to prevent him from challenging for the header. He had every right to ask for the foul.

As for the red, Edward #7, that's on Kavanagh, not the young ref. As Tony #6 says, there is no way in the world that a kid in his second Premier League game who has been called to the monitor is going to tell a Uefa elite referee (Kavanagh was just promoted) to shove it, that it wasn't "violent" enough and he's not gonna give a red card.

Furthermore, the kid wasn't intimidated by Grealish's celebrity and gave the self-absorbed dickhead exactly what he had coming. I thought he did an excellent job.

Tony Hughes 12 Posted 08/01/2026 at 16:20:49

5 cm tolerance for offside?

How the fuck do they measure that? Micrometers at the ready

Rob Dolby 13 Posted 08/01/2026 at 16:25:54

Mike @11,

From my seat, the Wolves striker did not appeal and reacted to the ball still in play. It was only when the ball went out of play and ref stopped the throw-in did the striker say something to the ref. Hardly violent conduct.

If you think that's violent conduct, how would you describe any form of physical contact in the game?

The Wolves player squaring up to Rohl during injury time? Hwang's rake on Armstrong. Both of their centre-backs must have gone down feigning injury at least 6 times during the game. Where any of those violent conduct?

The game has gone as a physical contest but is classed as clever when a player dives to earn an advantage. Pretty sad reflection of the modern game.

Darren Hind 14 Posted 08/01/2026 at 16:33:06

Don't you start, Mike.

I blame you Yanks for all this VAR shite!

Tony Abrahams 15 Posted 08/01/2026 at 16:37:39

I don't think the Wolves player had won many headers. He actually didn't really look that interested in trying to win that type of header, but he did look a lot more interested in trying to get a hold of the ball, to try and introduce another phase of play for his team.

The ref could and should have done what his much more experienced colleague who was advising him from the VAR room did the other week when Van Dijk did something similar to what Jack Grealish did last night. But I think, after sending Keane off, the power had already gone straight to his head.

Tony Abrahams 16 Posted 08/01/2026 at 16:40:31

I'd just like to agree with Rob D, whilst adding that this very sad indictment of the modern game is definitely going to start slowly driving the match-going fan away.

People will disagree, but I can see it slowly happening to certain clubs in the near future.

Liam Mogan 17 Posted 08/01/2026 at 17:13:45

I didn't like the ref. On the live forum he was getting lots of credit for his performance in the first half.

He looked like he wanted to be noticed to me, like a young Clattenberg who was everything I thought a ref shouldn't be. He gave a needless yellow card to a wolves player in the first period after a decision was questioned.

There's reffing and theres managing a game. He wasnt particularly good at either.

Still, the furore over the cards shouldn't mask the fact that anyone with eyes could see we needed to change something after 5/10 mins of the restart. Even the Wolves manager said he expected more intensity from us.

Whether it was tired players, a change in system, fresh legs etc is a point for debate. But it is the managers job to recognise that and DO something. Not just sit there with Alan Irvine gormlessly looking at an ipad like Waldorf and Statler.

Its not good enough. 2 points thrown away needlessly.

Laurie Hartley 20 Posted 09/01/2026 at 02:29:40

Rob # 13 - the Wolves player did react he gesticulated with his arm and shouted at the ref but then got on with it because Wolves were threatening from the right wing.

As for the hair pull I have looked at the replay. Keane definitely grabbed a handful as they were going up and pulled it down as he was leaning in to head the ball.

It’s a pity because he scored a brilliant goal - he picked his spot, and was unlucky not to get a second with a terrific header. Not only that, and much to my surprise and many others, he has been our best defender this season.

Maybe I am just old fashioned but a footballer grabbing another man’s hair? I think it’s indefensible violent conduct or not. Or maybe the game has changed so much that anything goes if you can get away with it.

Pulling players back by the arm because they have gone past you, fouling a player on the break in their half because the worst you will get is a yellow, and grabbing players round the chest in the box so they can’t even move let alone jump for a header. It is cynical and has gotten out of hand.

The real questions that Tarkowski should be asking after the game are why was I so poor in this and the last game and why is my passing so shit.

This Keane card really has provided a smokescreen for some. Right Moyes? Right Tarkowski?

I have deep respect for Keane, but Tarwkoski's gamesmanship cuts no ice with me.

'He's gone to challenge for the ball and the hair is where his hand is to put his hand in his back. - here's no intention to pull the hair'.

The ball is on the way. Keane jumps. His left hand is on Tolu's left arm. His right hand is pulling Tolu's hair in the middle of his back. Keane put his had there not on what remained of the right side of Tolu's back.

Reverse things Tarkowski. Not ' the hair is where his hand is', but 'the hand is where his hair is'. 'No intention' or in Davey's word, it was not 'deliberate'. Keane knew what he was doing - minute 3.08 tells me all that I need to know:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGm6BG1cGS0

Now, whether it was a red is another matter altogether. But Keane gave noted bloodsucker Chris Kavanagh the opportunity to impose himself on a novice referee and there was only going to be one outcome. Keane was at the least fucking stupid and I can see why some believe that he did deliberately pull Tolu's hair.

The 3.08 freeze-frame can look like deliberate pulling rather than - what? - Keane steadying himself, doing what defenders do.

22 Posted 09/01/2026 at 04:22:23

Got to agree with Keane critics. He clearly pulled his pony tail pulling his head back to prevent him heading. How that is standard CB defending is beyond me. It was a stupid thing to do. Red card? Not in my opinion but by the letter of the stupid soft laws then yeah.

Paul Griffiths 23 Posted 09/01/2026 at 04:48:52

Another thing Mr. Tarkowski, it's hardly in the style of a proper captain to blame your teammates for your mistakes, is it? Well done Jordan on calling him out for it.

Steve Brown 24 Posted 09/01/2026 at 05:35:47

My reaction when I saw it was that it was a bit daft from Keane, and a yellow card would have been sufficient.

As Tony @ 6 said, once Kavanagh in the VAR booth intervened then the pressure on a young referee was immense.

VAR as currently used is too intrusive and interventionist; it disempowers the referee and puts too big a spotlight on physical challenges like these. For a start, the VAR team should not be talking real-time when the ball is in play.

They should intervene on offside and penalty incidents only. It should be up to the referee to invite them to look at other incidents he/she wants a second opinion on.

Darren Hind 25 Posted 09/01/2026 at 06:58:35

"Got to agree with Keane's critics. He clearly pulls his Pony tail pulling his head back to prevent him heading the ball"

Nope. Looked all over every website and have'nt seen anyone say he tried to prevent him heading the ball. This debate is best left to the people who witnessed the incident rather than those who picked it up when trading nasty gossip with like minded people two days later

The referee sent him off for violent conduct. Not because he won the ball unfairly. Although I do appreciate how that would be seen as violent conduct down the baggy.

Paul

Couldnt agree more. Been calling for Tarkowski to be dropped for weeks. He's been doing it for two seasons and people have been buying it. I even wrote after the Brentford game on here that the more mistakes he makes. The greater the call for Keane to be dropped

Paul Griffiths 26 Posted 09/01/2026 at 07:11:38

Hope you're well Darren mate.

Not an option for 3 games, but O'Brien/Keane in the middle, Tarkowski on the bench. We might disagree about the hair-gate episode Darren, but Keane has been more reliable than JT and scores.

Keane gets so much flak. Eve his courage to reveal his mental health issues was berated. Now I think he was dumb v Brentford, but overall he's a more solid option than Tarkowski, except when O'Brien was shifted to the middle at Forest.

Perhaps the key thig here is not JK or MK in the middle but shit tall Jake there?

Darren Hind 27 Posted 09/01/2026 at 07:58:29

Keanes made more than his fair share of fuck up's down the years, Paul and while I can sympathise with the mans mental health problems. I don't believe it should be taken into consideration when judging the players performance. Once he has declared himself fit. Fans can only judge on what they see. That said. Although he's been far from perfect this season. He has been comfortably our best defender.

I think people have their favourites, Some are even biased due to the players nationality, but despite my ancestry I will not be viewing O'Brien through green tinted glasses. We've had enough of that shite for with Seamus.

O'Brien has been poor this season. Sometimes very poor. The claim that he is playing out of position will only carry so much water. Playing out of position may not get the best out of a player, but it doesnt make him repeatedly lose concentration, or his man, It doesnt make him give the ball away repeatedly. It doesnt make him stop/start like he did for the Wolves goal (unforgivable). It doesnt make you think you are a volleyball player and it certainly doesnt exonerate you from running up a charge sheet like your team mates.

As you say. The decision will make itself fot the next three games and I would like to think a JOB/Tarkowski partnership can tighten up a very poor defence. Although those who think JOB will drag Tarkowski up the pitch are totally deluding themselves.

Moyes has a reputation for his great defence. A decent amount of clean sheets would support that perception, but anybody who watches this team regularly knows how easily it capitulates when the opponents smell blood.

Our defenders have been way short of the adequate this season. Age. speed. Players out of position and poor tactics can all be used as excuses. The simple fact is they have all individually been gash.

Ian Bennett 28 Posted 09/01/2026 at 08:16:28

Moyes has a reputation for his great defence. A decent amount of clean sheets would support that perception, but anybody who watches this team regularly knows how easily it capitulates when the opponents smell blood.

The defence he's inherited, is probably a worst version of what he got from Walter. Stubbs, Weir, Yobo, Unsworth, Naismith, Watson, Pistone, are all far better defenders than what hes got now. And certainly way off Jagielka, Lescott, Baines Distin etc.

Moyes is twelve months into the gig, and 1 transfer window deep. His only defensive signing being Aznou. He is having to make do with what he's got.

As posted previously, there isn't a huge queue of clubs wanting Tarkowski, Keane, Mykolenko, Patterson, Coleman. And there is a reason for that.

Darren Hind 29 Posted 09/01/2026 at 08:33:09

Ian

I actually said the players have been crap. You might want to save that rampant hair trigger apologism for a time when Your serial trophy winner actually being criticised.

Tony Abrahams 30 Posted 09/01/2026 at 09:40:18

Reading through a few of these posts regarding the letter of the law, it actually amazes me how many match going fans, are just accepting the letter of these very soft, subjective and therefore very biased laws?

The best way to describe David Moyes, is with some of quick conversations I’ve had with different Evertonians, walking away from Bromley-Moore. (Although I’m aware not everyone feels the same)

It happened again when I left on Monday night, when a fella around my age was walking away from the ground, with someone who looked about half our age.

The kid, was slagging Grealish, for his stupidity, I agreed but also said that I thought the referee could and should have dealt with it better considering the ridiculously soft sending off of Michael Keane.

The older fella said, David Moyes, is responsible for us not winning tonight, and my reply to him was, most people our age would agree with that mate, because we know what he’s like, we have seen it all before, but it’s different with the younger kids, they love him because he’s given them their best days watching Everton.

I never elaborated, the older fella, just rolled his eyes whilst he was nodding his head, but you could tell he was old school and I think most people of a certain age have always expected a lot more for Everton Football Club?

Tony Abrahams 31 Posted 09/01/2026 at 09:43:38

Well I am definitely speaking for myself in that above post, obviously.

Dave Abrahams 32 Posted 09/01/2026 at 09:56:51

Paul (23) Paul I think Jordan is absolutely the wrong player to call anyone out, he rants and raves at everyone even when he’s to blame— even rants at the sky when there’s no one around him, give him his due he saved one point for us with that save, makes great saves and plenty of cock ups as well.

Steve Brown 33 Posted 09/01/2026 at 10:03:23

Ian @ “The defence he's inherited, is probably a worst version of what he got from Walter.”

Not correct.

The number of goals Everton conceded in 23/24 season was the 4th lowest in the premier league. When Moyes was appointed on 11th January 2025, we had the 5th lowest number of goals conceded in the division that season.

He inherited a team from Dyche that didn’t concede goals. The problem was they couldn’t score them either.

Ian Bennett 34 Posted 09/01/2026 at 11:08:49

I meant player by player Steve, per the second sentence of the paragraph.

Pretty much every defender he had from Walter, walk into this team bar Branthwaite. That's how well the club has evolved that Naismith, Pistone are far better players.

Scary stuff.

Steve Brown 36 Posted 09/01/2026 at 13:08:47

Ian, I don't think the centre-backs you listed (Stubbs, Weir, Yobo, Unsworth) would walk into this team.

The full-backs would as we don't have a single quality player at right-back or left-back in the squad.

Raymond Fox 37 Posted 09/01/2026 at 13:40:29

Darren 25, Keane definitely pulls his hair downwards it was as plain as day on M of the D. Whats wrong with a push in back instead.

Its deemed a sending off offence which seems excessive but I suppose its severe to prevent it becoming common.

I said somewhere else why not send them off for 20mins, like rugby does if the offence is not as serious as say jumping in with both feet.

John Collins 38 Posted 09/01/2026 at 14:03:22

Michael Keane is a poor defender.Slow on the turn, loses his man repeatedly through lack of awareness of runs made off him.

Saying that, he has been our best defender this season, although that is no great accolade given the paucity of performance from his fellow defenders.

Darren Hind 39 Posted 09/01/2026 at 15:34:54

Raymond

I have listened to numerous supporters up and down the country calling radio programs to either protest against, or mock the decision to send Keane off. The only people I have heard say it was a correct decision are Evertonians.

We get so many of these unique once-in-a-lifetime decisions against us because we invite them. I swear there is a masochistic cell within our fan base. People who ALWAYS blame our own players no matter how brain numbingly stupid these decisions are.

I've never seen a foul been given for such an offence, let alone a red card. Have you ?

When I see Evertonians spout sanctimonious shite about the letter of the law. I want to scream.. Who's side are they on ?

I suspect another few thousand footy fans will have turned away from the game after watching this Fucking charade. Violent conduct ???? I've seen more violence among the arl ones queuing up for January sales

I would offer this advice to any Evertonian agreeing that this was violent conduct; Stay the fuck away from Aintree on ladies day... You just wont be able to cope

Raymond Fox 40 Posted 09/01/2026 at 16:04:23

Darren, I said I don't think the penalty suits the offence but according to the rules as they stand it was correct.

Its a way over the top penalty for what it was I agree, but we cant pretend it didnt happen.

Darren Hind 41 Posted 09/01/2026 at 19:45:02

I may be wrong, Raymond, but I don't remember seeing anything at all in the rule book about grabbing hair. If it does. I will shut up about it.

I believe this red card has been filed under the one-size-fits-all-charge of "violent conduct. In other words, in the eye of the beholder.

Three gobshites have compounded this moronic decision by closing ranks and defending Kavanagh's disgraceful intervention. Moyes would go up in my estimation if he finds the balls to name them.

Know your enemy!

Laurie Hartley 42 Posted 09/01/2026 at 21:23:05

Darren is correct in saying there is nothing in the rules about grabbing hair so his assertion that it was filed under “one size fits all” is also correct. Here is Law 12:-

Link

My view is it should have been a yellow for unsporting behaviour and Hwang should have been red-carded.

Kieran Kinsella 43 Posted 09/01/2026 at 21:30:41

Laurie

They presently interpret it as "violent conduct". That was the basis for Jack Stephens and Joao Neves both getting red cards for pulling Cucarella's hair.

Darren Hind 44 Posted 09/01/2026 at 21:53:00

I said earlier that the Cucurella situation should be kept out of this debate because the two issues couldnt be further apart. One was really yanking a man back by his hair when he was running flat out - That has to be violent conduct.

The other was simply grabbing an opponents hair without causing any injury or danger to his safety.

I said that because I didnt just know that some clown would come on quoting the Sun and wki word for word. I knew who that clown would be.

Paul Griffiths 45 Posted 09/01/2026 at 21:53:37

I don't think that even the North Wharf Road gang have a free-for-all on pulling hair. It's there lads, pull it. It's just like skin.

Kevin Molloy 46 Posted 09/01/2026 at 21:55:41

the refs are no more entitled to decide what is violent misconduct than anyone in the country. We all know violence when we see it, and this wasn't it.

VAR was only supposed to be used in cases where an obvious injustice had occurred. And I'm sure if the ref had watched that game back, and seen that aerial challenge again, he'd have had his head in his hands 'oh no, what have I done?'

NOT.

They like VAR, they like the controversy, the ability to interfere it gives them, to wag their finger, to say 'this, but not that'. They love it.

Paul Griffiths 47 Posted 09/01/2026 at 22:11:56

Yes Kevin - 46: 'They like VAR, they like the controversy, the ability to interfere it gives them, to wag their finger, to say 'this, but not that'. They love it'.

The point being that stupid Keane gave them the opportunity to get involved (regardless of how any one of us interprets his hand on hair). Something has to happen for them to get involved. Only VAR insisted that it went to VAR and there was only one possible outcome when that happened.