By JAMES COHEN
Published: 03:49 EDT, 3 April 2025 | Updated: 03:54 EDT, 3 April 2025
Fans have ripped into David Moyes after he defended James Tarkowski's horror challenge on Alexis Mac Allister following the Merseyside derby.
The Everton defender was lucky to avoid a red card for the reckless tackle on Liverpool's Argentinian midfielder, which drew criticisms from Sky Sports' pundits.
Ex-Reds defender Jamie Carragher slammed the 'shocking' decision by VAR not to send off Tarkowski while Everton legend Duncan Ferguson later agreed.
Moyes, however, defended the tackle and suggested it was fitting for the occasion. In a post-match interview he said: 'First thought it was a brilliant tackle for a derby game. A tackle we would have seen a few years ago.
'I understand nowadays things are slightly different with follow-throughs. We might have got a bit lucky, don't put that with the goal because the goal was a different incident that won Liverpool the game.'
It didn't take long for fans to share their opinions on Moyes' comments and labelled him 'embarrassing' for his bold take.
David Moyes defended James Tarkowski's horror challenge on Alexis Mac Allister
Tarkowski was lucky to avoid a red card for his high challenge on Mac Allister in the first half
Tarkowski had been booked for his challenge on the Liverpool star and VAR didn't upgrade it
One fan wrote: 'It's a bit embarrassing a current Premier League Manager in David Moyes doesn't know the rules of the Game'.
'Really poor that from Moyes. Not knowing the rules of offside and calling Tarkowski’s tackle brilliant. Stick to your hoofball physical tactics', another said.
'Got to love moyes, ignores pickford, and tarkowski trying to break players' legs,' one user wrote.
Another said: 'Oh so according to Moyes they were ‘slightly lucky’ with the Tarkowski tackle but our goal was definitely offside. Perfect manager for the blue s***'.
In the 11th minute of the match, Everton's stand-in skipper cleared the ball but launched off the ground and clattered into Mac Allister with his follow-through.
Afterwards, Liverpool boss Arne Slot said: ‘Even people who do not like Liverpool a lot are saying how clear and obvious (a red card) it was.'
Referee Sam Barrott gave a foul on the pitch and immediately produced a yellow card for Tarkowski. VAR checked the incident but quickly decide it was neither worthy of a red card, nor a second look via a monitor by Barrott.
The Premier League put out a statement on X minutes later which read: 'The referee’s call of yellow card for a reckless foul by Tarkowski was checked by the VAR, with contact on the follow through after Tarkowski had played the ball deemed to be reckless.'
Everton legend Duncan Ferguson, renowned as a tough man during his playing days, made his feelings clear during his half-time punditry stint for Sky Sports.
Fans were quick to question Moyes' comments and took their frustrations to social media
The Argentina star needed treatment after the forceful tackle in the 11th minute at Anfield
'[Tarkowski] knows what he's doing,' said the Scot.
'He's gone straight through him and that could have been a legbreaker. That's a straight red all day long.
'It's the referee's first derby, maybe he's a bit nervous. But he should have been taken to the monitor.'
Tarkowski later appeared to apologise to Mac Allister shortly after full-time at Anfield, after the defender could be seen deep in conversation with his counterpart.