Mark Halsey: Gerrard dismissal deserved - but Skrtel and Jones should have also seen red at Anfield

Steven Gerrard can have no complaints with his sending off. He admitted his error and apologised after the match
but perhaps the situation could have been avoided.

Moments before Gerrard’s stamp on Ander Herrera, play could have been stopped following the Liverpool captain’s tough tackle on Juan Mata. If Martin Atkinson awarded a free-kick to Manchester United for the reckless challenge, it might have diffused Gerrard’s frustrations and would’ve certainly prevented the follow-up incident with Herrera.

But credit must go to Stephen Child after television replays showed the assistant clearly describing Gerrard’s actions to the referee. I’m not convinced that Atkinson would have seen the stamp and the assistant’s intervention meant that the correct decision was reached.

And it could get even worse for Liverpool as Martin Skrtel may face retrospective action for his follow-