BBC pundit has strong words for Marco Silva after latest Everton defeat

BBC Sport pundit Garth Crooks has said that Newcastle United attacker Ayoze Perez made the key difference during the recent Premier League meeting against Everton. Toffees boss Marco Silva was levied with the referee shortly after the Magpies’ 3-2 comeback win on Saturday but Crooks has indicated that it was rather Perez, who made the difference on the day.

The Spaniard, who can play in either upfront or in an attacking midfield role, scored two goals following the 80th minute of the game and this ensured that the Magpies scripted a dramatic 3-2 comeback win despite being 2-0 down after the first half where they were guilty of missing a penalty kick.

Speaking after the game, Crooks highlighted that the referee may have made the wrong decision on the offside call for Perez’s winner but the blame should be put on the Toffees defence which failed to keep their nerve unlike the Spaniard, he said: “So, Marco Silva is the latest manager who thinks he can abuse the referee due to his team’s inability to protect a two-goal lead and his goalkeeper’s crisis in confidence? Well, I can tell him that it wasn’t Lee Mason who was responsible for his team’s complete meltdown but Ayoze Perez. The Spaniard ran Everton ragged, never lost his nerve, and never gave up. Unlike Everton.”

The FA are likely to take action on Silva’s outburst based on referee Lee Mason’s report this week and the chances are that the Portuguese could serve a touchline ban similarly to that of Mauricio Pochettino at Tottenham Hotspur. Earlier last month, Pochettino had expressed his frustration towards manager Mike Dean after a corner contributed to Burnley’s goal and that has already witnessed him pay the price with a two-man touchline ban – one of which was served during the 2-1 defeat to Southampton on the road.