Assistant manager bemoans lack of consistency as Tootle is suspended for Preston game
Neil Baker feels that right-back Matt Tootle was a bit unfortunate to be sent-off for two bookable offences against Doncaster Rovers because of the appalling conditions and the fact that Crewe players had been subject to similar tackles all evening. Baker says he has no complaints about the first yellow card, but says that the challenge for the second one had been occurring all evening in the wet.
Tootle will now serve a one-match suspension at Preston North End this coming Saturday.
Baker told the club’s official web-site: “We have no complaints for the first one but the second one we are not too sure about. It looks as though he has tried to win the ball and in the conditions you can miss-time a tackle. He may have come in from behind a bit but those sort of challenges were happening all night.
“I thought the tackle from behind had been outlawed but with the referee we had, it was a toss of a coin really if he was going to give them or not. Tootle may have deserved it, but then a few minutes later, Byron (Moore) was scythed down and he didn’t even speak to him. It was inconsistent.
“I am sure Matt has never been sent off in his career before because he has never been that type. It is disappointing to lose him because we are not overly blessed with right-backs at the moment because Kelvin (Mellor) is still a bit off.”