Keith Hackett hits out over Matty Cash incident in Aston Villa’s loss to Wolves
Matty Cash could have been sent off in Aston Villa’s 2-0 loss to Wolves on Friday evening.
Cash was eventually booked for a foul on Mateus Mane in second-half stoppage time, but his night could have been much worse.
The Villa star already had a difficult evening, as he won just 50 per cent of his 14 ground duel attempts and lost possession 16 times, per Sofascore.
Unai Emery‘s side were lucky that referee Craig Pawson did not punish the Poland international over a first-half incident, which would have seen his late yellow become a second one.
Read More: Why Matty Cash got it ‘horribly wrong’ in Villa’s loss to Wolves
What did Cash do that could have led to red?
Keith Hackett believes that Cash should have been punished for dragging Mane down in the first 15 minutes of the clash.
He then held onto the ball rather than giving it straight back to the hosts, which the former FIFA-listed official believes should have led to a talking to from Pawson.
Speaking exclusively to Villa News, he said: “Matty Cash should have received a yellow card for sporting behaviour, stopping a promising attack.
“Having shown the yellow card, the referee should then speak to him about holding onto the ball.
“‘I want an improvement in your behaviour’ is all that the referee has to say”
Why Cash could find himself out of the Villa team soon
Cash could find himself dropped for Lamare Bogarde after his showing against the relegation strugglers.
The Villans need players of his experience to step up and help them secure a Champions League berth in the final few months, but the former Nottingham Forest man could not handle the local derby, against the bottom of the league side.
The Dutchman has already proved to be a reliable option for Emery, capable of playing across the backline or in midfield, and stood out in the FA Cup third-round win over Tottenham.
He is the standout candidate to replace the 28-year-old, if the manager decides to make a change in the near future.
It does not seem like a given that Cash will definitely start for the remainder of the run-in, given the standard of his performances lately, which have been extremely underwhelming.
It could have been worse, he could be banned.
For more on Aston Villa’s run-in, check out Football Insider for the latest news and analysis.