We got it wrong! Michael Oliver regrets not sending off Pickford after ending Van Dijk's season

We got it wrong! Michael Oliver regrets not sending off Pickford after ending Van Dijk's season

Michael Oliver tries to calm nerves after Jordan Pickford injured Van Dijk in their 2-2 draw at Goodison Park in October. (Photo credit: Getty Images)

 'We got it wrong': Referee Michael Oliver breaks down Pickford's horror tackle on Van Dijk. 

Michael Oliver has said the referees got too sucked into following the process.

Oliver has also revealed that the players weren't asking for Pickford to be sent off.

The referee added that Jordan Pickford should have seen a red card.

Here's how Michael Oliver explained the incident with Virgil Van Dijk and Jordan Pickford to the Mail on Sunday:

"It was a big game. Both teams were flying. The assistant has given offside and there is a delay in the flag as we have had this season. Jordan {Pickford] then comes out to Virgil.

"The thought initially was, it can't be a penalty if it's offside so we need to check the offside first. I think I said to VAR that if it's not offside, I'm going to give a penalty.

"I have watched it back so many times. I don't think Pickford has done anything apart from try to spread himself but he did it in the wrong way, as the injury has shown.

"We have all, myself included, not thought about the challenge as much as we should have done. We could still have given offside and sent Pickford off.

"What I was surprised about afterwards was that nothing was expected on-field in terms of a red card. None of the players were asking for that.

"We got sucked too much into going step-by-step as opposed to thinking about the bigger process, which was considering the challenge itself and not just the fact that it can't be a penalty.

"We should have restarted with the offside, as we did, but with a different punishment for Jordan Pickford."

Virgil Van Dijk suffered a season-ending ligament injury thanks to the terrible tackle from Jordan Pickford.

The centre-back's rehabilitation seems to be going well but the failure to send Pickford off during the Merseyside derby remains one of VAR's worst moments this season.