DAVID MOYES DISAGREES WITH FRANK LAMPARD AND DEMANDS CHANGE TO 'RIDICULOUS' RULE

Coventry City battled bravely at the Hill Dickinson Stadium but found themselves on the wrong side of three VAR calls

Coventry City manager Frank Lampard shakes hands with Everton manager David Moyes(Image: CameraSport via Getty Images)

David Moyes has demanded a change to the rules around pulling hair amid controversy during Everton’s 3-1 win over Coventry City.

Sky Blues boss felt his side should have had a penalty after James Tarkowski made contact with Caleb Yirenkyi’s hair towards the end of the first half at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

The incident was viewed by VAR and ruled against Lampard’s interpretation on the basis it did not appear deliberate.

Nonetheless Lampard argued distinguishing between what is and isn’t ‘enough of a pull’ is a ‘hard area to be in’, with Yirenkyi clear that he had been affected by contact with the defender.

Moyes, who saw Michael Keane sent off last season for a hair-pulling incident with Wolves’ Tolu Arokodare, noted that the threshold had been relaxed – and said it should be removed altogether.

"The hair pull rule has changed so it would be a booking if it was but I still think it's ridiculous that rule is in the game. I can't understand why they don't fix this completely because I don't see it as a good rule at all."

That wasn’t the only call to go against City, Lampard felt Taiwo Awoniyi should have been awarded a penalty after tangling with Vitali Mykolenko and Thierno Barry’s second goal – which gave the hosts a lead they would never lose – had been handball.

Moyes disagreed on that too: “I have seen the goal I didn’t think it hit his hand, I have certainly not seen the hair pull that’s for sure.”

Of the three flashpoints the Premier League Match Centre only commented on one and supported Moyes’ assessment, releasing a statement on social media which read: “The referee’s call of goal to Everton was checked and confirmed by VAR – with it deemed that Barry did not commit a handball offence. VAR: “Okay, that’s his side that's definitely not hand. Confirming the on-field decision of goal, check complete”.

Where the Scot did agree with Lampard is in the visitors’ performance for the first hour, when they harried the home side and went ahead through Yann Gboho.

“I have to say Coventry made it really difficult for us, you could see why they have picked up some really good results themselves. They won at Forest and beat Sunderland the other week.

“They had a couple of decisions which might have gone in their favour and against us, so it was good. In the end we got the goals which mattered and when you win in the Premier League you take it because it is so hard to get the wins.

“We gave away a really poor goal, nobody really put their foot in or was strong enough in the box and we should have defended it better – and we normally do if I am being fair – I thought the reaction from there was really good.

“There was a few not at their best tonight but came up with bits when needed, it was important that Thierno Barry got another couple of goals which was huge for us.”

- Brian Dick

EVERTON BOSS DAVID MOYES BLASTS 'RIDICULOUS' RED CARD AND POINTS FINGER AT JACK GREALISH

Everton failed to beat rock bottom Wolves at Hill Dickinson Stadium with David Moyes left furious as the Toffees had both Michael Keane and Jack Grealish sent off by Thomas Kirk, officiating only his second Premier League game

Jack Grealish of Everton reacts to referee Thomas Kirk sending him off(Image: 2026 CameraSport)

Furious David Moyes described the decision to give Michael Keane a red card for hair-pulling as ‘ridiculous’. But the Everton manager did admit he was unhappy with Jack Grealish for following Keane to the dressing-room after collecting two yellow cards for dissent in the space of a few moments.

Young referee Thomas Kirk was sent to the video monitor by VAR Chris Kavanagh after Keane had challenged Tolu Arokodare late in the second half of the 1-1 draw with Wolves at Hill Dickinson Stadium. And as Keane appeared to tug Arokodare’s hair, Kirk decided he had no option but to dismiss the Everton centre-half, who had given his team a first half lead.

But Moyes fumed: “It is not violent, it is not forceful and it is not deliberate. So, all of those things I have said mean it shouldn’t have been a red card. I think it was a really poor decision to send him to the screen in the first place. (Marc) Cucurella got his hair pulled - violent conduct, a deliberate action, no problem with that.

“But this was in the game, on a ball coming up, and unless you have played the game, you might not understand. I have been a centre-half and there is no way I am jumping to out-jump a big centre forward and think .. ‘oh, by the way, I am going to out-jump him and, at the same time, I am going to pull his hair’

“I don’t know anyone on the planet who is good enough to think that way when they are jumping up. I thought it was a ridiculous decision by the referee but more by VAR. I thought the ridiculous bit came from VAR.

“If anyone grows their hair a bit longer, they have a chance of getting it pulled. Crazy. It was a ridiculous decision. Everybody was frustrated, everybody could not believe it.”

Moyes himself was so frustrated that he was booked by Kirk but the Everton manager was still annoyed with Grealish who was booked for dissent and was then dismissed for sarcastically applauding a Kirk decision. And when Moyes was asked if Grealish had been unprofessional and if he would be having words with the on-loan Manchester City man, he curtly replied: “Yes, I agree - and I already have done.”

Although Moyes is furious about the Keane decision, he was unsure whether the club would appeal against it, even though they now face being without their defender for three games. Grealish will miss one game for his two yellow cards.

Moyes, though, did admit he was not pleased with Everton’s performance prior to the Keane dismissal, which came in the 83rd minute - seven minutes before Grealish was sent off.

“Not great,” he said after a Mateus Mane strike had earned Wolves a point. “It was always going to be a difficult game but we could have gone two up before half-time. But we never really felt as though we got a grip of it.”

- Andy Dunn