Former Stoke City boss Gary Rowett claimed his old team should have seen red during the first half of their Championship clash against Hull.
Stoke, playing their first game under new head coach Narcis Pelach, reached half-time 1-0 up at the bet365 Stadium thanks to a headed goal from a corner by Ben Wilmot.
But Rowett, the man first given the task of getting Stoke back into the Premier League after relegation in 2018, told Sky Sports that Ben Gibson was lucky to be on the pitch before the opening goal came.
The defender clashed with Tigers midfielder Óscar Zambrano as a cross came into the Hull penalty area, appearing to lead with his elbow and sending the opposition player crashing to the floor.
Rowett said: “I'm absolutely amazed. I just don't know what he's doing. Ben Gibson is running with his arm out. He looks at the defender. He pushes. After that, I can't see any other outcome really than it being a red card for that sort of incident.”
Fellow pundit Jay Bothroyd, a one-time Stoke loan player under Tony Pulis, agreed, but believed it was a symptom of Stoke’s more aggressive play under Pelach. He added: “I think it shows a real intent. I think they've really, really laid a marker on it.”
Gibson worked with the new Stoke at Norwich City and before the game he revealed what the first few days of the new regime had been like.
He said: “He’s tried to give us a lot of information in the 48 hours that he's been in. It has been a lot to take on board and things will be different.
“Of course, it won't happen overnight, but he's certainly very intense. He works super hard and he can't wait to get started.
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