Everton Squad Members Give Applause to Idrissa Gueye After Sincere Apology for Keane Incident
Idrissa Gueye received a warm ovation from his fellow squad members after delivering an apology for his extraordinary dismissal during Monday's victory at Old Trafford.
Unprecedented Situation in Premier League
The midfielder became the first Premier League player to be sent off for hitting a teammate in nearly two decades when he struck his defensive colleague during the match. Everton's display was heroic as they competed with 10 men for 85 minutes, including added time, to achieve David Moyes' initial victory at Old Trafford as a away coach in 18 attempts.
'I want to apologise first to Michael Keane,' he wrote on his accounts. 'I accept complete responsibility for my actions.'
Dressing Room Reaction
The Senegalese international did not get an opportunity to converse with Moyes or his colleagues at the interval. Following the match, with the visitors' locker room buzzing after the 1-0 win, the veteran requested to speak to the entire group and the defender in particular.
- He expressed regret to Keane for striking him across the face
- The heated 13th-minute confrontation occurred after a poor distribution in his own defensive third
- Additionally he apologized to the team for putting them with a monumental task
- Gueye's words were positively accepted by the players
Possible Ramifications
Gueye may yet be disciplined by Everton despite the manager's admission that he appreciates his team members competing with each other. Moyes has a regular punishment process for red and yellow cards, including financial penalties, which is expected to be applied in Gueye's case.
Suspension and International Commitments
The Merseyside club may find themselves without their influential midfielder until the new year. Gueye will serve a three-game suspension against Newcastle, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest but might be called up for AFCON duty by his national team before he can return to play against the Blues on 13 December.
'Emotions can run high,' he added. 'But nothing justifies such behaviour.'
Opposition Perspective
At the same time, the Manchester United defender claimed United of showing no immediacy in Monday's loss, which ended their unbeaten run at multiple matches.
- 'English football doesn't tolerate weakness,' stated the Netherlands international
- 'We were missing the necessary intensity to find the net'
- 'Against a team like Everton,' that defend deep it's difficult
The Red Devils head to Selhurst Park for Sunday's lunchtime start. 'The next game is really important now,' said the defender. 'We must recover strongly from this display.'