James Maddison avoids red card for punch but Roy Keane tells Nottingham Forest man: ‘Toughen up!’
Roy Keane believes the correct decision was made to not send off Tottenham's James Maddison, even if he did punch Nottingham Forest captain Ryan Yates.
Spurs' win over Forest was briefly halted in the first half when Yates went down following a collision with Maddison.
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VAR reviewed the incident which saw Maddison punch Yates in the stomach, but matters were brought to an end by referee Simon Hooper giving both players a talking to.
Much to the outrage of Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo, Maddison wasn't disciplined any further with the Portuguese insisting the England international should've seen red.
Nuno told talkSPORT: "I think there are two moments in the first half that can change the game without making that as an excuse.
"There's a red card, I saw the images. And the missed chance of Chris [Wood] that can change the mood and belief for the second half."
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He added: "I saw it, that's why I'm surprised VAR didn't see it the same way and didn't speak with Simon to tell him, 'this is what we saw'.
"I think in that moment Maddison loses his composure, reacts and punches him in the stomach without the ball."
But Roy Keane, who used to play for Forest, took a dim view towards Yates' actions with the 26-year-old seen gesturing for VAR to look at the incident.
The Premier League icon also believes Yates went down a little too easily for his liking.
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Asked if he felt Maddison should've received a red card, Keane said: "No, not really.
"Yates is a nice lad but this type of behaviour [protesting], he does a lot of this. I don't like the look of it. He's asking the officials to look at VAR.
"There's no need for him to do that. He's a tough boy, he likes to give it out, if you're going to give it out you've got to take it and I think it's a big dramatic the way he goes down.
"Get on with the game, toughen up a little bit."
The incident happened with the game locked at 1-1 after Chris Wood's strike cancelled out Spurs' lead from a Murillo own goal.
Wood then missed a huge chance to give Forest the lead and the away side would rue that as a piledriver by Micky van de Ven restored Spurs' lead before Pedro Porro sealed a 3-1 win.
It also put the side in the driving seat to finish in the top four with the club level on 60 points but have a game in hand over fifth-placed Aston Villa.
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