Our Everton jury have returned to have their say on the red cards picked up by Michael Keane and Jack Grealish against Wolves at Hill Dickinson Stadium
Michael Keane is sent off during Everton’s Premier League draw with Wolves(Image: (Peter Byrne/PA Wire))
Everton shot themselves in the foot as they had Michael Keane and Jack Grealish sent off in a 1-1 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers. Keane fired the Blues ahead after just 17 minutes before Mateus Mane’s strike midway through the second-half levelled things up.
However, the score only told half of the story, as Keane and Grealish were both sent off in a chaotic conclusion. Keane was shown a red card for grabbing the hair of Tolu Arokodare in an aerial challenge, while Grealish’s second yellow card came for sarcastically applauding referee Tom Kirk.
And with the madness of Wednesday night in mind, our Everton jury have returned to have their say.
READ MORE: Why Rob Edwards was surprised by Everton as Wolves boss gives honest Michael Keane red card verdictREAD MORE: PGMOL and Premier League should be ’embarrassed’ by Everton red card as national media reactJames Kellett – A night that defined our glaring issues
Everton’s start to life at the Hill Dickinson Stadium has been underwhelming, with poor defeats and empty seats. Their recent 1-1 draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers was a game that highlighted some of the issues the Toffees are currently facing.
One glaring issue is the lack of professionalism that has been prevalent in multiple games this season. While debates will rage on over the red cards of Michael Keane and Jack Grealish, both dismissals were by the book, and referee Thomas Kirk was well within his rights to give the centre back and winger their marching orders.
Even though Wolves were in the ascendancy before both red cards, the unprofessionalism of Keane and Grealish handed the visitors a win on a plate, and the Blues were fortunate that they could not seize on this opportunity.
Whatever opinions one may have about the dismissals, it is a fact that both were avoidable. If composure and smarts had been shown by the pair, Everton could well have left this game with all three points.
Another concern to be wary of is the lack of depth in David Moyes’ side. This particular subject is not a surprising one, given the number of first-team players that are currently unavailable, but the result against Wolves clearly defined it.
David Moyes and Rob Edwards shake hands at the match between Everton and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Hill Dickinson Stadium on January 7, 2026(Image: Gary Oakley/Everton FC Official Photography Library/SmartFrame)
With the likes of Iliman Ndiaye, Idrissa Gana Gueye, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall facing spells away from matchday squads, this offers a great challenge to any manager in world football.
But to be outmatched by one of the worst teams in modern Premier League history demonstrates that this current Everton side is frail, and more has to be done to strengthen the overall squad to ensure they are not severely weakened again.
A final query that was painfully obvious, and although not an on-field issue, one that is imperative to the running of the club, is their ticketing policy. The dull performance from the Toffees was only complemented by the littering of empty blocks of seats scattered around the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Complaints were aired about the lack of ease in ticket transfers for the Wolves fixture, and in consequence, this led to many seats being left vacant. With supporters having to purchase a membership to receive a ticket transfer, or even to purchase a ticket, this created a barrier which led to unsold tickets and empty seats.
The membership system will not go away, as this is just a symptom of modern football due to its ability to provide an additional revenue stream, but the club must reconsider how this system operates, as it is currently blowing up in their faces with disgruntled supporters and an unfilled stadium.
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Paul McParlan – New Year Blues
It was an incredibly harsh red card for Michael Keane, but that doesn’t change the fact that Wolverhampton Wanderers were in the ascendancy at the time and looking the more likely winners. The reaction to that decision was very concerning.
Jack Grealish has been a brilliant addition to the team this season, but his loss of discipline after Keane’s dismissal let his team-mates and the fans down badly. Despite the continued efforts of captain James Tarkowski to calm him down, Grealish continued to bait the referee with his reactions.
The second yellow he received was totally justified, and for a player of his experience there can be no excuse for that. At a time when our squad is missing key players, we can ill afford to be losing one to a self-inflicted suspension.
Once again, the failure of David Moyes to make substitutions until it was too late was difficult to understand. A Wolves team, who are stranded at the bottom of the table, were starting to control the game in the second-half and we needed to do something about that. Dwight McNeil was anonymous again, and Thierno Barry looked a total passenger.
In contrast, Tim Iroegbunam had one of his best games, and Harrison Armstrong also played well. Michael Keane showed once again that he is the best striker of the ball at the club, and what a fabulous save that was from Jordan Pickford in stoppage time to keep the score at 1-1.
Michael Keane celebrates after scoring against Wolves(Image: (Alex Livesey/Getty Images))
Nevertheless, the fans needed a reaction to the heavy loss against Brentford, and they didn’t get it last night. And a poor refereeing decision cannot justify such an underwhelming performance against a team who had picked up a mere two points on their travels so far.
The FA Cup game against Sunderland now becomes almost season-defining. Everton simply cannot afford to go out of the competition at this early stage.
The FA Cup is our only hope of silverware, and David Moyes has to take it seriously. It only takes six games to win this trophy, and it has to be our priority.
The New Year has not started in the most positive manner for Everton. The number of tickets on resale and the empty seats at the stadium last night is its own story. There is a festering sense of frustration amongst the fan base about our displays at home. Four wins out of eleven is simply not good enough.
The FA Cup on Saturday offers a massive chance to reignite our season and banish those New Year blues. We simply have to be in the draw on Monday.
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Mark McParlan – Absolutely shambolic
It has been a miserable week at our new home. Brentford was an absolute disaster. The advancing years (33 and 32) of James Tarkowski and Michael Keane were exposed by fast, direct Brentford attacks and the power of Igor Thiago.
Conceding four at home to a side beginning the day below us in the table, with one away win all season, was just absolutely shambolic. We deserved nothing.
Wednesday was a disaster of a different kind. We started reasonably well, took the lead within 20 minutes, and seemed quite in control of the match.
The question was whether we’d find a second to put the match to bed. Instead, we lost control of the game and of ourselves in spectacular self-destructive fashion in the second period.
Moyes just didn’t react to the changing momentum in the game, as our grip slipped. This was evident by the hour mark, but he did nothing, and we succumbed to a somewhat inevitable equaliser by 70 minutes.
David Moyes during Everton’s draw with Wolves(Image: PA)
Blaming the referee for this match is wide of the mark. Keane was unlucky – that tiny, possibly accidental hair-pull doesn’t for me constitute violent conduct, though rules say otherwise.
But Jack Grealish’s two bookings for dissent in four minutes were an absolute dereliction of duty and basic professionalism. The moment I saw those hands, clapping, raised high above his head in front of the watching referee, my only emotion was anger – how could you be so stupid as such an experienced player, on a yellow card?
Yes, we remain just three points from a European place (or five off top four), but we’re throwing away points against sides we should be beating. It’s so frustrating when this season is so open. We are held back by the same shortcomings every week.
Vitalii Mykolenko and Jake O’Brien are not good enough starting full-backs, and Thierno Barry cannot impact a football game.Sunderland is probably the biggest must-win of the season so far.
By hook or by crook we must progress. Lose, and our campaign is over, and the frustrated home crowd may be tempted to turn for good.