The ManicaPost
Sadio Mane may have stolen the headlines during the Merseyside derby but Mike Dean was his reluctant victim after a typical display of showmanship from the enigmatic official.
Dean is renowned for his on-field flair when officiating and given the chance to shine in the big game at Goodison Park the referee from the Wirral did not disappoint.
In a quiet first half Dean let the game go and shunned the limelight but after the break he made his mark.
The ‘no-look’ card is trademark of Dean’s and when presented with the opportunity to reveal it he made no mistake, at least with delivery.
The decision to only award Ross Barkley a booking for a nasty foul on Jordan Henderson was derided by both pundits and former colleagues.
Twitter was quick to react after spotting the referee’s moment of magic. Several accounts hailing his card-dishing technique.
Yet Dean was not done. He had one more big trick to unveil and with the game looking like it was headed for a 0-0 draw he pulled it out with 12 minutes left on the clock. As Roberto Firmino squared the ball to Adam Lallana on the halfway line Dean spread his legs to allow the ball between for a textbook dummy. The 48-year-old made sure to hold the pose so the Goodison crowd could marvel at his work.
Social media certainly did. Dean appreciation account @CelebrityRefs said the referee ‘has literally got the lot’ with plenty of praise from others for his piece of ‘skill’. – Daily Mail.
