Lots of Leeds United supporters have been voicing their hope in never seeing Gaetano Berardi represent their club again, after the Swiss centre-half was issued a straight red card early on against Millwall.
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Whites boss Marcelo Bielsa trusted Berardi to fill his second centre-back slot at the Den alongside Brighton & Hove Albion loanee Ben White, as the Argentine was without Liam Cooper after the Whites captain was ruled out for up to six weeks with a groin injury.
Berardi’s afternoon lasted just 14 minutes, however, as referee James Linnington reached into his back pocket to pull out the red card for an incident with Millwall striker Tom Bradshaw, where it appeared the Whites defender collided with the 27-year-old inside Kiko Casilla’s area.
Replays made Linnington’s decision to issue Berardi his marching orders rather questionable, as there was little to no contact at all between the 31-year-old and Bradshaw (Leeds Live), while White appeared to be in a position to cover for his experienced teammate.
Berardi’s dismissal was the eighth of his Leeds career across all competitions, and will see that the one-time international (TransferMarkt) misses the Elland Road natives upcoming fixtures against Birmingham City, Preston North End and Sheffield Wednesday, pending any appeals.
Leeds had the upper hand before Berardi’s departure, with the West Yorkshire outfit enjoying 67.5% of possession and playing more than twice as many passes as their hosts (WhoScored), but would go 1-0 down from the spot when Jed Wallace converted the penalty awarded for the alleged foul on Bradshaw.
Bradshaw later put Millwall 2-0 up moments before the break, which Leeds came out of strongly to pull a goal back through Ezgjan Alioski via a Jack Harrison assist.
Bielsa’s men maintained their surge for a seventh win of the league season and a retain the top spot in the Championship table, but could not see their efforts rewarded with an equalising or winning goal, which meant West Bromwich Albion moved atop the table.
Berardi’s dismissal was a huge talking point of the second-tier affair, though, and while many questioned how Linnington saw fit to show the Swiss defender a straight red card, many hoped it was the last they saw of the ‘liability’…
Terminate his contract
— Adam (@Adam41018142) October 5, 2019
How sadly predictable. When hasn’t Beradi been a liability?
— Freddie Scovell Esq. (@FreddieScovell) October 5, 2019
We all called it. Bere should never put a leeds shirt on again. He is a joke
— Fletch. Lufc. ALAW (@Davefle43086532) October 5, 2019
Absolute liability he is
— Ty (@Ty23156367) October 5, 2019
What a liability #whywashestarting
— Melv Hoddell (@HoddellMelv) October 5, 2019
Berardi is such a liability
— Rhys Culley-Lightfoot (@rhyscl95) October 5, 2019
Should never play for Leeds again. He’s a total liability! How many times? It was a cert to happen!
— Gary Marshall (@Garymarshall_85) October 5, 2019
We don’t need a centre back we have plenty of cover.. introducing the walking red card who costs us every time.
— Christopher Smith (@uksmithyy) October 5, 2019
Hopefully he will never be seen in a Leeds kit again he’s a liability
— Singo83 (@Singo831) October 5, 2019
Berardi is an absolute liability and always has been. Why are we still relying on him as our backup centre-back?
— Oliver White (@OliWhiteMOT93) October 5, 2019
I probably would have got 30:1 on Berardi being the first person to be sent off. He is a liability that the team can ill afford. More importantly he fails to learn.
— Clurgie (@Clurgie) October 5, 2019
