Graham Poll criticised referee Bobby Madley for not showing Ander Herrera a red card during the clash between Manchester United and Stoke City on Sunday.

One of the main talking points from United's eventual 1-1 draw was Herrera's nasty challenge on Joe Allen in the second half and many were surprised that the Spanish midfielder was shown only a yellow card for his offence by referee Madley.

Now ex-referee Poll has gone on to have his say regarding the incident and has stated his belief that Madley made a glaring error by not showing Herrera a direct red card for his dangerous tackle.

Poll wrote in his column for the Daily Mail: “Bobby Madley did Manchester United a favour by choosing to show Ander Herrera a yellow card instead of the red he deserved for a dangerous high tackle on Joe Allen.

“When a referee sees a lunging challenge he must determine whether it is likely to endanger the safety of the opponent.

“Earlier in the game, Madley chose to be correctly lenient when Antonio Valencia dived in on Eric Pieters, but that challenge was low and controlled. The contrast with Herrera's challenge was clear for all except Madley to see."