Football League World
·17 September 2024
In partnership with
Yahoo sportsFootball League World
·17 September 2024
Makhtar Gueye's red card against Burnley was his third in the last 11 months
Blackburn Rovers will have been buoyed by their summer transfer business after the first few matches of the 2024/25 campaign, with the new attacking arrivals into Ewood Park already proving their worth.
Yuki Ohashi continues to impress since making the move from the J-League, with the 28-year-old netting four times in his first five league appearances for the club, while Andi Weimann’s fantastic strike against Burnley last month will live long in the memory.
Frontman Makhtar Gueye has also impressed since making a reported seven-figure fee move from RWD Molenbeek in the summer, although the forward missed the weekend’s 3-0 victory over Bristol City through suspension.
The Senegalese striker picked up two yellow cards in quick succession against Burnley to be given his marching orders at Turf Moor last month, which must leave Rovers fans worrying that his disciplinary record is set to continue.
Before moving to England, Gueye has had something of a track record of getting himself into trouble with referees, with his time in Belgium peppered with disciplinary issues.
In fact, that red card in the Lancashire derby last time out was the striker’s third in just 29 league matches split between the Championship and the Jupiler Pro League, with a number of games being missed due to suspension as a result.
His first came in a clash against Sporting de Charleroi last October, where he went from hero to villain within the blink of an eye.
Having opened the scoring with just eight minutes remaining, it looked as if the striker had earned himself all three points, before a second yellow card for an off-the-ball incident once the scores were level paved the way for the hosts to go on to secure all three points in stoppage time.
The attacker clearly hadn’t learned his lesson, with another late dismissal coming months later in a 4-0 defeat to Cercle Brugge, before another foolish decision gave referee Tony Harrington no option but to issue the red card at Turf Moor.
Having already picked up a booking earlier in the game, Gueye was seen brandishing an imaginary card in the direction of the referee, in the hope of getting opposing defender Maxime Esteve into the book.
As are the rules in the current day, the forward was soon shown a yellow card of his own, which resulted in him leaving his side a man light for the remainder of the 90 minutes, as they fought to keep hold of a well-earned point.
Gueye’s disciplinary record will no doubt have already been discussed between those at Rovers before bringing him to the club, and after just four league matches of the season the same old issues have reared their head once again.
Despite having netted in League Cup clashes with Blackpool and Stockport County to begin his life at Ewood Park, Rovers boss John Eustace will need to see proof that his target man can be trusted in the weeks to come, to avoid a repeat of the scenario at Turf Moor.
Although his teammates dug him out of jail that time by soldiering on towards a 1-1 draw, there is an argument that they could have taken all three points from their local rivals had they finished the game with all eleven players on the field.
Over the course of a season that lack of discipline can come back to haunt a team massively, and with the likes of Ohashi and Weimann hitting the ground running after moving to the north west, Gueye will need to prove he can keep his cool when the pressure mounts to maintain a place in the side.