'Horrendous' - Sky Sports pundit blasts Preston North End captain Ben Whiteman for 'shocking' tackle on Blackburn Rovers' Moussa Baradji
PNE skipper Ben Whiteman has found himself under fire for his challenge on Blackburn’s Moussa Baradji during Friday night’s defeat at Deepdale
Former Blackburn captain Tim Sherwood has blasted Ben Whiteman’s challenge on Moussa Baradji during Friday night’s Lancashire derby at Deepdale.
The 56-year-old, who helped steer Rovers to the Premier League title in 1995, described the tackle as ‘horrendous’ and insisted it was a ‘100-percent’ red-card offence.
Preston North End skipper Whiteman was shown a yellow card for the 90+3 minute incident by match official Paul Tierney. It means he’ll now miss the Lilywhites’ trip to Watford on Tuesday, with the booking received in the 2-1 defeat his fifth of the 2025-26 season.
Whiteman challenge on Baradji was ‘shocking’
The controversial incident came when Baradji - who was making his Rovers debut as an 85th-minute substitute - looked to carry the ball out of Blackburn’s half following a PNE attack.
Yet his progress was bluntly stopped by Whiteman, who took out the Frenchman with a high-footed sliding tackle that caught his left leg.
According to Sherwood, Baradji was fortunate not to leave Deepdale with a broken leg. He said: ‘No question, it's a red card.
‘He (Baradji) waits for him and he knows he's coming, he sees him outside. And the good job he does see him because he lifts his legs off of the floor so he doesn't get badly hurt.
‘But this is horrendous, this tackle. He jumps and he just takes him away. If he (Baradji) gets his foot caught in the ground, he breaks his leg and then the referee sends him off.
‘Why does he have to have a serious injury for him not to get sent off there? That is a shocking tackle. Whiteman should see red, 100%.’
Fellow studio guest Davies was in total agreement. Giving his assessment, he said: ‘I think the threshold, regardless of where he catches him, the fact that he is never ever going to win that ball.
‘We're always told reckless endangerment should be a red card. He's come steaming in, he knows that he's only ever going to wipe him out, the referee should give him a red card.
‘But he's actually lucky, like Tim said, that his leg didn't get caught because it could have been a lot worse. ‘
Night to forget for PNE
The incident came at the end of a night to forget for PNE, who missed out on the opportunity to go second in the Championship table.
Paul Heckingbottom’s fourth-placed side went into the derby as favourites, but they found themselves trailing after Lewis Millar put the visitors ahead on the stroke of half-time.
Loanee Alfie Devine restored parity just 80 seconds later as Rovers were caught napping. However, just after the hour mark, Andri Gudjohnsen - who was linked with a move to PNE in the summer - headed home what proved to be the winner as Valerien Ismael’s side moved up to 16th in the table.
The defeat was North End’s second in a row against their Lancashire rivals and their fourth of the season. If results elsewhere on Saturday go against the Lilywhites, they could find themselves outside the top six for the first time since October 21 and as low as 10th.