Ibra may have gone if ref spotted elbow – Tindall

Zlatan Ibrahimovic may have been sent off had referee Kevin Friend seen his apparent elbow on Tyrone Mings while Andrew Surman was unlucky to be sent off in Bournemouth’s “incredible” draw at Manchester United, says Cherries assistant manager Jason Tindall.

There was no shortage of drama in the 1-1 draw at Old Trafford after Mings appeared to stamp on Ibrahimovic, with the Swede then catching the defender with an elbow moments later and both incidents going unpunished.

Surman was sent off for a second yellow card in the ensuing melee, but Tindall felt his first caution was harsh and that United striker Ibrahimovic was perhaps fortunate Friend was not in a position to see his alleged misdemeanour.

“First of all I thought Andrew Surman’s first yellow card was very harsh, I didn’t think that warranted a booking and that played a part in him being sent off,” Tindall said.

“I haven’t been able to see any of the incidents or the goals back on replay but the lads were saying that Tyrone has been elbowed and if that’s the case then maybe the referee would have done something different had he seen it. 

“We were disappointed losing Drew because we felt we were doing alright and who knows what could have happened. At the end of the day we’ve come away with a point which is a fantastic result for us.

“It was an eventful game, a lot of action, but from our point of view it was an incredible effort and a fantastic achievement to come here and come away with a point.”

Joshua King’s penalty cancelled out Marcos Rojo’s maiden Premier League goal to earn Bournemouth the point, but goalkeeper Artur Boruc was equally impressive with a string of important saves – including keeping out an Ibrahimovic spot-kick.

And Tindall hailed the Pole’s performance, adding: “Since the day Artur signed for us he’s been magnificent for us,” 

“He made a mistake last week and held his hands up, but there’s really only one way you can answer that criticism and that’s on the pitch.

“He showed what a fantastic goalkeeper he is and he played a huge part in us getting a point.”

Incredible character and performance today! Amazing support from our fans as always

— Marc Pugh (@MarcPugh7) March 4, 2017

Bournemouth manager Howe was able to take his place in the Old Trafford dugout despite suffering with illness and Tindall provided an update on the manager’s condition.

“He’s not feeling too good now unfortunately, I’m sure it took a lot out of him,” Tindall said. 

“After the game in the changing room he could hardly speak but I’m sure when he’s feeling 100 per cent he’ll feel immensely proud and will have a smile on his face.”