Liverpool have asked for Howard Webb to provide an explanation over two contentious decisions during the 1-1 draw against Aston Villa on Saturday.
The match was sullied by a couple of big calls which went against the Reds, namely the failure of John Brooks to show Tyrone Mings a red card for a chest-high challenge on Cody Gakpo, and the Dutchman’s having a goal disallowed as Virgil van Dijk was deemed offside in the build-up.
The Athletic‘s James Pearce has reported that ‘baffled’ Anfield officials have been in touch with the Professional Game Match Officials (PGMOL) to call on the chief refereeing officer to explain those decisions.
Both Brooks and the primary VAR Tony Harrington have cases to answer over those two moments on Saturday.
For the on-field official to miss Mings’ nasty challenge on Gakpo was bad enough, but for the man in Stockley Park to watch the footage and duly advise him to stick with the original decision beggars belief, particularly when the Reds winger displayed the scars inflicted by the Villa defender.
As for the disallowed goal, Van Dijk may have been in an offside position but we’re at a loss to fathom how the referee deemed that Ezri Konsa didn’t deliberately try to play the ball just before it reached the Liverpool defender.
The game is done now, and nothing anyone can do or say will change it, but at least if Webb came out with a clear and logical explanation, it might be easier to accept.
We fully acknowledge that Premier League referees have an extremely difficult job, but their decisions can have seismic implications for football clubs, and what arguably frustrates football fans the most is the lack of communication to the public from their end.
If the refereeing body were to hold their hands up and admit that their men made errors on Saturday, it wouldn’t alter anything from Liverpool’s perspective but it would at least reassure supporters that the PGMOL and match officials don’t permanently frequent an ivory tower free of any reproach.
We look forward to hearing from you, Mr Webb…
not a chance of any explanation – they (PGMOL) are a law unto themselves. About time some of these refs were called out
Can’t believe Mings wasn’t penalised for that tackle.
Ask a 100 refs what colour card a chest high studs up challenge should be, it shouldnt even be under discussion
Web to explain decisions ,don’t talk daft,he wouldn’t know a football rule if it hit at the back of his bloody head, didn’t do it as a ref so why start now.