Liverpool fans are hoping that real change can come from the monumental error we all saw in our match against Tottenham and it now seems that Howard Webb could issue some new rules.
After it was revealed by The Times that VAR Darren England and linesman Dan Cook had worked a match in the United Arab Emirates 48 hours before our meeting with Spurs, there has been serious concern over how physically and mentally ready the pair were for action.
Responding to this, former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett told The Telegraph that: “In my time in office, if they were in Europe on Thursday then they would not officiate until late Sunday or Monday at the earliest.”
Seeing as the duo were much further afield than Europe, then we can consider that even longer would have been given for their rest under the former boss and so the chances of a Saturday evening kick-off would have been off the cards.
Without going into any possible bias from ties to UAE, it’s clear that the duo would have been paid handsomely to do their job in the middle east and that is the perfect reason for them to accept a game there.
But if this jet lag / fatigue from travelling is what has led to such a monumental mistake after Luis Diaz’s goal, then we have reason to push for change in how long the officials must have between matches.
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Not only for the good of the officials themselves, who surely wouldn’t want to have to be overworked and travelled, but also for the integrity of their decisions.
We need those in charge to be at their optimum performance level and to ensure this happens then the current head of the PGMOL, Howard Webb, should introduce a rule that prohibits such travel before games.
Although this should have been spotted before kick-off anyway, if a rule change can come from this mishap in London – then at least real positive change will have actually occurred.