The weekend’s events have raised a number of worrying questions about the state of Premier League football.
Perhaps most troubling is the inability of the PGMOL to look inward enough to implement the change required to improve officiating standards in the most popular league in world football.
The twisted logic of the body in banning the official from Liverpool games but, crucially, not from other fixtures in the English top-flight, was rightly pointed out in a tweet from LFC Daytrippers’ Keith Plunkett.
This is a stupid call. Makes out that there is an issue with Liverpool and Darren England. If he's deemed competent, then why not LFC. If he's incompetent then why anyone?
PGMOL making sure heads are seen to roll. Well, a little bit of a roll
And what the fuck is Dadiazgate 🥴 https://t.co/PVK7xd30qU
— Keith Plunkett (@KeithPlunkett4) October 4, 2023
It’s a point worth raising! Does it suggest Daren England couldn’t be trusted with games containing Jurgen Klopp’s men due to a pre-existing bias? Or is this a pathetic attempt on the part of the PGMOL to appear to be acting decisively without getting to the root of the problem?
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READ MORE: Premier League’s stance on Liverpool replay is actually wrong and here’s why – opinion
Take your pick. Either way, football fans, players and managers are the losers in this ongoing battle.
Perhaps even more troubling, however, is the insistence from rival fans and commentators that Liverpool have their own agenda to push for the sake of their league season rather than a challenge in the interests of raising standards for the benefit of all.
When the tides turn to take aim at the likes of Tottenham, Manchester United, Chelsea and so on and so forth, however, we can’t help but wonder whether others will be content with not questioning the status quo.
We highly doubt it.
#Ep93 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Steve Kay🎙️