Gary Neville has accused Liverpool of setting a precedent for an ’embarrassing’ course of action which has been replicated by a fellow Premier League club over the past 48 hours.
On two occasions in 2023, the Reds contacted the PGMOL to seek clarity over contentious decisions which went against them in a home draw against Aston Villa in May and the hugely controversial 2-1 loss at Tottenham in September (Liverpool Echo).
Nottingham Forest have also written to Howard Webb in the wake of their 3-2 defeat to Brentford on Saturday, demanding an explanation as to why Ivan Toney was allowed to move the ball and the vanishing spray for the free kick from which he scored their first-half equaliser (Sky Sports).
Taking to X upon hearing of the Midlands club’s actions, Neville fumed: “Clubs writing to the PGMOL is embarrassing! Liverpool and Arsenal started it and set the precedent of this nonsense.”
Clubs writing to the PGMOL is embarrassing! Liverpool and Arsenal started it and set the precedent of this nonsense.
— Gary Neville (@GNev2) January 21, 2024
The 48-year-old expanded upon that sentiment in a follow-up tweet: “The refs should be doing better and are under enormous pressure at the moment. It’s in the clubs’ interests to work with them to make them improve.
“This public posturing is unnecessary. Speak to them and email them to gain clarification in private but they don’t have to ‘announce’ they’ve written to the PGMOL. It’s not going to change the decision and it’s not going to help anyone! It just adds to the pile on.”
The refs should be doing better and are under enormous pressure at the moment. It’s in the clubs interests to work with them to make them improve.This public posturing is unnecessary. Speak to them and email them to gain clarification in private but they don’t have to “announce”…
— Gary Neville (@GNev2) January 21, 2024
Neville has some cheek to try and blame Liverpool for something which happened in a match in which Jurgen Klopp’s side had zero involvement. That’s on Nottingham Forest, pure and simple.
If the Sky Sports pundit’s beloved Manchester United were ever to contact PGMOL seeking clarity for a contentious decision which goes against them, would he rip into the club in the same way that he’s done here with the Reds and Arsenal?
He’s acknowledged that Premier League officials need to be ‘doing better’, and quite simply there have been too many major controversies in the top flight this season for the standard of officiating to go unchecked.
It was quite telling to hear David Moyes claim over the weekend (via Sky Sports) that his peers in England’s highest division seem resigned to accepting that poor officiating is part and parcel of the league now.
Players serve suspensions for getting sent off or accumulating yellow cards, while managers are always peering over their shoulders for fear of being sacked if results nosedive, yet referees face minimal accountability for errors they commit at a level where the stakes are extremely high.
Our message to Neville is that clubs like Liverpool, Arsenal and Forest are fed up of being undermined by substandard officiating and want to publicly highlight that they won’t merely accept it with a shoulder shrug. For that, they should be applauded rather than harangued.
🕯️ EOTK Insider: A tribute to Alex South; a remarkable man with a special Kop moment
Gary Neville, what an oxygen thief!!!!!!!
This Gary guy is a nuisance to us Reds, because the issue in question involves Liverpool, he will go on and on about, wonder if he could do that, if his former club was at the receiving end of bad officiating. Hey dude, you are one of my best pundits, you are not good enough at analysing the beautiful game. Try something else, maybe snooker.
Gary Neville, get a life and leave Liverpool alone.Have you got such hate for Liverpool, that you moan and complain about everything they do.
Neville is a sad, bad loser using any opportunity to badmouth Liverpool fc. They consistently get on his nerves because they are successful and not Manchester United.
The rivalry between the two teams means he is genetically unable to acknowledge Liverpools success. Thus his childish petty insults continue to taint his reputation as a football pundit. His bile spewed bias is laughable….. it’s about time his fellow pundits had a quiet word with him before he really does kill his own career.
Isn’t it positive that someone is pushing the pgmol to do a better job… Its pretty obvious that they are way of in every single game.
In fact if there is a profession with as inept staff I would like to know what it is.
Imagine these people were electritians and they were equally inept… The death toll would eclipse Putins war.
The amount of time taken to determine an offside or handball call is nothing compared to the time Not taken to look at a Completely Obvious Violation of the rules. I am a Liverpool Fan and We and the League need to do our best to stop questions about the Premiere League by figuring out our system… Rugby seems to have a handle -Quick & Decisive, Open & Responsible
You dumb nunce they have all the right to ask for clarity especially when you see how bad the decisions have been towards each club , you numty. If you were playing this era you would also ask for clarity . It’s good to fo this as this will spark the question whether the refs are good enough at what they doing. Especially with VAR “helping” them now .
Gary Neville, haven’t you grown up!
Haven’t you have some discernment in you?
At this age you are still stuck in the past when the level of officiating was irreproachable.
Are you blind or something!?!
Wasn’t it a blatantly wrong decision the refs have taken against LFC in the match versus Spurs that the whole wide world could see?
Do you know the word accountability or you just want create sensation?
You are really disappointing on this one.