Pro Ref chief executive Howard Webb has been urged to take drastic action after some controversial flashpoints at Anfield on Sunday.
Liverpool’s 1-0 defeat to Arsenal was pockmarked by incidents such as the Reds being denied a blatant penalty when Jurrien Timber clearly tugged Andoni Iraola’s shirt inside the box, and Alexis Mac Allister going to ground theatrically after mild contact from Noni Madueke’s forehead.
The home fans in L4 vented their spleen at referee Andy Madley as he left the pitch after full-time, and one former top-flight official believes that the 43-year-old should be demonstrably penalised for his performance on Merseyside yesterday.
Webb urged to suspend Madley after Anfield furore
Keith Hackett was surprised that the Yorkshire native was appointed to such a high-profile figure and said that, if it were up to him, the whistler would be stood down from Premier League duty next weekend.
The former PGMOL chief told Football Insider: “I was surprised, having watched his recent performances, that Andy Madley was appointed to this game. We have elite referees within the group. We have a pecking order, and those referees that are in form should get this game.
“There are going to be knocks on the door saying, ‘Boss, why haven’t I got a game?’; and I would be saying, ‘You need to improve your performance and be more consistent’.
“I don’t think he had his best game, and I don’t know what his best game is. We’ve highlighted a number of ifs, and I’ve highlighted one that is 100% incorrect. That says to me, next week if I was doing the appointments, he [isn’t getting] a game.”
Want more Empire of the Kop coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trust
Madley and VAR erred badly over penalty call
Some media outlets highlighted in the days leading up to Sunday’s fixture that it was Madley’s first appointment to a Premier League fixture between clubs in the traditional ‘big six’ for more than two years, with eyebrows being raised at that decision from Webb.
Some of the referees who are regarded as among the best in England have had their share of controversial moments too, so we had no complaints with the 43-year-old getting the Liverpool-Arsenal game, but he did himself no favours yesterday.
How he (and especially Stuart Attwell on VAR) can stand over the failure to award a penalty for Timber’s clear shirt tug on Isak is a mystery – that was a major error which wasn’t corrected when the opportunity arose, and it had significant consequences for the game as a whole.
Had the spot kick been awarded in the 21st minute (shortly after Kai Havertz scored) and the Reds equalised, the momentum of the match could’ve swung substantially. Andoni Iraola will surely have felt that way afterwards.
In his role as the head of Pro Ref, Webb bears ultimately responsiblity for ensuring high standards of officiating in the Premier League, something which hasn’t been the case for as long as we can remember.
If Madley is removed from top-flight duty next weekend, he could have no complaints after his error-strewn performance at Anfield on Sunday.
Live Comments
Welcome to our Live Comments section, where new comments will appear automatically
Add a Comment