Garth Crooks launched an odd attack on Andy Robertson following an incident with a Constantine Hatzidakis
Garth Crooks, a BBC Sport pundit, bizarrely accused Andrew Robertson of “bullying” linesman Constantine Hatzidakis during last weekend’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal, insisting that if he tried such a stunt in his native Scotland, he would be “leveled.”
On the stroke of halftime, the Reds’ left-back collided with Hatzidakis, and the official appeared to elbow Robertson in the throat. The altercation between the two occurred after the Scotland captain approached Hatzidakis to discuss the first-half officiating.
Despite the fact that the incident was captured on camera at Anfield, Hatzidakis escaped punishment after the Football Association conducted a “thorough” review of all of the evidence. According to the ECHO, Robertson and Hatzidakis spoke on Zoom on Thursday afternoon, with the linesman later calling the conversation “open and positive.”
Crooks, on the other hand, has slammed the Reds’ No.26 for his role in the incident and defended Hatzidakis’ “perfectly natural” reaction to “bullying of the worst kind.”
“It would appear that the controversy surrounding the 2-2 draw between Liverpool and Arsenal has finally been put to rest,” Crooks wrote in his BBC Team of the Week column. “The incident involving assistant referee Constantine Hatzidakis and Andy Robertson was settled after a Football Association investigation determined that the assistant referee had no case to answer. And I would agree.
“The look of disbelief on Robertson’s face after receiving the reflex reaction from the referee’s assistant. After all, the defender had arrived so quickly to confront the official that it was natural for the startled Hatzidakis to raise his elbow as a defensive mechanism.
“The stunned look on Robertson’s face as he complained to his teammates that he had just been ‘deliberately’ elbowed was bordering on pathetic.”
Crooks went on to say: “The international defender should have been more cautious. He would almost certainly have been leveled if he had attempted that stunt in his native Scotland, in a match of no significance with an ordinary member of the public running the line.
“Robertson was well aware of what he was doing and to whom he was doing it. This was the worst kind of bullying, and it had to stop.
“Players confronting officials should have been prohibited years ago, and they can only blame themselves.” The failure of referees to use their cards in defense has only exacerbated the situation.
“Of course, officials should not and would not raise their arms against a player in normal circumstances, but this was not a normal circumstance.” This was supposed to be about Robertson, who had no right to intimidate the assistant referee in the first place.”
During his press conference at the AXA Training Centre on Friday morning, Klopp praised all parties for their quick response to the incident.
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