Liverpool have asked Howard Webb to explain two contentious decisions he made during Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Aston Villa
The game was tainted by two major decisions that went against the Reds: John Brooks’ failure to show Tyrone Mings a red card for a chest-high challenge on Cody Gakpo, and the Dutchman having a goal disallowed because Virgil van Dijk was deemed offside in the build-up.
According to The Athletic’s James Pearce, ‘baffled’ Anfield officials have contacted the Professional Game Match Officials (PGMOL) to request an explanation from the chief referee.
On Saturday, both Brooks and the primary VAR, Tony Harrington, will have to answer questions about those two incidents.
It was bad enough for the on-field official to miss Mings’ nasty challenge on Gakpo, but for the man in Stockley Park to watch the footage and advise him to stick with the original decision beggars belief, especially when the Reds winger displayed the scars inflicted by the Villa defender.
Regarding the disallowed goal, Van Dijk may have been in an offside position, but we’re not sure how the referee determined that Ezri Konsa didn’t intentionally try to play the ball just before it reached the Liverpool defender.
Nothing anyone can do or say will change the outcome of the game, but if Webb provided a clear and logical explanation, it might be easier to accept.
We fully recognize that Premier League referees have a difficult job, but their decisions can have far-reaching consequences for football clubs, and what arguably frustrates football fans the most is the lack of communication from their end.
If the refereeing body held their hands up and admitted that their men made mistakes on Saturday, it wouldn’t change anything for Liverpool, but it would at least reassure supporters that the PGMOL and match officials don’t live in an ivory tower free of any criticism.
Leave a Reply