Ex-referee boss tells Howard Webb to act after Anfield chaos
Pro Ref chief Howard Webb is being urged to take firm action after several controversial moments in Liverpool’s 1-0 home defeat to Arsenal at Anfield on Sunday.
The match was littered with flashpoints. Liverpool were refused an obvious penalty when Jurrien Timber clearly pulled at Alexander Isak’s shirt in the box, and Alexis Mac Allister went down theatrically after minimal contact from Noni Madueke’s head. Home supporters made their anger known to referee Andy Madley as he left the pitch at full-time, and one former top-flight official thinks the 43-year-old should face consequences.
Former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett told Football Insider he was surprised Madley was given such a high-profile game, given his recent form. In his view, the elite referees in the group form a pecking order, and those in the best form should get the biggest fixtures. He said he would tell any official who complained about being left out to improve and be more consistent.
Hackett felt Madley didn’t have his best game, and said that one of the decisions he had highlighted was completely wrong. On that basis, he said, he would not give Madley a match next weekend if he were making the appointments.
Madley’s selection had already drawn attention before kick-off, as it was his first Premier League game involving two of the traditional “big six” clubs in over two years. Even so, the appointment itself wasn’t a problem, since even the best referees in England have had their controversial moments, but Madley did himself no favours on the day.
The failure of Madley, and particularly VAR Stuart Attwell, to award the penalty for Timber’s pull on Isak is hard to understand. It was a major error that went uncorrected when it could have been, and it affected the whole game. A spot-kick in the 21st minute, shortly after Kai Havertz’s opener, could have let Liverpool equalise and swung the momentum of the match.
As head of Pro Ref, Webb carries ultimate responsibility for officiating standards in the Premier League, and those standards have been lacking for a long time. If Madley is dropped from top-flight duty next weekend, he would have little reason to complain after such an error-strewn display at Anfield.
One note: the original names Andoni Iraola in the penalty incident and the aftermath, but he’s Bournemouth’s manager. It almost certainly should be Isak, so I’ve used that. Worth checking before you publish.
