In the wake of their contentious loss to Tottenham on Saturday, Liverpool has publicly voiced their complaints about the Premier League’s officials.
The Reds were defeated 2-1 in thrilling manner, with Joel Matip scoring an own goal with seconds remaining. However, Luis Diaz’s first-half shot was mistakenly called out for offside, leaving Liverpool incensed. The Colombian was onside when the ball was sent through to him, according to replays, but the on-field judgement stood.
Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) later expressed regret for what they called a “significant human error”. The PGMOL also stated that a thorough inquiry would be necessary before Liverpool was given an apology. The game’s VAR, Darren England, and his assistant, Dan Cook, would both step down from their positions.
However, in a shocking move, Liverpool responded by claiming that “sporting integrity had been undermined” and issued a critical statement. The Premier League juggernauts added that they “will explore the range of options, given the clear need for escalation and resolution” to the forcefully written message.
As a result, we have asked our Mirror Sport team what will happen next after another frustrating weekend for Premier League officials and their leader Howard Webb. If they were correct to go public, how can Liverpool be made to feel better, and what the future of VAR in football holds?
Andy Dunn
The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium “mistake” was a fluke as far as VAR “mistakes” go.
It was a peculiar human error, and the PGMOL has admitted responsibility. That ought to wrap things up.
In contrast to the club management who released that absurd statement on Sunday, Jurgen Klopp responded right afterwards with appropriate criticism and dignity.
‘Sporting integrity’ being questioned? Are they suggesting that Liverpool was purposefully denied the goal? “Examining every option”? Is that a danger in any way?
On Saturday, Liverpool was on the other end of a stunner; the next time around, they’ll be on the right end. Inquiries about the precise meaning of that phrase will now be made of Klopp, and he could do without the distraction.
John Cross
Liverpool is fully permitted to make a statement. Since the VAR charade seems to be growing worse with each gaffe, I’m in favour of anything that sheds light on it.
The disallowed goal by Luis Diaz appeared to be the turning point. The clubs are at their limit. Sorry, but it has come to the point where the clubs likely want to be heard if statements regarding their managers and players are being made public.
The sentence that stands out is “explore the range of options available”. It’s a constant menace that will never manifest itself.
When a team is in the Premier League, they essentially join a private members’ club. Even when the referees and VAR make egregiously erroneous calls, they are still required to follow the rulings.
The only instance of a club deviating from that in recent years that comes to me is when the Big Six joined the European Super Club, which included, dare I say it, Liverpool.
This game cannot be played once more. VAR can be enhanced. Howard Webb, the PGMOL boss, needs to go to work. It had to take time, of course. however, it shouldn’t be getting worse after ten months.
The reason why referee Simon Hooper and VAR Darren England did not roll play back and award the goal continues to baffle me. They realised their error right away. However, they complied with protocol, so once a game restarts there is no turning back. What an idiotic robot duo they are.
Neil Moxley
Just throw it away. Ignore VAR. If it wasn’t before, the current state of affairs is a complete humiliation. Referees and assistants have committed errors in the past. What’s the difference when they are already being produced?
Before VAR, at least, there wasn’t this horrible hand-wringing whenever one of the major clubs—and it’s usually the large clubs—felt unfairly treated.
Compare the results of Wolves or Nottingham Forest this season at Old Trafford. At the very least, comparable to the error—and yes, guys, it was an error—that Liverpool made on Saturday night. The typical suspects were all over social media complaining about how unfair everything was.
The Reds have since released a statement. Please tell me what they want to accomplish. There won’t be a second game. The administrators won’t face punishment.
All that has changed is that Liverpool has increased pressure on authorities rather than possibly taking a closer look at themselves. For instance, it may be argued that Diogo Jota’s dismissal was unnecessary and cost them the game. Why didn’t you apologise for that?
No, let’s kick the officials in the shins instead. Blaming them is much simpler. Therefore, disregard VAR and maintain goal line technology because that (should be) the goal.
In order to figure out what the heck is going on with our game, let’s go back to the way it was, even for a single season. They can begin by playing handball. Dog food for another dog.
But VAR only serves to make the game into a minor altercation. Trial by television is robbing people of their innate joy. Throw it away now. Let’s also bring back some sanity.
Mike Walters
Whether or not you agree with Liverpool’s message, it’s encouraging that a big club has finally spoken the sadness and disgust of every fan.
There’s no use in jumping on trends here. I’ve been complaining about VAR as a scourge on football for years, like loud neighbours banging their trash can lids. To make sure it won’t reappear, destroy it, toss it in the trash, bury it in the nearby landfill, and bury 12 sticks of dynamite underneath it.
Hire a group of accomplished ex-players to help the VAR officials in their Stockley Park bunker if we must put up with it any longer because some of them don’t seem to know what they are looking at.
The decision review system used in cricket, where managers may file appeals against perceived injustices from the dugout, is still my preferred alternative.
But this cannot continue. The game has been warned by Liverpool that sooner or later a VAR error will be so severe that it will wind up in the High Court, where my erudite pals will tear PGMOL to pieces.
The Luis Diaz decision stinks, even though it wasn’t done on purpose; I can smell it 1,000 miles away from my balcony.
Daniel Orme
VAR is no longer functional. In fact, it has crippled a mechanism that was created to get rid of “human error” from the game.
Liverpool is well entitled to feel resentful, and their requests for a thorough investigation of the technology and the officials charged with using it should be heard. primary seven games have been played so far this season, yet officials’ persistent errors seem to be the primary topic of conversation.
A thorough investigation into the incident is required. Replaying the match or issuing retroactive points, however, would create a hazardous precedent in football.
While the Reds’ criticisms are valid, they are not the only team to suffer from a subpar refereeing effort, and they most definitely won’t be the last. At the conclusion of the 2019–20 season, Bournemouth lost their spot in the Premier League by just one point.
Due to goal line technology not correctly awarding Sheffield United a goal, the teams drew 0-0, giving Aston Villa that point. That loss would have resulted in an even greater financial loss than the difference between third and fourth place, with Villa being relegated and Bournemouth remaining in the league.
With any change to the Liverpool goal, clubs might look to take action more often with or without VAR which would trigger chaos across the leagues. They need to take PGMOL to task but any hope of changing the result will surely end in frustration and even more confusion.
Sam Meade
Liverpool have every right to be fuming and every right to have their say. For a long time I’ve despised the circus that doesn’t allow players, managers or clubs to say anything. We want to hear their thoughts, we want them to communicate, so they can’t be handcuffed whenever they speak their mind.
Authorities are able to make mistakes and just throw out the corporate “an internal review will be conducted” line. For too long it has happened and things need to change and if individuals or teams have frustrations, they should be allowed to air them.
When it comes to VAR, I do feel for Howard Webb, he’s a very competent individual who is trying to drive positive change and up the standards. Too often though he’s having to come out and apologise for those he manages. Mistakes happen, we’re all human, we get it.
But when every fan, player and manager can see a foul, a handball, an offside – but the only group who can’t see it are the referees, eventually you have to start taking action. Taking officials off games doesn’t seem to be working – maybe we need to look elsewhere for our referees. The idea of replaying games though is unmanageable and simply unrealistic.
Ben Husband
Liverpool have every right to feel aggrieved, but talk of sporting integrity coming into focus sets a dangerous precedent. They were on the wrong end of a stinker, just as almost every Premier League team has been at one point or another.
So talks of “escalation and resolution” appear little more than empty threats. But what this does feel like is a clear line in the sand of how far clubs are willing to be messed about and Liverpool should be applauded for going public.
“It’s not the technology it’s the people using it” is the most consistent response when stuff like this happens, but that’s missing the point. Until officials are ready to use it properly, it needs to be significantly stripped back. It would be an extraordinary climb down from league bosses, but the direction of travel appears to only be moving in one way.
Conor Mummery
Nothing will change on the back of Liverpool’s statement, whether they’re ‘exploring options’ or not. The club obviously won’t be expecting an offer to replay the game, despite calls from an alarming amount of fans on social media.
You wouldn’t believe it from the reaction, but this isn’t the first time an officiating error has impacted a game of football. Liverpool have as many go for them as against them, give or take, as every other team in the league does.
The only glaring officiating error in this game was the failure to award Luis Diaz’s goal, Curtis Jones being awarded a red card for a foul plenty of players have been giving their marching orders for and Diogo Jota picking up two silly yellow cards shouldn’t enter the equation.
There should of course be a transparent investigation, including the release of the audio, into the offside decision to ensure it doesn’t happen again. The officials involved have rightly apologised and been taken off duty for the coming weekend, and they may well be demoted on the back of this for a period of time, and that’s as far as this needs to go.
Tom Blow
It would be silly for this game to be replayed, but it’s clear something needs to be done about PGMOL. Liverpool supporters’ group ‘Spirit of Shankly’ have called for an independent panel to be established to police the refereeing body, and it’s hard to disagree with that.
Very few, if any, of these referees have played at professional level. A small group of current and former players should be established to oversee PGMOL because it seems that no one is holding them to account for these continuous mistakes.
Howard Webb often releases the audio between the on-field referee and the VAR official after games, but that has only highlighted their incompetence. Referees also need to stop sticking so rigorously to the rule book. They need to use common sense and be pragmatic, like most people do in their jobs.
Right now, all we’re witnessing is Webb apologising for errors. We’re all sick of it.
Thomas Wathen
Another Premier League weekend and VAR taking centre stage yet again with another embarrassing decision.
Liverpool were right to question the use of the term “significant human error” in the PGMOL statement because it makes no sense how VAR officials believed the on-field referee gave a goal when the “check complete” call led to the score remaining 0-0 and a free-kick to Tottenham in their own half.
However, both the PGMOL and Liverpool statements will do nothing to change the situation because any expectation that the match will be replayed will open Pandora’s Box of complaints from other managers, owners, and players with armfuls of evidence wanting their own piece of history changed due to VAR mistakes.
How can VAR be made better? Perhaps by using additional technology, such as a semi-automated offside system, or by making VAR officials’ decision-making processes more visible.
We all wait impatiently for the Premier League to release audio recordings after judgements that have gone against our teams have been made weeks earlier, but just like in rugby, this audio should be available immediately and the results made plain to prevent errors like this.