On Sunday afternoon I was alarmed to see that the ref for the biggest game of the EPL weekend was the lightweight Paul Tierney.
Man City travelled to Anfield for a massive game in English football and you would think that the authorities would choose one of the top refs for this tie.
If truth be told, it shouldn't matter now that we have VAR. Anybody with a knowledge of the rules of footy should be able to officiate in a game because they have the backing of VAR, a ref with the ability to replay action and see what really happened and then confirm any decision or overturn any mistakes. Not so. On Sunday James Milner tripped Phil Foden as he ran into the box. It was a clear but accidental trip. It started outside the box and continued into the area. Foden went down and tried to get up again but the ball was not in reach. He appealed for a penalty which was waved away. VAR upheld the decision even though it was a clear trip. I didn't want a card for Milner nor a penalty, but at least there should have been a free kick for City at the edge of the area.
Later in the game Cancelo accidentally tripped Salah (I think) and he was booked and a free kick given to Liverpool. So, in theory accidental trips are deemed fouls by Tierney at least some of the time.
Later in the game Milner fouled Bernardo Silva. Milner was already on a yellow card by this stage for pulling Foden back, after the City whizz kid skinned Milner and looked to be in on goal. The foul on Silva was a bad one. Silva fell awkwardly on his neck. Replays showed that Milner left his leg in deliberately to trip Silva, yet no foul was given. Milner should have been shown a second yellow and then a red, but Tierney bottled it.
We see this time and again at Old Trafford and Anfield where the refs are cowed by the local fans. I understand this, but is this not what VAR is for? To help refs make the right calls in the big moments of big games? Too often we saw refs bottle a decision in the frenzy of a big game and the bitter sense of injustice against the losing team was warranted. On Sunday, on two occasions, both with Milner, Tierney bottled it. But worse than that, VAR failed to correct those decisions. This is inexcusable.
I know they got off to a terrible start with VAR, and this season they want it to be less intrusive, but this failure to correct blatant mistakes is just not right. It is almost like the VAR ref doesn't want to criticise the ref on the pitch, so blatant mistakes are waved away. This is just not good enough. VAR should have, at the very least, called Tierney to the TV monitor to reassess his decision. If this can't happen at the really big moments, why have VAR at all?
The game itself was a cracker. The two best sides in England over the last five years gave the watching public a thoroughly entertaining game. City's tricky period (away to Chelsea followed by away to Liverpool) gleaned 4 points, and Pep seemed happy enough at that return.
The game itself was a cracker. The two best sides in England over the last five years gave the watching public a thoroughly entertaining game. City's tricky period (away to Chelsea followed by away to Liverpool) gleaned 4 points, and Pep seemed happy enough at that return.
But you can't help thinking that with better refereeing it would have been 6.
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| Peter Anderson is a Unionist with a keen interest in sports. |
This is fair comment - Milner should have gone for the second bookable - the box incident looked to be just outside the box but there should have been a free. I think Liverpool were lucky to come away with a point despite the Mo magic. Although to lose a game after scoring a goal of such quality would have been harsh on the optics.
ReplyDeleteHigh time refs are wired for sound so they can have their side of the story heard at the time.
ReplyDeleteThat Mo goal; think Maradona, Ricky Villa, Eddie Gray and that goal is perhaps the best piece of artistry ever seen in televised football.
ReplyDeleteMy old mate Milner should definitely have walked but a share of the spoils was a very fair outcome to this classic.
And reference to James' first club leads me to express relief that we have finally secured ours first Premiership win although, in true Leeds United fashion, they contrived to make us all sweat at not adding to our single goal advantage despite their absolute domination.
Going to be a fantastic title race.