Jurgen Klopp claims that the new lighter touch being operated in the English Premier League will put the competition back 15 to 20 years.
He was having a dig about the officiating of referee Mike Dean, who was in charge of the Liverpool vs Burnley game, stating that football was getting more like wrestling and fouls needed to be punished.
Sorry Jurgen, I thought that Mike Dean performed well and, considering that he issued no cards in this game when his average last season was four yellows a game, this for me is an improvement.
Over many years I have complained that football in England has allowed grappling (pulling, pushing, blocking) to go unpunished.
Why was it that Klopp and other managers were not crying foul last season when these tactics were being applied at corner kicks and set pieces?
With Dean refereeing well, I can only assume that Klopp has one eye on Liverpool’s upcoming encounter with Chelsea.
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Is he trying to influence the upcoming officials who have yet to be appointed?
I confirm once again that if a manager is unhappy with refereeing decisions, he can enter the referee’s dressing room thirty minutes after the final whistle.
This is an arrangement that I set up when I was boss of the PGMOL many years ago.
In the Manchester United game, I cannot understand why Craig Pawson didn’t penalise the Southampton player who clearly fouled Bruno Fernandes. Southampton gained possession and went onto score.
Mr Solskjaer… this has nothing to do with the light touch. It is poor officiating by the man in the middle, who was wrongly positioned in order to make an accurate judgment.
Where was the assistant referee or VAR to come to Pawson’s rescue?