The officials in the Tottenham vs Liverpool game at the weekend continue to make headlines for all the wrong reasons, with a Premier League Panel suggesting that they also got the decision wrong when sending Diogo Jota off for the Reds.
Jota was dismissed for two yellow cards, putting Jurgen Klopp’s side at a significant disadvantage for the remainder of the match, given that Curtis Jones had already been red carded earlier.
ESPN have seen the Panel’s assessments which note that the second tackle on Spurs ace, Destiny Udogie, wasn’t worthy of a yellow card.
Though it won’t have any bearing on the result, it’s another nail in the coffin for Howard Webb and the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL).
Arguably, it’s been the worst week in a long, long time for a refereeing organisation that have consistently been under the spotlight, particularly in the VAR era, as not being fit for purpose.
Mike Riley was the former chief of PGMOL and much of the carry over of incompetence is from his era in charge.
Webb, to his credit, appears more willing to engage with clubs and stakeholders when mistakes have been made, as the releasing of audio and a recent appearance on Sky Sports would attest.
Ultimately, however, talk is cheap. PGMOL must do better.