Mark Clattenburg has given his take after referee Paul Tierney was caught in the middle of Chelsea's huddle before their Premier League match against Newcastle United on Saturday afternoon.
It has become a ritual in recent weeks for Chelsea players to gather in the center circle before kick-off.
They did so once again against Newcastle on Saturday but, bizarrely, Tierney stood in the middle of the huddle as Reece James spoke to the team. Some of Chelsea's players looked bemused as their captain spoke to them, with Cole Palmer jokingly giving the referee a little hug.
Chelsea went on to lose the game 1-0 as Anthony Gordon's first-half strike proved to be the difference between the two sides.
Mark Clattenburg Slams 'Incompetent' Paul Tierney
Mark Clattenburg
Mark Clattenburg
Tierney has been slammed by Ex-PGMOL chief Keith Hackett, who said he was made to 'look like a fool'. Former Premier League referee Clattenburg has also criticised the 45-year-old. Writing in his column for the Daily Mail, he said:
"The image of Paul Tierney stood in the middle of the Chelsea huddle, looking straight down the television camera lens, was not only utterly bizarre but also a terrible look for the referee.
"Tierney had multiple opportunities to push past the Chelsea players but he just let it happen. From his body language, he looked like he was enjoying it.
"The referee’s normal position before kick-off is outside the centre circle. Liam Rosenior even said Tierney had brought up their huddle in their meeting before the game. He knew they were going to do it. So, why he was so adamant he had to stand there is beyond me. If I’d been a Newcastle player, I’d have been upset and angry at seeing him inside the Chelsea huddle.
"Referees in this country might be incompetent but they aren’t corrupt, yet allowing this to happen can lead to unwanted accusations. Cole Palmer leans in and almost hugs Tierney while it happens, so you have to be aware of the perception it creates."
He added: "Tierney could have avoided all of this [drama] by just stepping out of the way or, as soon as he saw the Chelsea players start to surround him, push them out of the way. He was too arrogant to do either."
Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior
Liam Rosenior also let rip at Tierney in his post-match press conference as he vowed to contact PGMOL. He said, per Sky Sports:
"I'm disappointed. There's more focus and emphasis on the things that don't matter. I'm going to make it really clear. I want to protect my players. I'm respectful to the game. My players made the decision that they wanted to be around the ball, to respect the ball and show unity and leadership.
"I didn't speak to Paul today or his officials. I thought it wasn't the right thing to do today. But I'll be speaking to PGMOL. I'll be speaking to the refs and just trying to get an understanding of why that happened today. We were told in the rule book it's about timing. You can be where you want on timing.
"I just want to find a solution to this because we're actually talking about something that's nowhere near as important as what's happening on the pitch."