Liverpool supporters were left furious after Sunday’s 1-0 defeat to Arsenal, and now a former refereeing chief has added his voice to the growing criticism of Andy Madley.
Keith Hackett, the former head of PGMOL and an experienced former FIFA referee, has questioned why Madley was given such a high-profile Premier League fixture in the first place.
And his comments are pretty damning.
Hackett believes referees who are performing well should be given the biggest matches, and he has suggested Madley should not be appointed to a Premier League game next weekend.
For Liverpool supporters, this will certainly add fuel to an already heated debate about what happened at Anfield.
Former PGMOL chief questions Madley’s appointment
Madley was appointed to referee Liverpool’s meeting with Arsenal despite not having taken charge of a Premier League match between two traditional Big Six clubs for two and a half years.
That made the appointment an interesting one before a ball had even been kicked.
Unfortunately, the game ended with several controversial incidents, most notably the failure to award Liverpool a penalty after Jurrien Timber pulled Alexander Isak’s shirt inside the Arsenal penalty area.
Hackett was surprised that Madley had been selected for the occasion.
Speaking to Football Insider, he said:
“I was surprised, having watched his recent performances, that Andy Madley was appointed to this game.
“We have elite referees within the group. We have a pecking order, and those referees that are in form should get this game.”
Those are strong words from someone who knows the refereeing system from the inside.
Hackett believes Madley should miss next weekend’s fixtures
It was his next comments, however, that really caught my attention.
Hackett continued by explaining that referees who are not performing consistently should be challenged about their standards.
He added:
“There are going to be knocks on the door saying, ‘Boss, why haven’t I got a game?’ And I would be saying, ‘You need to improve your performance and be more consistent’.”
He then delivered his verdict on Madley’s performance:
“I don’t think he had his best game, and I don’t know what his best game is. We’ve highlighted a number of ifs, and I’ve highlighted one that is 100% incorrect.
“That says to me, next week if I was doing the appointments, he ain’t got a game.”
That is a fairly remarkable assessment.
Hackett is not simply suggesting Madley made one mistake. He is questioning the decision to appoint him to such an important fixture and believes his performance should have consequences.
The Isak penalty decision remains the biggest talking point
There is little doubt about which incident will dominate the discussion among Liverpool supporters.
Isak was attempting to attack a cross when Timber grabbed his shirt, preventing him from reaching the ball as he wanted.
Madley did not award a penalty, and VAR official Stuart Attwell did not recommend an on-field review.
It was the decision that left Liverpool furious.
Iraola was particularly unhappy afterwards, even suggesting that he would tell his players to go down in similar situations in future because staying on their feet does not appear to help them.
Virgil van Dijk also questioned how the incident could have been missed when so many camera angles were available.
Liverpool ultimately lost 1-0, with Kai Havertz’s first-half goal proving decisive.
We will never know whether Liverpool would have scored from the penalty spot, but it was certainly a major moment in the match.
Liverpool need consistency, not apologies after the event
I don’t believe Liverpool should use refereeing decisions to disguise their own shortcomings.
The performance against Arsenal was not good enough in the final third, and Alisson’s mistake played a major part in the defeat.
But that does not mean the officials should escape scrutiny.
The whole point of VAR is to help correct important mistakes. When a decision as significant as the Isak shirt pull is left untouched, supporters are entitled to ask questions.
And when a former refereeing chief is publicly questioning the appointment and suggesting the referee should be dropped for the following weekend, it shows that the criticism is not coming exclusively from Liverpool fans.
Of course, Hackett’s comments are his own assessment. They do not mean Madley will automatically be removed from the next round of fixtures.
But they do raise an important question about how refereeing appointments are made and whether performances are being judged consistently.
My verdict: The pressure is now on the refereeing authorities
Liverpool have every right to feel aggrieved about the Isak incident.
I raised concerns about Madley’s appointment before the game, and unfortunately, the match produced another major refereeing talking point involving Liverpool.
Now Keith Hackett has questioned why Madley was selected and believes he should miss next weekend’s fixtures.
That is a significant intervention from a former refereeing chief.
I want to see officials held to the same standards as players and managers. If a player has a poor performance, he can lose his place. If a manager makes repeated mistakes, his position comes under pressure.
Why should referees be treated any differently?
Liverpool cannot change the result against Arsenal, but the authorities need to explain how such an important decision was allowed to stand.
The debate surrounding Andy Madley is not going away anytime soon.
Jamie – (The Kopite View)
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