Former referee Mark Clattenburg has offered his opinion on the offside issue for Liverpool's goal against Everton
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Mark Clattenburg has had his say on Liverpool's winner against Everton
Mark Clattenburg has had his say on Liverpool's winner against Everton
(Image: PA)
Former referee Mark Clattenburg has had his say on whether Liverpool’s winner against Everton should have been ruled out for offside. Diogo Jota's 57th-minute strike earned the Reds a 1-0 victory at Anfield.
But questions were raised over why it was allowed to stand after Luis Diaz had been in an offside position during the build-up.
Now Clattenburg, whose blunders in a Merseyside Derby at Goodison Park in 2007 ensured he wasn’t handed another assignment at the ground for the remainder of David Moyes’ first spell as Blues boss, has given his thoughts.
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The 50-year-old from County Durham told Everton News: “I think assistant referees, referees and VARs complicate their lives because in the past and always these decisions when they’re so close, where a defender and an attacker are so close, for me this is an easy decision just to give offside because Luis Diaz wants to play the ball.
“The defender clearly wants to stop Luis Diaz getting to the ball. He doesn’t know that Luis Diaz is in an offside position, but he wants to stop the ball going through to him.
“Because he’s then preventing Diaz getting into a goal-scoring opportunity, and when they’re that close together, you could argue again there could be an impact on the defender’s ability to play the ball.
“So there are some factors that can be covered under Law 11. I think the simple decision is, is to give offside. However, I’m sure PGMOL will hide behind that Luis Diaz is behind the defender, doesn’t make an impact, he doesn’t affect the ability to play the ball.
“And therefore will hide behind the subjective nature of this call, but for me, the simple decision is to give offside, and the one that football wants and understands is when a player, an attacking player and a defender are that close together, I believe football want that is offside.”