The latest edition of ‘Match Officials: Mic’d Up’ aired, with PGMOL boss Howard Webb and Michael Owen taking a closer look at various refereeing decisions from the Premier League.
The show was particularly notable as Webb addressed Luis Diaz’s wrongly disallowed goal in Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat to Tottenham. The goal was initially ruled out for offside, but replays showed that the goal should have stood.
However, a major communication error from VAR Darren England led to referee Simon Hooper disallowing the goal. Webb admitted it was “human error (caused by) loss of concentration” and also addressed a number of other controversial incidents and Mirror Football has taken a look at five key takeaways.
1. Kovacic should have been sent off
Webb admitted that referee Michael Oliver should have shown Mateo Kovacic a red card in Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Manchester City.
Kovacic was booked for a poor challenge on Martin Odegaard but did not receive a second yellow for another bad tackle on Declan Rice. And Webb stated that the midfielder was “extremely fortunate” not have been sent off, but that VAR was right for not intervening. “Obviously VAR can’t get involved for second yellows,” he explained.
“I think he was extremely fortunate to stay on. Michael Oliver is one of our best referees and one of the best in the world and he will no doubt review that. He doesn’t want to have a negative impact on the game by overreacting to something. Sometimes players will be on a yellow card and there will be pressure to show another one. But it is also true about underreacting.”
2. PGMOL to push for law change
Webb also indicated that the PGMOL will push the International FA Board, which determines the laws of the game, to make a change allowing officials to rectify major errors once play has restarted.
While discussing the blunder which led to Diaz’s goal being disallowed, Webb said: “I understand why the question was asked why the game wasn’t stopped, but the laws of the game as set by FIFA and the International FA Board doesn’t allow that, (because play had restarted). But I know that the International FA Board, even before this situation happened, were going to do a full review of the laws of the game relating to the use of VAR.
”It has been in place for seven years now, when it was written they put a protocol in place, and it served the game really well. But now we have lived experience of those situations like we saw this week, then we (PGMOL) can feed into that as well, and the IFAB will look at whether or not there is a need to tweak some of it, and I’m sure they will look at this aspect of how VAR is used as well.”
3. Liverpool fans are not happy
However, some Liverpool fans were not happy with Webb’s comments, slamming him for not issuing an apology over the incident.
One fumed: “Howard Webb you are a joke! Just as if nothing happened other than a “mistake”. No passion, no apology and Michael Owen just giving him an easy ride on the whole thing! What about the consequences? End of story lets move on!! Joke – resign!!!”
“It’s actually mental that Howard Webb is still justifying that Diaz mistake,” another supporter added. “Still hasn’t apologised and now he’s just doing his propaganda TV show about it.”
4. Why slo-mo is used
Jamie Carragher was critical of the use of slow-motion replays in VAR checks following two incidents last month where players were sent off after their yellow cards were upgraded to straight reds after VAR checks.
While discussing Malo Gusto’s sending off for a challenge on Lucas Digne in Aston Villa’s 1-0 win over Chelsea, Webb explained: “We have to use slo-mo just to see the exact point and nat of contact,” Webb said when focusing on the Gusto incident.
“The referee sees it at full speed on the field so it is a viable use of VAR to look at it in slo-mo and freeze frame. The referee Jarred Gilett asked to look at the Gusto challenge in full speed and we ask them to do that, as that is the way the game is played.”
5. Controversial handball explained
Wolves were not happy when Luton Town were awarded a penalty for a handball by Joao Gomes in their 1-1 draw last month, with former Premier League referee Mike Dean among those questioning the decision.
However, Webb has explained why the penalty was given, despite the ball taking a deflection of Gomes’ leg before hitting his hand. He said: “Not that long ago, an arm above the shoulder would be deemed as automatically unnatural and therefore a handball will be given. But those words have been taken out and the only words that have replaced it really are around ‘unnatural position’, ‘unjustifiable position’, taking a risk by putting your arm in that position in the first place.
“Josh Smith, the referee here, felt that arm was so unnaturally positioned extremely above the head that it should be penalised… We can’t really say that any deflection prevents a handball because then you get players standing in front of a shot, arms out wide and then a tiny, little deflection off a leg onto a full arm would prevent a penalty being given.”
