Why Liverpool & Everton Are Refereed Very Differently (FREE READ)

In addition to other issues, THEY GET DIFFERENT REFS TO EVERYONE ELSE!

This is mostly a data and info piece, as I don’t have the time this week to flesh it out as much as I wanted, but I still waffle on a bit. (Okay, so I waffled more than expected.)

I’ll share some new data with some previous examples, in this free piece, that’s for all to share.

According to Paul Joyce in the Times, Everton fans had a Zoom call with Howard Webb, and Webb admitted Ibrahima Konaté should have been sent off against Everton.

I think it could have been a second yellow (no arguments if it had been given), but when you see the decisions that have gone against Liverpool in big games, it’s not even close to an outrage. Remember, Liverpool went over 300 league games without an opponent receiving a second yellow card.

And the league title could yet again be decided by an unfathomable decision in Man City’s favour, for perhaps the third time in three title-chases.

See Craig Burley, or a Man United fan (Mark Goldbridge, below), talking about the ludicrous nature of the Jeremy Doku foul on Alex Mac Allister.

And…

Yet Webb still can’t say it’s a penalty.

The man is deluded.

That’s the level of cognitive dissonance, self-protection and almost police-style cover-up doublespeak that you expect from, well, Howard Webb.

Webb hasn’t asked me for my opinions, despite years analysing refereeing data, and while he has made some improvements, he’s ultimately just another excuse-maker for his charges, certainly around subjective decisions (which can always be fudged). He’s the glossy PR man, peddling bullshit.

Everton fans are also alleging unconscious bias against the refs, and there was talk that some fans might even look at the data (which I assumed they’d have done first).

But they mind find a few bits that interest them in this piece.

Interestingly, the ref who didn’t send off Konaté was Craig Pawson – one of the better refs – who hasn’t done a Liverpool game since.

Neither has the VAR Darren England, after perhaps the biggest mistake in football officiating history, at least in terms of failure to use the technology.

Still, at least Manchester refs don’t keep doing Manchester teams in Manchester stadia; and thankfully Anthony Taylor won’t be in charge at the weekend.

And of course, David Coote, largely incompetent and frazzled (he mistook his role for ballboy at the weekend, but missed a clear trip on Mo Salah yet again, for which an England player would get two penalties), showed again why he’s rarely allowed Liverpool games; not long after not giving a handball as the VAR against Martin Ødegaard, and in the same role, famously failing to see any issue with Jordan Pickford taking out Virgil van Dijk’s kneecap.

Coote is just a very bad referee; weak, and nervous. There are a handful of good refs, a cluster of wishy-washy refs, and some cantankerous (insert the c-work of your choice here).

Obviously Jürgen Klopp has offended some refs, and many seem to actively hate him, to the point where they no longer do their job properly. I understand that, but it’s their job to every team in the league to be fair to every team in the league.

But another main issue is that it seems that four of main refs (below the old established regulars) are banned from doing Liverpool and Everton games, but all Greater Manchester refs can do all the teams; and Merseyside refs still do Manchester teams.

• Peter Bankes

• Rob Jones

• Jarred Gillett

• Michael Salisbury

As such, neither Liverpool nor Everton get a healthy mixture of officials (look at Man City for a contrast), but the same ones, with whom the same grudges can continue.

Familiarity breeds contempt, and the PGMOL deserves much of the contempt that comes its way.

Jonathan Moss, the most outlandish referee by the data, was from the northeast and lived in Yorkshire. He didn’t do games for teams in either area. Next he was managing the referees.

John Brooks doesn’t seem to do Arsenal, but does do their title rivals, including giving Liverpool nothing but misery. Yet he’s VARred Arsenal 10 times. Why has he never reffed them if he’s free to?

Moss, like the heavy-handed, hard-staring, ultra-by-the-book John Brooks (unless it’s Bruno Fernandes going in for a near-red card challenge on Dominik Szoboszlai, then he doesn’t see it, or Tyrone Mings going in on Cody Gakpo’s chest, and he doesn’t see it), is a “listen to me, and you can piss off” ref.

Moss is such an outlier (see below) that it’s almost laughable.

Brooks, who gave only a yellow for the above, is the next-closest.

“Baffled Anfield officials have contacted the Professional Game Match Officials (PGMOL) to seek clarification over why Villa defender Tyrone Mings wasn’t sent off in the first half for a high challenge on Cody Gakpo which left deep stud marks across the Dutchman’s chest … The incident was reviewed by video assistant referee (VAR) but Tony Harrington advised referee John Brooks to stick with his original decision of a yellow card.”

Of course, it turns out that Brooks doesn’t like getting overturned, as one interpretation of why he overturns everyone else, and no one dares do the same to him. He’s got a alpha vibe about him.

These are the refs (left side of the chart) who overturn everyone else when VAR, and don’t really get overturned themselves, maybe as they don’t like it; Moss was a teacher, after all, and some teachers, like some policemen, can never be wrong. (Apparently Moss has finally retired.)

The refs who get overturned a lot by VARs at a lesser rate than they overturn refs when they are the VARs are the ones who don’t tend to do Liverpool and Everton games.

[EDIT: since publishing this piece yesterday, Michael Salisbury did his first Everton game last night. He was the VAR. He awarded Everton a penalty, which was a clear foul in the box, so fair enough – but also the type that is rarely given as the ball was going over the players. They should be given, they just aren’t, as seen when Jayden Danns was wrestled with both hands to the floor in a recent game. But the timing, after Everton fans spoke with Webb, was interesting. As is the fact that Salisbury is now apparently allowed to do Everton games. In one game, he’s now given half as many foul penalties to Everton (1) as a VAR as Liverpool have had in 180-or-so games from VARs (2)]

And of course, Michael Oliver should have been overturned two weeks ago, but he was firm despite not having a good view, and Attwell was talking like he’d taken LSD. In any other walk of life, the adviser would tell the other person they’d got it wrong.

It’s a good job Attwell’s reward isn’t to do a Liverpool game this week.

It’s a good job Brooks isn’t doing Liverpool this week.

And these are subjective decisions, so not including offsides.

Moss was using VAR before it even existed.

“On 4 February 2018, Moss drew criticism for his refereeing decisions in a Premier League match between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur, which ended in a 2–2 draw.[11] Moss was seen on camera asking fourth official Martin Atkinson if there was "anything from TV", even though VAR was not in operation, before he decided to award Tottenham a penalty. During stoppage time, Moss consulted with assistant referee Eddie Smart to clarify if Harry Kane had been offside before awarding Tottenham another penalty. The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) admitted that Moss was ‘misguided’ to ask the fourth official for help using television when awarding Tottenham's first penalty, but defended his decisions.”

So, illegal refereeing, but whatever.

Ironic that he should then be the biggest VAR rogue.

Moss and Martin Atkinson, another of Liverpool’s problem refs, never did Leeds games. Michael Oliver doesn’t do Newcastle games, as he supports them.

I’ve said before, the issue is that most of the refs are from Yorkshire, and if not, from the northwest.

If Liverpool and Everton basically have only half the pool of experienced refs, with various others in the list having retired, you’re going to get the same old faces; not least as the quartet of Peter Bankes, Rob Jones, Jarred Gillett and Michael Salisbury cannot be VARs, either.

Penalty Box Touchers Per Penalty

Definitely an anti-Merseyside vibe here:

Maybe the better refs need less overturning; but there seemed to be a fear to overturn Moss, in particular. I’ve also shown that subjective VAR overturns are not made earlier in matches, but that objective overturns are more consistent.

In other words, VARs bottle decisions early on, maybe to “not ruin the game”.

Yet on not ruining the game, Brooks was happy to send off Virgil van Dijk very early and England was happy to send off Curtis Jones very early. The consistency is totally lacking.

Coote was happy to book players for not-even-fouls at Anfield at the weekend, then in the Man City vs Arsenal clash, Anthony Taylor showed the Entertainment Before Integrity rule of not booking players for late tackles, cynical fouls, kicks, trips, pull-backs … until the late time-wasting yellows for the away team. That’s not refereeing, that’s taking money to spectate, and to not upset anyone by actually making a decision.

How can you have integrity if what is a yellow card or red card is so massively different depending on the game, just as a clear foul in the box is not a penalty (to Liverpool). It’s not common sense, it’s Entertainment Before Integrity.

Again, Taylor famously bottled sending off Vincent Kompany in 2019 in the first half against Liverpool, which even the City fans couldn’t believe to the point where they sung about it. I assumed VAR would correct this kind of error, but now we’d get Attwell or Tierney saying “they both came in high”.

The refs are too scared to make Big Decisions in key title moments, and it showed two weeks ago. And some VARs refuse to step in, while others love to step in. That’s not consistent, fair or to be trusted.

Liverpool have done okay for penalties won this season, but they’ve tended to be absolute stonewallers; and even several other stonewallers haven’t been given. The sendings off of Liverpool players has largely been ludicrous.

Paul Tierney and Stuart Attwell are amongst the VARs who don’t really intervene on subjective decisions. Yet they’ve done Liverpool far more than they’ve done anyone else, and they’ve done Liverpool far more than anyone else has done Liverpool.

This chart below should not be allowed to happen; that disparity between games should not be seen, as it’s distorting. Even if Tierney and Attwell clearly favoured Liverpool, instead of the opposite, it wouldn’t be right.

Tierney chose not to intervene when Alexis Mac Allister was ludicrously sent off earlier in the season (a rare VAR decision overturned by the independent panel, which is essentially what the VAR is supposed to do), but he still VARs Liverpool games.

He’s never given Liverpool a subjective VAR call, but has disallowed a Liverpool goal (softly), rule out a Liverpool penalty (insanely), and given a penalty against Liverpool (a seen-them-given handball); all against Manchester clubs.

Liverpool have had only two foul penalty calls by VARs since it was introduced.

TWO!

Everton have actually won more VAR penalties than Liverpool.

Everton haven’t won many penalties overall in the VAR era (15) but it’s been a time of relegation battles. They’re not that far behind their peers, and ahead of some of them.

Liverpool, meanwhile, have been by far the 2nd-best attacking force in the period, and while City should expect the most penalties, it’s VARs who give them the big difference to Liverpool; VARs don’t give Liverpool foul penalties, even when someone karate kicks someone in the chest.

This is two players “coming in high”; as if having your chest at chest-height (where one reasonably might expect a human chest to be) is the same as having your foot at chest-height.

I’m beyond despairing at all this bullshit, but maybe things will change when Klopp goes, and someone else doesn’t have to put up with the antipathy from the PGMOL, Brooks, Tierney, et al.

But there are also the myths of the Reds getting more penalties at Anfield, when actually it’s around 50% of the home penalties compared to rivals at their own grounds in the Klopp era. That needs to change. Under one recent newspaper article (which had nothing to do with Liverpool) a top-rated comment referenced “LiVARpool”, yet the Reds get almost no VAR decisions (offsides aside) … perhaps because of “#LiVARpool”.

Is that mentioned to the VARs? Don’t worry about social media myths that are the opposite of the truth? Does anyone check? Or do they all just fear the Twitter/X mobs?

Look at data to see where your blindspots are, Howard. Examine your own failings, and try to pass on the knowledge, such as what a high boot is.

Certainly it’s not going to help if half of the decent refs aren’t allowed to do Liverpool.

That’s just really bad planning; imagine if all the refs were from Newcastle, and no one could referee Newcastle? Or it had to be Tim Robinson every week, 38 games a season. Where’s the planning in having FOUR refs who can’t do two big clubs in the top flight?

Anyway, I’ve rambled on enough and will never write a definitive article that sums all this up, as there’s just too much of it. But like a fool I’ll keep trying. (Apologies for any typos as was in a rush with this one.)

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