SUMMIT HAS TO BE DONE
McInnes says it’s time for gaffers to return to scene of chats of 2019
IT’S only been two years since Premiership managers and SFA referees met on neutral ground in Perth for peace talks.
But Derek McInnes reckons the parties may need to sort out another socially distanced get-together soon.
And the Aberdeen boss believes it would be no bad thing for opposing sides of the divide to make it a regular occurrence.
Temperatures are once again rising in dugouts and on touchlines.
Steven Gerrard’s clash with John Beaton in Livingston on Wednesday night is just the latest in a series of running battles between the men in the middle and those in the hotseats.
Former Ross County boss Stuart Kettlewell, Robbie Neilson at Hearts and Motherwell’s Graham Alexander have been given the red-card treatment in recent weeks, while McInnes has been fighting to bite his lip over numerous questionable calls.
The Dons gaffer has noticed a disconnect between managers and officials, a trend that is reminding him of the winter of discontent from 2019.
Back then it was Beaton in the thick of it as well after being on the end of abuse and threats in the wake of an Old Firm game on top of a run of controversial calls on the park.
Not a lot has changed since, with calls for full-time refs and VAR left unanswered, but it did clear the air for a while.
However, McInnes believes there may be a need to get back around the table after a campaign that has proved to be a struggle for the officials in spite of the stands featuring more managers than supporters.
He said: “We had it a couple of years ago when we had the meeting at McDiarmid Park.
“There was a line in the sand about criticising them in public and there was an understanding about each other’s roles.
“I actually thought that went well for a period of time.
“It’s something I was conscious of as well.
“It’s helpful for managers to get together in the one room a couple of times a season, whether that’s to discuss referees or whatever.
“You see managers at games and have a brief chat but we don’t speak to each other after games. With Covid there’s no going into each other’s office.
“You normally only see managers when you are fighting against each other for points.
“But I always feel, when I’m on LMA [League Managers Association] courses with current and former managers, I come away from those meetings with something valuable. Being around like-minded people is always a good thing.” McInnes knows Gerrard doesn’t need back-up to fight his battles but understands his frustrations.
The Rangers gaffer felt he got blanked by Beaton in West Lothian when questioning the decision to book Alfredo Morelos for diving in the box while replays showed he’d been clipped.
Gerrard wanted answers but got two bookings and a sendingoff instead. McInnes reckons the relationships between officials and managers has to be better.
He said: “Some referees are more approachable than others. Some of them are maybe less forthright and say they’ll have a look at it again.
“Sometimes they are adamant they are 100 percent right, they can ignore you and almost shoo you away. That can be difficult for a manager.
“A lot of times managers will approach referees in the right manner. I do think managers deserve an explanation, although referees may see that differently.
“If managers approach it the right way, then referees should give their version of events.
“If managers are over the top and shouting and bawling, then the referee maybe thinks it’s better to not get involved in that type of conversation.
“But I do think there’s a level of decency.”
Even when the dust has settled, there’s still not enough dialogue. And McInnes remains unhappy at the controversial penalty shout in Aberdeen’s 1-0 defeat at Celtic Park just over two weeks ago.
He said: “I still haven’t received a satisfactory reason when I phoned the referee department the other week.
“Tommie Hoban had a penalty given against him at St Mirren Park. The young boy Stephen Welsh the other week against Celtic had his hands in the same position, the distance was almost identical but Alan Muir did not give us a penalty while Bobby Madden gave St Mirren a penalty.
“I said at the time if Bobby is right, then Alan is wrong and vice
ST MIRREN boss Jim Goodwin insists it is time Scottish football caught up with the world of sport and gave officials video assistance.
The standard of refereeing was brought under the microscope yet again on Wednesday night after Alfredo Morelos was booked for diving in the box against Livingston.
Rangers are appealing the decision at a tribunal hearing today.
The Buddies were at the centre of a spot-kick controversy themselves last weekend when Ross County manager John Hughes claimed ref Greg Aitken had been “conned” by striker Collin Quaner into handing the Paisley side their penalty winner.
Goodwin is adamant officials must be given more help to get key decisions right more often.
He said: “It’s really difficult for the referees. The pace of the game is a lot quicker than it used to be and players are falling over at the drop of a hat now with the slightest of contacts.
“We need to try to come up with something to get to the bottom of it and introducing monitors would be a step in the right direction.
“We need to catch up. We’re always a little bit behind the times in football in general.
“Tennis has had Hawk-Eye for years and the NFL have been using TV footage for even longer.
“I know they have VAR down in the Premier League and people say it costs too much for us to even consider that.
“But I assure you the Rangers video analyst will have sent a clip of the Morelos incident to their bench within half a minute.
“They’ll have seen it from numerous angles and that’s where the frustration will come for Steven Gerrard.
“Morelos has been booked when he shouldn’t have been and Rangers should have had a penalty.
“Maybe we need FIFA to allow us to do it but I don’t know why we can’t have a system in Scotland where there is a TV monitor next to the pitch.
“For those penalty incidents, it would be very easy for the referee to run over, have a look and give the correct decision.”