Ref will be tested to limit

MARTIN ATKINSON has been tasked with controlling one of the fiercest rivalries in the Premier League. Atkinson doesn’t just have 22 players to worry about, he also has two volatile managers with ‘history’. I used to love refereeing these huge matches and had a clear gameplan for the first 20 minutes, just as Atkinson will. Allow the game to settle down and do not over-react to the demands of the crowd if a big challenge went in. It is important to empathise with the players who will be edgy and will urge you to act strongly against opponents. A calm demeanour often calms early tension and allows the game to become a good battle. But no matter what gameplan you have, you must be fully prepared to rip it up if a poor challenge is committed in the first couple of minutes. Atkinson has Jon Moss with him, a very calm fourth official, who could end up being the busiest of all the officials. His man-management skills could be tested to the full with Jurgen Klopp and Jose Mourinho in the technical areas — assuming they stay within them. Both men can be over-exuberant and they like to wind each other up, so I would be asking my fourth official to be on his toes. The select group of match officials were at a get-together this week and will have discussed the game. There will be no special instructions. They appoint who they think is best for the job and trust them to deliver. Let’s hope they got it right and we are talking about a great game rather than a refereeing controversy.