‘Light-touch’ officials can still get tough

Jurgen Klopp made a characteristically outspoken comment about his Liverpool players having to endure a “wrestling match” against Burnley and the Premier League being in danger of going backwards 10 to 15 years.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the Manchester United manager, was also aggrieved at the way his side conceded a goal at Southampton and used a rugby analogy to talk about the home side’s rugged approach.

Klopp was clearly making reference to the new “lightertouch” approach that the Professional Game Match Officials Limited has adopted at the top-flight clubs’ request after the success of Euro 2020.

I have to say I am bemused by the Liverpool manager’s outburst, which I think was ill-informed and unfair, and I think most observers feel that way.

Klopp, like all managers in the Premier League, will have attended pre-season meetings where this new approach will have been discussed.

Mike Dean, the official in charge of the Liverpool v Burnley game, delivered a top-class performance and has certainly adapted to the lighter touch.

Remember, in previous seasons his average yellow card count was in excess of four per game. This weekend he did not reach into his pocket once to produce a card of any colour. I looked closely at Dean’s performance and could not find reasons for Klopp’s claims.

I agree with Gary Lineker’s observation that the German’s remarks may have been designed to influence the match officials in charge of next Saturday’s big match at Anfield against Chelsea.

If Klopp ever has any concerns about the referee’s performance he can enter the official’s dressing room 30 minutes after the game and seek clarification on any point. He can also telephone PGMOL chief Mike Riley and discuss his concerns.

There is no doubt in my mind that when we get to the business end of the season – and this might be in less than two months – the more relaxed style of refereeing will come under pressure to change. It is important for PGMOL to hold regular meetings with referees and club managers to get a feel of any tweaks that need to be made. Information from clubs giving statistics on player injuries will also need to be monitored.

We must also remember that this entertaining light-touch approach does not exonerate referees from applying red and yellow cards where appropriate.

Solskjaer had justification for feeling aggrieved. There was a clear foul on Bruno Fernandes in the build-up to the Southampton goal. Referee Craig Pawson should have awarded a free-kick. It was an outrageous call, but had nothing to do with lighter-touch officiating.

That aside, I have to compliment the referees this weekend, especially those who, at the request of the Var, visited the pitchside monitors and were prepared to change their minds having taken another look at the incident.

This weekend we also witnessed close offside calls, however when the dual lines (what we refer to as the broadcast and datum line) were shown on screen, it was evident they were not touching, so players were correctly ruled offside.

So Riley, why not pick up the phone today and have a chat with Klopp after you have determined who is going to referee Chelsea v Liverpool? My choice would be Michael Oliver.