Keith Hackett

Mon 24 January 2022 17:00, UK

Keith Hackett has called for the conversation between the VAR official and referee to be broadcast after the controversial decision to award Liverpool a penalty in their 3-1 win over Crystal Palace.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the ex-Fifa and Premier League referee also suggested the VAR official should be stationed inside the ground rather than at Stockley Park.

Liverpool were awarded a penalty at Selhurst Park when Diogo Jota collided with Vicente Guaita towards the end of the game.

Kevin Friend did not give the penalty before he was told to review his decision at the pitchside monitor by VAR official Craig Pawson.

“The referee had got it right when he didn’t award a penalty kick,” Hackett said after analysing the footage with Football Insider‘s Connor Whitley.

“He’s seen a coming together that is part and parcel of football, it’s not a penalty kick.

“I can’t understand why Craig Pawson on VAR suddenly decides he needs to come in. It wasn’t a clear and obvious error.

“VAR has indulged himself. We’ve really got to get into a position where when a referee goes to the monitor, he doesn’t automatically accept what his colleague is telling him.

“It’s different if you’ve missed something and you need to have a look at it. But he’s made a judgement call on what he’s seen and now he’s being asked to review it. That puts a degree of pressure on the referee because he thinks he’s made a mistake.

“I think this was a particularly poor decision. The referee has got to be disappointed but the real problem is there’s clearly no post-match dialogue between the referee and VAR to examine the process.

“It’s a lack of transparency. What’s got to come in is, VAR should be stationed at the ground and we should be able to listen in to the conversation between the referee and VAR operator.”

In other news, Kieran Maguire has revealed Jurgen Klopp has been left in an ‘impossible position’ by Liverpool chiefs after an update.