Ex-Premier League referee lambasts ruling body after damaging Liverpool news confirmed
Keith Hackett has claimed Paul Tierney should not referee Crystal Palace’s trip to Liverpool on Monday night (15 August).
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the ex-Fifa and Premier League referee suggested Tierney’s appointment was damaging to the two clubs and other officials who were overlooked.
The 41-year-old put in a poor performance in Brighton’s 2-1 win over Man United last week.
He missed a potential penalty for Brighton after a Lisandro Martinez challenge on Danny Welbeck and only showed Scott McTominay a yellow card for a stamp on Moises Caicedo.
The Premier League confirmed last week (8 August) that Tierney would be in charge of the game at Anfield.
Asked whether he thought it was the right appointment, Hackett told Football Insider correspondent Connor Whitley: “No.
“After the poor performance last week, there are enough referees in the group, select group one, to put another referee on that particular game.
“I think when a referee delivers a poor performance there has to be some form of accountability.
“There’s no questioning that Paul Tierney had a poor performance in that opening game last week. This is one of the big games of the weekend.
“Going back to when I was in charge, Tierney would not have been on this game.
“It’s OK to say ‘Let’s throw him back in the mix’, but there are other referees there who are yet to have a Premier League game this season who can say ‘Hold on, he’s performed poorly and got another game, what’s going on here?’
“It’s the impact on the group as much as it is the impact on the game.
“Let’s hope he comes out and has a top-class performance but he’s got to move quite a step from last week’s performance which was pretty poor.”
In other news, Kieran Maguire has issued a “superb” Liverpool verdict after a £1.1billionn takeover development.