Hackett appalled at Michael Oliver for shocking Crystal Palace v Millwall incident
Keith Hackett has slammed Michael Oliver for how he dealt with an “appalling” incident during Crystal Palace’s meeting with Millwall in the FA Cup.
The former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA official exclusively told Football Insider how shocked he was that Oliver had to rely on VAR in order to deliver a red card to Liam Roberts’ of Millwall.
The London derby between the two sides started slowly, with the Eagles probing for an opening in the Lions’ resolute defensive block.
However, after eight minutes, goalkeeper Roberts came flying out of his box and attempted to clear a long ball in his direction.
The English goalkeeper instead made contact with Man United target Jean-Philippe Mateta, flattening the French striker after kicking him in the head, and on replay, the viciousness of the challenge could be seen, with Roberts’ studs connecting on the former Mainz player’s head.
Ex-PGMOL chief slams Michael Oliver after Jean-Philippe Mateta injury
Despite the recklessness of Roberts’ attempts, the referee failed to immediately brandish a red card, and had to be called over to the VAR monitor to review the incident.
Hackett delivered a strongly-worded verdict on Oliver’s decision making following the sickening foul by saying: “What an appalling challenge and I have to ask the question why one of the world’s top referees failed to immediately show a red card. It is frankly an absolute no brainer.
“What is also appalling is that referee Michael Oliver had to rely on VAR in order to deliver the outcome. It didn’t need a second look, it was horrendous.”
Oliver Glasner was then forced to replace his star striker with Eddie Nketiah who was signed from Arsenal in the summer.
| 2024/25 Premier League stats | Mateta |
| Appearances | 27 |
| Starts | 25 |
| Goals | 12 |
| Assists | 2 |
| Minutes | 2,134 |
Michael Oliver shows over-reliance on VAR after decision in Crystal Palace v Millwall
Oliver was in charge of the ferocious Merseyside derby in February that saw three red cards shown after full-time.
The referee is widely regarded as one of the top officials in the country, and as such is relied on by the FA and the Premier League to take charge of the biggest games.
However, during Palace’s meeting with Millwall, Oliver made a shocking decision by not sending off Roberts immediately.
If the match had taken place in the fourth round of the FA Cup, as opposed to the fifth round, the referee would not have had VAR to aide in his decision.