Liverpool news: Ex-Fifa official demands Craig Pawson axed after confirmed news in last 24 hours
Keith Hackett has suggested Craig Pawson should be axed from the midweek round of Premier League fixtures after Kevin Friend was dropped after a controversy as Liverpool beat Crystal Palace 3-1 last month (23 January).
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the ex-Fifa and Premier League referee delivered his verdict after Friend was axed following the controversial decision to award Liverpool a penalty for a foul on Diogo Jota.
On-field official Friend did not give the spot-kick before he was told to review the footage on the pitchside monitor by VAR official Pawson.
As confirmed yesterday (7 February) Friend will not officiate any games this midweek while Pawson will be the fourth official as Everton take on Newcastle United tonight (8 February).
“To some degree, I’ve questioned and talked about accountability,” Hackett told Football Insider correspondent Connor Whitley.
“But It should never come into the public domain. I know the referee takes the ultimate decision, but where is Craig Pawson in this?
“If they are going to issue a sanction of not appointing him to a game that should also apply to Craig Pawson, who was the VAR official.
“There is a clear suspicion here from fans that when a referee goes to the monitor he automatically accepts the VAR decision.
“Mark Halsey, the former referee, said he talks to current referees and says that does happen. I had no proof of that but that is not how VAR should operate.
“If a referee goes to the screen he should be allowed the freedom of being able to stick with his decision.
“The only way over this, and I’m getting more and more into having this opinion, when a referee is asked to go to the monitor that whole discussion between referee and VAR should be in the public domain for transparency.
“We want to hear the conversation between Kevin Friend and Craig Pawson.”
In other news, Liverpool are holding talks over a February deal after personal terms are agreed.