‘Why is Michael Salisbury refereeing in the Premier League?’ – Ex-PGMOL boss fumes after Everton vs Crystal Palace
Michael Salisbury is “not good enough” to officiate in the Premier League after being criticised for his performance during Everton versus Crystal Palace.
That is according to former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA referee, Keith Hackett, who exclusively told Football Insider that the 40-year-old referee is fortunate to be involved at the elite level.
This comes after Adam Wharton was incorrectly sanctioned for his tackle on Idrissa Gueye in what was a surprise comeback 2-1 victory for the Toffees at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday, 5 October.
Jack Grealish was key for Everton once again, scoring a 93rd-minute winner after Iliman Ndiaye cancelled out Daniel Munoz‘s first-half opener for the Eagles.
Howard Webb’s officials are under heavy fire this season
Salisbury has been heavily criticised for his performance on Merseyside, not just by the Palace fans for his sanctioning of Wharton, but also by the home fans, who were frustrated for much of the 90 minutes.
Chris Kavanagh has also been condemned for his poor decisions so far in the 2025-26 campaign, making wrong choices in several matches so far, and Hackett clearly has a similar worry for Salisbury.
Howard Webb has done very little to change the current thought process for referees, even with supporters calling for some of them to be banned from upcoming matchweeks.
Hackett has now had enough of Salisbury in the Premier League, sending a clear message to the current head of the PGMOL after Everton’s win against the high-flying Eagles.
Michael Salisbury is not ‘worthy of being an elite referee’
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the referee, he said: “What I would say is, why is Michael Salisbury refereeing in the Premier League? He’s not good enough. It’s as simple as that.
“I think he’s a lucky guy. I wouldn’t want to say that his dad being a long-time football league referee has helped him, but I’ve not seen a performance from him that is consistent or worthy of being an elite referee.”
Supporters are now keeping an eye out for the referee announcements ahead of each matchweek, though the wait will now continue until after the international break on this occasion.