'Sheer incompetence' - Liverpool handed new red card verdict in light of PGMOL ruling
The fallout to controversies in Wednesday night's Merseyside derby continued today after Liverpool beat Everton 1-0 at Anfield
The failure to recognise James Tarkowski's 10th-minute challenge on Alexis Mac Allister in Wednesday's Merseyside derby was put down to 'sheer incompetence' by the extremely critical former head of the PGMOL, Keith Hackett. Liverpool and Everton have since learned from the refereeing body that the wrong decision was made.
Liverpool, who went on to win the Anfield derby via a 57th-minute Diogo Jota strike, had initially been left furious in the opening stages when Tarkowski flew into a challenge to clear the ball. In doing so he followed through onto the calf of Mac Allister who slumped to the ground in pain.
Referee Sam Barrott saw fit to produce only the yellow card, to which VAR Paul Tierney checked and confirmed the punishment. Since then, it has emerged PGMOL have recognised a red card would have been more fitting in the circumstances.
But before that was able to happen, the former head of the organisation Hackett provided his scathing verdict on the incident. On X, he was asked by a Liverpool supporter to explain 'from his perspective how both the referee and VAR failed to send off Tarkowski?'
"Sheer incompetence of the highest order," was Hackett's brief but brutal response in regard to the officials managing this particular incident.
For his part in the matter, Everton defender Tarkowski later revealed he had apologised to Mac Allister for the challenge. However, he would have left Anfield to read the numerous opinions circling that he should have been dismissed.
Gary Neville, providing commentary for Sky Sports, said Tarkowski was 'lucky' not to have been sent off. Former Everton striker Duncan Ferguson and Jamie Carragher were on punditry duties and were also in agreement that the challenge was deserving of a red card following a VAR check.
Dietmar Hamann, another member of Liverpool's 2005 Champions League-winning squad, went as far as to call the Blues man a 'coward', while Richard Keys slammed the 'naughty' challenge and questioned Barrott being given the match to officiate given that he only has 19 Premier League matches worth of experience under his belt.
Lastly, another former referee, Dermot Gallagher, requested PGMOL begin an urgent review into how a red card was not awarded. But ultimately, Barrott and his team of officials, were also in receipt of praise for how they implemented the laws of the game in the build-up to Liverpool's winner.
Luis Diaz would have been in an offside position had Tarkowski not intervened to play the ball. The winger was thus allowed back into play when a touch was made and this helped tee up Jota for his clinical strike, leaving Everton frustrated.