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Let’s take them up the Arsenal

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When he was scoring for fun he’d stand up the defender then shimmy to the left beating the man and score in the far corner. These days he seems to hit it at the defender.
 
Ultimately a good point, given at 0-2 we could have gone on to lose by many if the crowd didn't suddenly wake up for the Xhaka incident.

Shame we couldn't win it given so many chances. The penalty miss was almost unforgivable, but we still had enough opportunities to win it after this. However, the grit and desire shown was something we've only seen on fleeting occasions this season (and even at the end of last season - unfortunately) so that was a nice throwback to the 2018-2021 days of this side.
 
[article]
The assistant referee who appeared to thrust his elbow into the face of the Liverpool defender Andrew Robertson has been stood down while the FA investigates the incident.


Constantine Hatzidakis will not officiate in any matches while an investigation is carried out into the flashpoint at half-time of Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal.


Robertson, the Scotland captain, appeared to be caught on his chin after he approached the official at the end of the opening 45 minutes at Anfield. The left back was visibly angry and had to be held back by his team-mate Mohamed Salah, before the referee, Paul Tierney, cautioned him.


The FA has said it will look into the remarkable episode and, while that is the case, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), the body in charge of elite officials, said Hatzidakis will not be considered for games.

“PGMOL will not be appointing Constantine Hatzidakis to fixtures in any of the competitions it serves while the FA investigates the incident involving the assistant referee and Liverpool defender Andrew Robertson at Anfield,” it said in a statement.


The Liverpool manager, Jürgen Klopp, said he had not seen the clash, but added: “I heard the pictures speak for themselves.”


It was the same group of officials who took charge of Liverpool’s draw away to Tottenham Hotspur in December 2021, a game in which Robertson was sent off. Before that, the England captain, Harry Kane, had escaped a red card for a late challenge on the defender.


Martin Cassidy, the chief executive of the charity Ref Support UK, said he was concerned by a rise in physical contact between players and match officials. He suggested football’s authorities should impose an “exclusion zone” of two metres around the officials which players could only go inside if invited.


Fulham’s Aleksandar Mitrovic was given an eight-match ban last week for pushing the referee, Chris Kavanagh, during an FA Cup tie against Manchester United. Bruno Fernandes, the United midfielder, escaped punishment after he appeared to push the assistant referee, Adam Nunn, during his side’s 7-0 defeat by Liverpool at Anfield last month. In 2020 Manchester City’s Sergio Agüero put a hand on the shoulder of the assistant referee, Sian Massey-Ellis, after he disagreed with her decision.


“We need to have boundaries which say you can’t go within two metres of a match official unless you are invited,” Cassidy said. “There has been a significant rise in contact between players and match officials, and the authorities need to do something to address it.


“An exclusion zone around the match official, where you don’t go there unless you are invited, would be a benefit for the game.”


Attwell is also expected to be dropped from match duties after failing to award Brighton a clear penalty against Tottenham


Meanwhile, PGMOL is expected to drop Stuart Attwell and Michael Salisbury from match duties this weekend after apologising to Brighton & Hove Albion for the third time this season for a mistake in decision-making by officials.


Attwell, the referee, and Salisbury, the VAR, failed to award a penalty for a clear foul on Kaoru Mitoma by Tottenham Hotspur’s Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg on Saturday. Brighton also had two goals disallowed after VAR checks, with Spurs going on to win 2-1.

PGMOL will announce the weekend’s refereeing appointments on Tuesday. In the past, it has dropped officials for the next round of Premier League games after high-profile errors.

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How would an exclusion zone work? If players can’t go within 2 meters of an official would they have to limit which parts of the pitch they go without repercussions?
 
They should make a very clear and simple to police rule around officials.
  • Only captains to talk to ref
  • If more than 1 additional player (unless summoned by the ref) approaches the ref they get yellow card (or if this is too strict - give one warning then a yellow card for second offence)
If there are consequences that aren't open to interpretation then it can be very easily managed.
 
Couldnt the same rules as in Rugby be introduced? Only the captain can talk to the ref about decisions.

Law 9 states that: “Players must respect the authority of the referee and must not dispute the referee's decisions.” To break that law is an automatic penalty and a costly futile exercise for the offending team, creating an obligation and incentive for players to not re-offend.

Automatic yellow card offence if you argue with the referee could work.
 
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The guy shouldn't lose his job, maybe he serves 8 match officiating Northern League matches?
[article]
Assistant referee Constantine Hatzidakis 'punished enough' for Andy Robertson incident

By Matthew HenryBBC Sport
Last updated on3 hours ago3 hours ago.From the sectionFootball
_129330418_3abf0c1e7e5f689f552599433e2bf10a332b6690.jpg

Andy Robertson (second from left) was shown a yellow card for dissent after his clash with assistant referee Constantine Hatzidakis (far right)
The assistant referee involved in an incident with Liverpool's Andy Robertson has been punished "enough", says the head of a referees' charity.
Constantine Hatzidakis has been stood down while an investigation into the incident on Sunday, in which he seemed to elbow Robertson, is completed.
Former Premier League referee Keith Hackett said Hatzidakis' career "could be in jeopardy" if found guilty.
"It has been blown a little bit out of proportion," said Martin Cassidy.
Cassidy, the chief executive officer of Ref Support UK, told BBC Sport: "We should never advocate violence or match officials hitting anyone but it genuinely looks like Andy Robertson grabs him and Con pushes him to get off.
"They haven't suspended Andy Robertson. It is a little bit of an overreaction."
Hatzidakis made contact with Robertson's chin after the Scotland international approached him at the end of the first half in Sunday's 2-2 Premier League draw with Arsenal.
Former Blackburn striker Chris Sutton said the assistant referee "has to be banned".
"There is a line," he told 5 Live's Monday Night Club programme. "The assistant crossed it in that moment and will probably serve a suspension."
The Robertson incident follows the eight-game ban given to Fulham striker Alexsandar Mitrovic, who pushed a referee during a match against Manchester United.
New York Times football writer Rory Smith said the suggestion Hatzidakis should lose his job is "excessive".
"If his career is over that has a different meaning to someone who does not earn what Mitrovic earns," Smith said.
Cassidy added: "Eric Cantona jumped into the crowd and kicked somebody and still came back and scored in an FA Cup final.
"Why should we treat match officials any different? Yes, we are the guardians of standards and they look on us more strictly but that isn't a free for all.
"No, his career is not over. He will learn from it.
"What has happened to Con already, the fact he looks like he has been proven guilty and taken off games, I think that is enough."
'Bring in an exclusion zone'

As well as calling for tougher rules allowing only captains can speak to officials, Cassidy said football needs to introduce an "exclusion zone" around referees which would stop players getting too close.
"All of these situations are happening when a player makes contact with a referee," he said.
"It has been going on for years.
"Let's create a safe area where everyone agrees you don't go within a metre or two metres.
"Let's create an exclusion zone where if you go that close to a match official you get a card no matter what. That might make the game a bit less aggressive and more productive."

[/article]
 
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