There has recently been lively debate on the standard of refereeing in the Premier League this season.
Among those voicing an opinion is former England and Newcastle star Alan Shearer who believes the new rules on time-wasting and dissent introduced this season have put an extra burden on the officials.
“It’s a hard enough job in the first place without the added pressure,” Shearer said last weekend.
But he admitted that at times this season “the standard of refereeing has not been good enough.”
He feels that to get things right “might take a bit of time.”
Incidents in last week’s fiery encounter between Newcastle and Liverpool illustrate just what pressure referees are under when making split-second decisions.
In the fifth minute, Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold was bundled into touch by Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon.
It looked like a blatant foul but…
