Even Spurs fans will admit Paul Tierney made a joke out of the game at the Hotspur Way Stadium and it’s not ridiculous to suggest the referee did his best to make life difficult for the away side.
It is never a good sign when most of the post-match articles are being written about the referee. The match officials should be invisible. They are only there to help the game flow and to protect players and fans.
We laugh and joke about Mike Dean’s theatrics because, in a way, it enhances the viewing on show at times. But Paul Tierney had a shocker last night and he won’t get punished for it. England’s referees never do.
Jurgen Klopp was so incensed by the fiasco that he marched onto the pitch after full-time and raged at the referee.
“I have no problems with referees – only you,” Klopp was televised as saying to Tierney after the game.
Liverpool have played 20 domestic games this season and, while Tierney has only officiated three of them, he has handed out 11 of the 27 yellow cards they have received and the only red.
It cannot be a coincidence that he has awarded 40% of their yellow cards in just 15% of their games.
Andy Robertson deserved his red card. I’m not disputing that. It was a moment of madness from a passionate player. But it’s the lack of consistency from a referee that is so frustrating.
Harry Kane should have been sent off in the first half and then Emerson Royal, who Robbo absolutely booted, fouled Diogo Jota in the box but was not penalised.
It is ironic that all the same characters were involved in the different scenarios but weren’t dealt with in the same way.