Liverpool boss Arne Slot thinks recent PGMOL decision is ‘not necessary’ after seeing it in action

Add as preferred source on Google

Liverpool are preparing to take on Tottenham at Anfield on Thursday night.

The Reds are looking to overturn a 1-0 deficit in their Carabao Cup semi-final tie after a Lucas Bergvall goal put the Merseyside club behind during the first contest at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium last month and will need to do so without Trent Alexander-Arnold in their squad.

Liverpool fans will be confident of achieving this given the way Spurs have played this season, while the Merseyside club have been in great form of late after picking up wins against Bournemouth, Ipswich, Lille and Brentford.

Despite other competions being a priority for Arne Slot this season, the Dutch coach will want to win the EFL Cup as Liverpool are the defending champions.

The Dutch coach showed this during the first game with Tottenham, as Slot was unhappy with his Liverpool team’s performance, which was visible on the sideline.

The Reds will have to beat Spurs in order to get to Wembley and ahead of the contest at Anfield, Slot has admitted that he is not a fan of a recent PGMOL decision.

• READ MORE: Arne Slot reveals if Liverpool have any more injuries ahead of facing Tottenham after Trent Alexander-Arnold blow

Liverpool boss Arne Slot believes referee announcements are ‘not necessary’

It was announced ahead of the first legs of the Carabao Cup semi-finals that referees would announce their decisions in the stadiums in the hope of creating more transparency between officials and fans.

The public address system will be used again on Thursday night and when asked about this in his press conference on Wednesday, Slot has admitted that he is not the biggest fan.

‘For me, it is not necessary because I see when a referee makes a decision, I take two steps backwards and see the live coverage of everything, but that is not available to every fan in the stadium,’ the Liverpool boss stated.

‘If the fans like it and it is something nice for them, then let’s do this. I wonder if we are all going to like this, but for me, it is not necessary.

‘The last time it happened, I was there. That was so obvious, that it was not necessary to announce that it was offside.’

Tottenham saw a goal ruled out for offside when Dominic Solanke finished off a move after going through one-on-one.

The referee on the day, Stuart Attwell, would announce the decision to the world but given it was so obvious, any potential backlash was not seen.

This is a problem for the future, admits Slot, who thinks officials are already under enough pressure and do not need it increased going forward.

• READ MORE: Gary Lineker shares if Liverpool’s penalty vs Bournemouth should have been awarded

Arne Slot doesn’t want more pressure put on referees

The well-being of referees has always been a top priority in football, as officials are subject to a lot of abuse from fans, players and coaching staff.

There is a lot of pressure on officials, especially at the highest level, as their decisions have the potential to cost clubs millions.

Slot is aware of this and doesn’t want to see the pressure on the referee increase, which is what will happen if announcing decisions becomes a more common feature in football stadiums.

‘I think if he did explain it and it was a disadvantage for the home team, there is even more pressure put on the referee,’ Slot stated. ‘I wonder if it is a good thing for the referee, as he is already under a lot of pressure in every game from the home fans.’

This is a very valid point from the Liverpool boss, and the PGMOL should be more concerned about fixing their current systems, before considering adding another.