Sky Sports pundit admits they were wrong after colleague rages at ‘joke’ Craig Pawson decision in Everton loss at Liverpool
Ibrahima Konate still wouldn’t have been sent off against Everton even if the game had been played at Goodison Park, according to an furious Kevin Campbell.
The Sky Sports pundit took to Twitter on 23 October to respond to a clip of Ref Watch on Sky Sports News, branding it a “joke” and claiming “football is suffering” under the officiating.
Craig Pawson’s failure to show the Liverpool defender a second yellow at Anfield on Saturday (21 October) has dominated the fallout from the Merseyside derby, having previously given Ashley Young two bookings in the first half.
Host Rob Jones had suggested to Sue Smith on Sky Sports earlier in the day that the decision might have gone the Toffees’ way if they had been at home, to which the pundit replied: “Well yeah it does make you think that. It’s 100% a yellow card. When you’ve seen it, I was watching it live, and I was like ‘It’s got to be a second yellow’.”
Campbell responded to the clip, writing: “Even at Goodison Park Pawson wouldn’t give it! This is a joke and football is suffering with this and all the other refereeing errors!”
Smith herself then replied to her Sky Sports colleague to admit: “Your right Kev it probably wouldn’t have mattered! Really poor decision.”
Outrage
Smith was put on the spot but she will know as well as any Evertonian that there have been enough decisions go against the Toffees at Goodison Park that defy explanation for Pawson to have made the same choice on the other side of Stanley Park.
Rodri’s infamous unpunished handball in the area for Manchester City, Allan’s sending off against Newcastle, and the failure to show Virgil van Dijk red for a foul on Amadou Onana are just a few that come to mind.
Frank Lampard was fined for complaining about a very similar dynamic after the derby at Anfield two seasons ago as well.
Of course Everton aren’t the only side affected negatively, and there are some calls that go in their favour, but the Toffees are certainly not short of grievances.
The Premier League as a whole seems to be creaking under the weight of bizarre officiating to an increasing degree, not least amid suspicions that the incredible VAR blunder in Tottenham’s victory over Liverpool before the international break might be evened out in this derby even before this controversy.
Hoping for football to be free from clubs and fans feeling hard done by at the hands of referees is unrealistic, but the sheer volume of discontent feels entirely unsustainable right now.
In other Everton news, Ben Jacobs has shared a “highly significant” update on a takeover now “more in doubt” than a few weeks ago.