Michael Oliver’s recent record makes for some pretty uncomfortable reading.
According to the figures doing the rounds, Liverpool have been on the wrong end of four major decisions involving Oliver. Arsenal have suffered two, Manchester United one and Everton one.
And then there’s Manchester City.
City have benefited from four of the standout decisions.
Now, before anyone starts accusing me of suggesting there is some kind of conspiracy, that isn’t what I’m saying.
Referees make mistakes.
VAR makes mistakes.
Players make mistakes.
Nobody is expecting perfection.
But at some point, surely we are allowed to ask whether the explanation of “just another mistake” is still good enough?
Liverpool have every right to be frustrated
Liverpool supporters have become increasingly frustrated with refereeing decisions over the past few seasons.
And that frustration isn’t simply about one penalty or one offside decision.
It is about the accumulation of incidents.
One decision on its own can be dismissed.
Two can be unfortunate.
But when supporters start looking at a pattern involving the same referee and the same clubs, naturally questions are going to be asked.
That doesn’t mean the questions are automatically justified.
It simply means they deserve to be answered.
And then you look at Manchester City
This is the part that really catches the eye.
According to the figures being circulated, Manchester City have benefited from four of the standout decisions involving Oliver.
Again, that doesn’t prove anything sinister.
It doesn’t prove that Oliver favours City.
It doesn’t prove that decisions were deliberately made in their favour.
But when one club repeatedly appears on the positive side of a list like this while other major clubs appear on the negative side, surely it is reasonable to examine the numbers?
Football has become obsessed with data.
Expected goals.
Possession.
Pass completion.
Pressing statistics.
Defensive actions.
So why shouldn’t refereeing decisions be analysed in exactly the same way?
“Just another mistake” can’t be the answer forever
This is where I think the Premier League and PGMOL need to be much more transparent.
If a referee gets a major decision wrong, explain why.
If VAR gets involved and still reaches the wrong conclusion, explain why.
If the Key Match Incident panel believes a decision was incorrect, tell supporters.
The Premier League has already moved towards publishing more information around major refereeing decisions, and that transparency is welcome.
But supporters shouldn’t have to piece together a referee’s record themselves.
Show us the numbers.
How many major decisions has each referee made?
How many were subsequently judged correct?
How many were judged wrong?
How many VAR interventions were missed?
How many penalties were incorrectly awarded or denied?
Give supporters the evidence.
Then we can have an informed debate rather than simply shouting at each other.
I’m not saying Michael Oliver is biased
This distinction is important.
I am not saying Michael Oliver is biased against Liverpool.
I am not saying he favours Manchester City.
And I certainly wouldn’t accuse any referee of deliberately making decisions to help or hurt a particular club without compelling evidence.
That’s a completely different allegation.
What I am saying is much simpler:
If the numbers continue to show a significant imbalance, people are entitled to ask questions.
And those questions shouldn’t automatically be dismissed as sour grapes.
Liverpool supporters deserve consistency
That’s ultimately all I want.
If something is a foul for Liverpool, it should be a foul for Manchester City.
If something is a penalty for Arsenal, it should be a penalty for Liverpool.
If a player deserves a red card in one match, the same standard should apply in another.
Football supporters don’t expect every decision to go their team’s way.
We expect the same rules to apply to everybody.
That’s the difference.
So when does it stop being “just a mistake”?
That’s the question I’d like answered.
How many major decisions can go against the same clubs before we stop simply shrugging our shoulders?
How many controversial decisions can benefit the same clubs before somebody actually sits down and analyses what’s happening?
Again, this isn’t about claiming a conspiracy.
It’s about accountability.
Michael Oliver is one of the most experienced referees in English football.
That means the standard should be incredibly high.
And with VAR supposedly there to correct clear and obvious errors, there is even less room for repeatedly getting major decisions wrong.
Just give us transparency
I don’t want Liverpool to receive favourable decisions.
I don’t want Manchester City to receive unfavourable decisions.
I don’t want Arsenal, Manchester United or Everton to receive them either.
I just want consistency.
If Michael Oliver gets a decision wrong, say he got it wrong.
If VAR should have intervened, say VAR should have intervened.
And if the numbers show a genuine pattern, investigate it properly.
Because eventually, “it’s just another mistake” stops being a satisfying explanation.
And looking at those figures involving Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United, Everton and Manchester City…
I think we’re getting pretty close to that point.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
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