Former referees’ chief, Keith Hackett, has criticized the decision to appoint Anthony Taylor, as the centre referee for Liverpool’s home game against Manchester United on Monday night.
Taylor, who was born six miles from Old Trafford, will take charge at Anfield for the biggest game in the next round of Premier League fixtures.
The 37-year-old reportedly supports non-league side, Altrincham, and has taken charge of seven league games this season, dishing out 23 yellow cards.
“No-one is questioning Anthony’s integrity or his ability to handle this game,” Hackett, the former head of Professional Games Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL), said in the Daily Telegraph.
“You could argue it’s testimony to his unflappable character and capacity to focus that he’s been appointed to it.
“Taylor is also in form and establishing himself firmly as one of the select group’s best operators. But what if something goes wrong for him on the day — as it can for even the finest referees?
“That’s when the focus on him would be intolerable, especially if a controversial incident has gone in favour of Liverpool and it influences the result.
“If that happens then it would be those who appointed him who must take the blame for taking such an avoidable risk — on a weekend when Mark Clattenburg, the 2016 Champions League final referee, is holding up a board as fourth official in another match.”
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