Hackett Exclusive: Howard Webb response expected as Everton seek answers from PGMOL

Everton‘s decision to contact the PGMOL over inconsistent refereeing standards has been backed after David Moyes‘ team were denied a penalty against West Ham.

Former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett has exclusively told Goodison News that Angus Kinnear is well within his rights to reach out to the refereeing body after the 2-1 loss at London Stadium on Saturday.

Shortly before Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall cancelled out Tomas Soucek’s opener, Everton appealed for a penalty after the ball struck Mateus Fernandes’ hand inside the box as he grappled with Thierno Barry.

Referee Stuart Attwell waved play on, and Michael Salisbury, who was on VAR duty, stuck with the on-field decision, much to the Toffees’ dismay.

Moyes could not believe Everton weren’t awarded a spot kick as the Merseyside outfit dropped to 11th in the Premier League. Their hopes of qualifying for Europe were dealt a blow, with decisions like these potentially costing them millions.

Keith Hackett sympathises with Everton

This is not the only time a refereeing decision has gone against Everton this season. Indeed, in a 1-0 loss at Arsenal in December, William Saliba floored Barry in the penalty area, but nothing was given.

Subsequently, the Premier League’s Key Match Incidents Panel voted that Everton should have been awarded a penalty, and that referee Salisbury should have sent Sam Barrott to the pitchside monitor.

Conversely, Everton got away with one against Chelsea in March when James Tarkowski’s foul on Wesley Fofana in the box was not picked up, something the KMI Panel later said they should have.

Despite that, Hackett points out that there have been more than 50 refereeing errors in the Premier League this season, and six years on from VAR’s inception, officiating standards are rightly coming under fire.

He said, “We need to understand that the PGMOL is funded by the Premier League, The Football Association, and The Football League. The Premier League is made up of 20 clubs, each a shareholder of the EPL.

“Given the poor decision, where VAR did not intervene on the deliberate handball offence that should have resulted in a penalty to Everton, that may well have impacted on the result. We need to understand that league position also determines a substantial payment merit at the end of the season.

“This is not the first time that this VAR has been involved with a decision involving Everton. A previous one where [Michael] Salisbury sat in the VAR chair was reviewed by the independent review panel, and they determined that the decision was incorrect.

“So it is not unreasonable for the Everton CEO to seek clarification with the PGMOL regarding their quality and accuracy of the decision-making process.”

Hackett added that this incident is likely to lead to a response from referees’ chief, Howard Webb.

He said, “The PGMOL funding is over £40million and the PGMOL was formed to deliver a greater level of accuracy in the decision-making process. Will it have an impact? Well, it should bring a response from the Head of Referees, Howard Webb.

“With over fifty VAR errors highlighted by the Independent Review Panel, I would suggest that refereeing and VAR are not in a good place. It is more than six years since VAR was introduced, and in England, work needs to be done.”

Everton need to bounce back quickly

While much of the reaction from Everton’s loss to West Ham has centred on the penalty decision, that should not distract fans from what was an underwhelming performance in the capital.

After suffering a stoppage-time defeat to bitter rivals Liverpool last Sunday through Virgil van Dijk, Everton supporters would have wanted an instant response at West Ham.

But they didn’t really get it and weren’t proactive enough throughout the contest. While they had enough chances to win the game, Callum Wilson’s stoppage-time winner is the main takeaway here.

Next up, Everton host title-chasing Manchester City. If they don’t win that, their European hopes are likely to be dashed.

Updated 24/7 with expert analysis from the heart of Goodison Park.

The post Hackett Exclusive: Howard Webb response expected as Everton seek answers from PGMOL appeared first on Goodison News.