Eddie Howe clearly had challenge with Arne Slot visiting the ref’s workplace at half-time in Newcastle‘s 3-3 draw with Liverpool, however averted opening that “can of worms.”
Wednesday evening’s 3-3 draw at St James’ Park was marked by a wierd show from the refereeing crew that noticed quite a few key choices missed.
Each side will really feel they had been denied clear penalties, most notably for Liverpool late on with a foul on Luis Diaz and a handball from Dan Burn.
Referee Andy Madley confirmed 5 yellow playing cards to Liverpool – three within the first half – and solely two to Newcastle, with a type of being for goalkeeper Nick Pope after the sport had completed.
Slot and his employees had been visibly annoyed on the touchline for a lot of the sport, and it was revealed afterwards that he visited Madley’s workplace at half-time.
This got here after an invite from the official to talk to him at any level, however in his post-match interview with Amazon Prime Sport, Howe was seemingly puzzled by Slot doing so on the break.
“I don’t suppose I’ll go there, as a result of I feel that’s a can of worms I shouldn’t open!” he mentioned on the topic.
Requested if he would ever meet with a referee at half-time, Howe replied: “No I are inclined to concentrate on my crew. I don’t know what occurred at half-time, I’ve bought no concept.”
Pope’s reserving got here when Madley blew for full-time with Newcastle on a harmful counter-attack, with the hosts unsurprisingly livid at his choice.
“Properly I used to be,” Howe mentioned when requested if he felt the identical method.
“As a result of when the 5 minutes goes up and we get a free-kick, I feel there have been most likely about two minutes taken out of the sport organising the free-kick.
“[With] the dynamics of that you just suppose ‘effectively, we’re going to be enjoying seven right here’. That’s what I believed.
“So when he blew it at 5.15, I used to be actually shocked and clearly devastated as a result of we had a very good state of affairs.”
In his post-match press convention, Slot was questioned on his view of the referee, not referring to his half-time chat however curiously admitting that “you at all times attempt to affect the place you’ll be able to.”
“I feel it was an intense sport and all the choices made by the gamers, by me, by the opposite teaching employees and by the referee, they’ll have a huge impact,” Liverpool’s head coach mentioned.
“All these small particulars can have a huge impact. So that you at all times attempt to affect the place you’ll be able to or generally you’ve got a little bit of frustration.
“However basically I didn’t really feel we crossed the road.
“There have been moments within the sport the place we felt we might have gotten a free-kick, there have been moments within the sport the place the Newcastle bench thought they may have had a free-kick. I feel it’s at all times like this.
“It occurs most in an intense sport, the place there are such a lot of turnovers, that feelings get [high] – not solely with the followers, generally with us as effectively.
“However I don’t suppose the referee had any affect on the end result tonight.”
