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<\/div>\nArsenal\u2019s call for urgent action on the standards of refereeing in the Premier League is \u201cdangerous\u201d, says pundit Gary Neville.<\/p>\n
The Gunners backed their manager Mikel Arteta\u2019s scathing assessment\u00a0of \u201cunacceptable\u201d officiating during the 1-0 defeat by Newcastle.<\/p>\n
Arteta said the decision to allow Anthony Gordon\u2019s winner was \u201cembarrassing\u201d and a \u201cdisgrace\u201d.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI thought Arsenal\u2019s statement was really poor,\u201d Neville told Sky Sports.<\/p>\n
Three areas around Gordon\u2019s goal were checked by Sunday\u2019s video assistant referee (VAR) \u2013 to see if the ball went out of play in the build-up if there was a foul and if there was an offside \u2013 with all coming back in Newcastle\u2019s favour.<\/p>\n
Arsenal said the refereeing was \u201cunacceptable\u201d, adding players, coaches and supporters all \u201cdeserve better\u201d.<\/p>\n
The club\u2019s statement followed\u00a0Liverpool\u2019s anger towards PGMOL, the governing body for referees after the VAR failed to overturn an incorrect decision to disallow a Luis Diaz goal in their defeat by Tottenham in September.<\/p>\n
Liverpool claimed \u201csporting integrity has been undermined\u201d by the failure.<\/p>\n
Wolves boss Gary O\u2019Neil previously said he has\u00a0\u201cgiven up on referees\u201d\u00a0and claimed \u201cwe\u2019re in a crazy place\u201d following the latest in a string of controversial decisions against his side after they conceded from a late penalty in injury time to lose at Sheffield United.<\/p>\n
Speaking on Sky Sports\u2019 Monday Night Football, former Manchester United and England defender Neville added: \u201cLiverpool made a shocking go on PGMOL a couple of weeks ago at Spurs and we knew it was wrong.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were hard done by for Luis Diaz\u2019s disallowed goal. The day after Liverpool wrote their statement mentioning \u2018sporting integrity\u2019 and looking at all options and suggested a replay.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought it was quite dangerous. Arsenal\u2019s statement was quite dangerous too.\u201d<\/p>\n
Neville also pointed out that Premier League clubs had signed up to a\u00a0new \u2018behavioural chart\u2019\u00a0at the start of the season.<\/p>\n
Last month, the International Football Association Board (Ifab) said there were\u00a0no plans to broadcast live VAR communication\u00a0because it would be too \u201cchaotic\u201d to listen to and potentially create \u201can unsafe environment for referees\u201d.<\/p>\n
PGMOL has not commented publicly on Arteta and Arsenal\u2019s criticism, but Neville says the Premier League must respond and protect its referees.<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cClubs should behave better in these circumstances and I am looking to the Premier League now, and particularly the leadership, because the reality is they\u2019ve got to start protecting referees.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the very beginning, I was very excited about the new transparency and apologies to managers that the referees were communicating to the clubs.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is uncharted territory with the ideas of these letters being written. Arsenal as an institution or a football club with a massive history, they should behave better. They will feel disappointed in a few years\u2019 time whoever sanctioned that statement.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018You have to accept the referee\u2019s decision\u2019<\/h3>\n
Neville\u2019s comments preceded\u00a0Chelsea\u2019s 4-1 win at nine-man Tottenham\u00a0in another game where VAR controversy dominated.<\/p>\n
Five goals were scored and another five were disallowed, while Spurs defenders Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie were sent off.<\/p>\n
Defeat for Tottenham was their first in the Premier League this season, but manager Ange Postecoglou, who also received a yellow card on the bench, said the referee\u2019s decision is final.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have to accept the referee\u2019s decision, that is how I grew up,\u201d said Postecoglou.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis constant erosion of the referee\u2019s authority is where the game is going \u2013 they are not going to have any authority. We are going to be under the control of someone with a TV screen a few miles away.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe decision is the decision. In 26 years I have had plenty of bad decisions, I have had plenty fall in my favour. It is what it is.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere will be a forensic study of every decision out there, I think that is the way the game is going and I don\u2019t like it. If you look at all that standing around we did today, maybe people enjoy that sort of thing but I\u2019d rather see us playing football.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018The reaction was so overboard\u2019<\/h3>\n
Neville\u2019s comments were echoed by former Chelsea forward Chris Sutton, who said Arteta and Arsenal\u2019s response had not helped the situation.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just think [Arteta\u2019s] reaction was so overboard, so over the top because while I thought the push was a foul, I can still see to some extent the other side of the argument,\u201d Sutton told BBC Radio 5 Live\u2019s Monday Night Club.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s where I think he was wrong. I can see why he was upset with that, just like I can see another manager who should be upset this season, Gary O\u2019Neil, who has been wronged time after time after time.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere has been inconsistency this season and it is frustrating a lot of managers.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe saw Klopp rightly frustrated at the Diaz goal at Tottenham but the response now from the actual clubs coming out with this big public backing and panning the PGMOL, it\u2019s not helping is it?\u201d<\/p>\n
Also speaking on Monday Night Club, former England captain Steph Houghton said \u201cinconsistency is a big problem\u201d but added Arteta\u2019s reaction was \u201ca little bit over the top\u201d.<\/p>\n
She said: \u201cYou are right to be angry at the decision but the way it is worded has a lack of calmness.\u201d<\/p>\n
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