Eddie Howe clearly had concern 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 an odd show from the refereeing workforce that noticed numerous key choices missed.
Either 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 workers had been visibly pissed off 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 likely to give attention to my workforce. I don’t know what occurred at half-time, I’ve bought no thought.”
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 determination.
“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 in all probability about two minutes taken out of the sport organising the free-kick.
“[With] the dynamics of that you simply suppose ‘properly, we’re going to be taking part in seven right here’. That’s what I assumed.
“So when he blew it at 5.15, I used to be actually stunned and clearly devastated as a result of we had an excellent state of affairs.”
In his post-match press convention, Slot was questioned on his view of the referee, not pertaining to his half-time chat however curiously admitting that “you all the time attempt to affect the place you may.”
“I feel it was an intense recreation and all the choices made by the gamers, by me, by the opposite teaching workers and by the referee, they will have a big effect,” Liverpool’s head coach mentioned.
“All these small particulars can have a big effect. So that you all the time attempt to affect the place you may or generally you could have a little bit of frustration.
“However generally I didn’t really feel we crossed the road.
“There have been moments within the recreation the place we felt we might have gotten a free-kick, there have been moments within the recreation the place the Newcastle bench thought they might have had a free-kick. I feel it’s all the time like this.
“It occurs most in an intense recreation, the place there are such a lot of turnovers, that feelings get [high] – not solely with the followers, generally with us as properly.
“However I don’t suppose the referee had any affect on the consequence tonight.”
