Tweet
Referee Styles dropped over error
Styles penalises Finnan, to Carragher's disbelief
Referee Rob Styles will not officiate in the Premier League next weekend following his performance in the Liverpool-Chelsea game on Sunday.
Styles was criticised for awarding a controversial penalty to Chelsea.
Referees' chief Keith Hackett told Sky Sports: "On this occasion it was wrong and therefore Rob will not be officiating next weekend."
Styles also appeared to show Chelsea's Michael Essien a second yellow card but then failed to send him off.
Interview: Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez
Former referee Hackett is general manager of Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), the body which oversees referees.
He also revealed the assistant referee from the Fulham-Middlesbrough game had been dropped after David Healy was denied an equaliser when the ball seemed to cross the line.
He added: "Accountability exists and we, the PGMOL, do expect referees to get big decisions correct."
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez was left incensed and skipper Steven Gerrard said Styles had "cracked" after he penalised Steve Finnan for a foul on Florent Malouda, although replays showed there was no contact.
"That decision is impossible to explain, it was the invisible penalty" said Benitez after the 1-1 draw.
Styles looked like he had given Essien a second yellow card but then explained it was meant for John Terry.
After the game Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho said: "Michael was honestly very frightened, he thought he had been booked again.
606: DEBATE
There were many talking points from the Anfield game
Saj C
"The referee then explained that he had only booked one player, John Terry, but Essien stood there for a long time and he said afterwards that he believed he had been cautioned again."
The incident happened shortly after Styles had awarded Chelsea their penalty, which Frank Lampard converted to level the scores after Fernando Torres put Liverpool in front with a goal on his home debut.
Former Premier League referee Graham Poll told BBC Radio 5live that Styles did not book Essien twice but that his award of a card to Terry looked "messy".
"At the first look I definitely thought he had booked Essien a second time," said Poll.
"Having looked I can see that as Rob raises the yellow card he points over to John Terry and says that it is John he has cautioned.
"He had just given a penalty and you have a gut feeling as a referee that you might have made a mistake.
Benitez and Mourinho renewed their war of words after the match
"You are under pressure then and when the stress is at its highest it is difficult to think clearly and get everything right."
Poll, who booked Croatia's Josip Simunic three times during a World Cup match in 2006, added: "It was a big mistake."
Benitez had no sympathy with Styles after the match, adding: "I want to have a lot of respect for referees, but sometimes I cannot understand why they give some decisions.
"I think he will watch the video of the match and admit that his penalty decision was a mistake."
And Gerrard asked for Styles to apologise for his penalty decision.
Not every player on the pitch was helping the referee
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho
"I don't want to say too much because I will get into trouble, but the referee didn't play well," said the Liverpool skipper.
"Whether it was because the Chelsea players were talking I don't know, but in the end he's cracked and made a bad decision.
"It wasn't a penalty and I hope he comes out and says sorry now."
Meanwhile, Mourinho did not criticise Styles over the penalty decision but suggested his job had not been made easier by the behaviour of certain players from "a different culture".
"I haven't seen the replay of the incident and it was difficult to make out what was happening at the time," he insisted.
"Rafa has his opinion and I have mine. I judged the game to be a good and a fair one.
"Perhaps there were too many cards but overall I thought Mr Styles had a positive game.
"Not every player on the pitch was helping the referee."
Styles handed out eight yellow cards - while Mourinho was believed to be referring to Liverpool's Spanish duo of Torres and Alvaro Arbeloa.
Styles penalises Finnan, to Carragher's disbelief
Referee Rob Styles will not officiate in the Premier League next weekend following his performance in the Liverpool-Chelsea game on Sunday.
Styles was criticised for awarding a controversial penalty to Chelsea.
Referees' chief Keith Hackett told Sky Sports: "On this occasion it was wrong and therefore Rob will not be officiating next weekend."
Styles also appeared to show Chelsea's Michael Essien a second yellow card but then failed to send him off.
Interview: Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez
Former referee Hackett is general manager of Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), the body which oversees referees.
He also revealed the assistant referee from the Fulham-Middlesbrough game had been dropped after David Healy was denied an equaliser when the ball seemed to cross the line.
He added: "Accountability exists and we, the PGMOL, do expect referees to get big decisions correct."
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez was left incensed and skipper Steven Gerrard said Styles had "cracked" after he penalised Steve Finnan for a foul on Florent Malouda, although replays showed there was no contact.
"That decision is impossible to explain, it was the invisible penalty" said Benitez after the 1-1 draw.
Styles looked like he had given Essien a second yellow card but then explained it was meant for John Terry.
After the game Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho said: "Michael was honestly very frightened, he thought he had been booked again.
606: DEBATE
There were many talking points from the Anfield game
Saj C
"The referee then explained that he had only booked one player, John Terry, but Essien stood there for a long time and he said afterwards that he believed he had been cautioned again."
The incident happened shortly after Styles had awarded Chelsea their penalty, which Frank Lampard converted to level the scores after Fernando Torres put Liverpool in front with a goal on his home debut.
Former Premier League referee Graham Poll told BBC Radio 5live that Styles did not book Essien twice but that his award of a card to Terry looked "messy".
"At the first look I definitely thought he had booked Essien a second time," said Poll.
"Having looked I can see that as Rob raises the yellow card he points over to John Terry and says that it is John he has cautioned.
"He had just given a penalty and you have a gut feeling as a referee that you might have made a mistake.
Benitez and Mourinho renewed their war of words after the match
"You are under pressure then and when the stress is at its highest it is difficult to think clearly and get everything right."
Poll, who booked Croatia's Josip Simunic three times during a World Cup match in 2006, added: "It was a big mistake."
Benitez had no sympathy with Styles after the match, adding: "I want to have a lot of respect for referees, but sometimes I cannot understand why they give some decisions.
"I think he will watch the video of the match and admit that his penalty decision was a mistake."
And Gerrard asked for Styles to apologise for his penalty decision.
Not every player on the pitch was helping the referee
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho
"I don't want to say too much because I will get into trouble, but the referee didn't play well," said the Liverpool skipper.
"Whether it was because the Chelsea players were talking I don't know, but in the end he's cracked and made a bad decision.
"It wasn't a penalty and I hope he comes out and says sorry now."
Meanwhile, Mourinho did not criticise Styles over the penalty decision but suggested his job had not been made easier by the behaviour of certain players from "a different culture".
"I haven't seen the replay of the incident and it was difficult to make out what was happening at the time," he insisted.
"Rafa has his opinion and I have mine. I judged the game to be a good and a fair one.
"Perhaps there were too many cards but overall I thought Mr Styles had a positive game.
"Not every player on the pitch was helping the referee."
Styles handed out eight yellow cards - while Mourinho was believed to be referring to Liverpool's Spanish duo of Torres and Alvaro Arbeloa.
- T.K.
Paul Marin -19 is one thing, 20 is a whole other matter. It gets even worse if they win the UCL. *groan*. 
05/18/2011.MU fans naah cough, but all a unuh a vomit?-Lazie 1/11/2015
Comment