Ex-Premier League referee slams officiating standards after triple Sunderland frustration

Former Premier League referee Keith Hackett has heavily criticised the standard of officiating in the United Kingdom.

Hackett has criticised refereeing in the Premier League and the EFL, including the use of VAR in the controversial incident in the recent match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool. Sunderland have also fallen foul of questionable officiating in recent weeks.

Dan Neil was sent off by Premier League referee Jarred Gillett for decent against Middlesbrough with Sunderland receiving an apology from PGMOL after the incident. Tony Mowbray's side went on to lose the game 4-0.

Officials also missed what looked to be a stonewall handball in the build-up to one of Stoke City's goals as the Potters defeated the Black Cats 2-1 at the Bet365 Stadium last week.

And on Tuesday, Sunderland should have been awarded a penalty for a foul committed in the box but saw nothing given and lost the game 1-0 to league leaders Leicester City at the King Power Stadium

“What we have seen over the years is a decline in the standards of refereeing. They’ve lost some of the required management skills, the good communication skills between players and referees," Hackett told Fair Game’s We Love You Football, We Do podcast.

“There are some referees that have reached the dizzying heights [of the Premier League] who have shortfalls in capability and I don’t think they are good enough.”

Hackett, who spent 20 years as a referee, also suggested that Luis Diaz’s controversially disallowed goal in the Premier League match between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur was a mistake that should have been corrected during the game.

“There is a lack of basic law knowledge,” Hackett said.  “VAR protocol says if there is a serious missed incident, the game can be stopped. Referees are practitioners of the law and if they’re not studying the law on a regular basis, we’re not going to advance refereeing.

“Referees get into trouble these days because they are lazy. Nigel Owens, the top-class rugby referee, warned me that the danger you have with VAR is it will promote lazy refereeing. And it has done that. I see referees hesitating on what is clearly a penalty.

“Is it fear that they don’t want to make an error or is it that they are waiting for the decision to come from the stop department? The role of the referee has to be to make the decision and then VAR to come in and help.”

Hackett also lambasted the current behaviour of players. He said: “There is no question that acts of stimulation, feigning injury are [on the rise]. There is more cheating now than there was one when I was refereeing.

“Players receive a yellow card now and it is almost a badge of honour. We need to be moving towards a sin ban like rugby, go off for 10 minutes calm down.”

Sunderland return to action against Norwich City at the Stadium of Light on Saturday in the Championship with Mowbray's men looking to end their three-game losing streak.