Richard Keys believes that referees have been “scared” of Michael Oliver since his angry reaction to being sent to the VAR screen two seasons ago.
The Premier League official has been under scrutiny this week after failing to award Liverpool a late penalty vs Manchester City.
Jeremy Doku kicked Alexis Mac Allister in the chest but neither Oliver nor VAR Stuart Attwell deemed the challenge to be worthy of a penalty.
Keys has been critical of Oliver and claimed that fellow officials are scared of sending him to the VAR screen to review his decisions
He believes that comes from an incident during the 2022/23 campaign as Oliver was asked to review a penalty award between Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth.
Keys wrote:
“There was no way he was going to ask Oliver to go to the monitor. Not since Saturday, September 4 2022 has that happened. Do you remember the incident?"
“The match was Forest v Bournemouth. Forest were awarded a pen by Oliver when Bournemouth’s Lloyd Kelly handled. Before the kick was taken, Oliver was invited to the monitor to review his decision.
"He decided his original call was correct. Of course he did.
“At the time we all praised him for having the guts to stick with his decision. I believe it was the first time a ref had stayed with his on-field call after being sent to check it. Well - overturn it, because that always happens.
“What isn’t so well known - but I’ve referred to it before - is that Oliver was furious he’d been asked to check his decision and he let his colleagues know, in no uncertain terms, at their next meeting.
“I can’t think of too many times since - if any - when Oliver has been back to a monitor.
"I would add that he’s one of the busiest when he’s in the bunker - but the message is clear when he’s got the whistle - don’t bother me.”
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