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Howard Webb and the PGMOL should implement a new system for calculating added time, after Everton was left frustrated against Liverpool, according to former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA official Keith Hackett.
Liverpool extended its perfect start to the season with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over its local rival in the Premier League.
The Reds claimed the Merseyside derby at Anfield thanks to early goals from Ryan Gravenberch and Hugo Ekitike, ensuring they remain top of the table after five matches. Idrissa Gueye pulled one back for Everton in the second half, setting up a tense finish, but Liverpool held firm to secure a deserved three points.
Once the final whistle blew, the referee was surrounded by several players, including new Everton signing Jack Grealish, who was shown a yellow card for his protests.
Dominik Szoboszlai, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, and Florian Wirtz also received cautions in the second half, incidents that many felt warranted more than the three minutes of added time that were given. Everton supporters, like Grealish, made no effort to hide their frustration, and Hackett said he completely understood their reaction.
"Can you remember when we had 10, 11, 14 minutes of added time on Premier League games," said Hackett to Football Insider. "It lasted about six weeks. In the Merseyside derby today, three minutes...
"It’s just not enough. The lawmakers must consider taking the timing of games out of the hands of the match officials and introduce an independent time-keeper, who operates a stop-clock inside the stadium.
"That way, we’ll have fewer players feigning injury, and we’ll probably see fewer stoppages. They’ll want to get on with the game, won’t they?"
Grealish also aired his frustrations about the referee and the stoppage time during his post-match interview.
"It was a bit frustrating really, they were trying to slow the game down - I've never seen anyone in my life get booked for taking a quick free-kick," the England international told TNT Sports.
"I don't know where that rule came in. Even stoppage time, three minutes and one minute? Like, come on. I've never seen that in the Premier League.
"I get sometimes you want to let the game go, but you can't let something go then one of their defenders goes down and give it, I get it.
"You come to these stadiums, with the crowd on you, I feels like they have to give it. Kiernan [Dewsbury-Hall] on four yellows and he gets a yellow today for taking a quick free-kick, we want to get the game going, we're losing the game.
"I've never seen or heard that in my life."
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