Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer have hit out at referee Darren England after Everton’s Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was booked for taking a quick free kick during their 2-1 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield.
The former England strikers were united in their criticism, branding the decision “madness” and arguing that it denied Everton a legitimate chance to launch a dangerous attack.
Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, Lineker said: “Referees are the biggest timewasters of all.
“If a team is fouled, they should have the right to restart play as quickly as possible. Right now, the team committing the foul gains the advantage.”
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Shearer agreed, questioning why the referee needed to intervene at all.
“Unless you’re taking it from 20 or 30 yards nearer the goal, there is no need to stop play,” he said.
“You are the team that’s been fouled, then you are booked for taking a quick free kick — it’s just madness.”
The controversial call came at a crucial moment, with Everton pushing hard to level the match after falling two goals behind early on.
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Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer have hit out at referee Darren England after Everton’s Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was booked for taking a quick free kick during their 2-1 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield
|RESTISFOOTBALL
Ryan Gravenberch put the Reds ahead in the 10th minute of the match, with the Netherlands international continuing to shine under the guidance of Arne Slot.
And Hugo Ekitike's purple patch continued, with the forward bagging Liverpool's second goal of the game just 19 minutes later.
Jack Grealish caused Liverpool problems throughout the second half, but the Toffees could not find a way past Alisson for a second time.
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Everton star Kieran Dewsbury-Hall was booked for taking a quick free kick in his side's 2-1 defeat to Liverpool in the Merseyside derby
|REUTERS
Manager David Moyes was left visibly frustrated at full-time. The Dewsbury-Hall booking, which leaves the midfielder one yellow card away from suspension, was the biggest flashpoint, but the Everton boss was also unhappy with several other calls.
He felt Conor Bradley escaped punishment despite persistent fouling on Grealish and pointed to two potential infringements in the build-up to Liverpool’s goals.
Adding to Everton’s sense of grievance was the three minutes of added time shown at the end, which Moyes felt was insufficient given the number of stoppages in the game.
The Toffees have already been on the wrong end of controversial refereeing decisions this season, with two penalties given against them for handball in their opening fixtures.
Moyes will hope for an improvement in officiating standards as the campaign continues, with Everton’s next fixtures taking on added importance as they look to climb the table.
Despite the frustration, Moyes praised his team’s performance and said there were positives to take from how they fought back into the game.
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Everton boss David Moyes was disappointed by the refereeing display of Darren England during his team's defeat to Liverpool
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"The bigger thing is the game seemed to be controlled by the referee, we couldn't start anything quickly," he fumed.
"We couldn't play. I have had played plenty of games where teams have taken quick free-kicks and it hasn't been the referees' whistle.
"He never allowed us to get the game under way fast when we wanted to. I found it strange there was only three minutes [of stoppage time].
"If Liverpool were 2-0 down I'm not sure if three minutes would have been put up."
Liverpool will be aiming to continue their sensational start to the campaign when they do battle with Southampton in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night (8pm).
As for Everton, they'll be seeking a return to winning ways when they lock horns with Wolves that same evening (7.45pm).