Michael Oliver showed Diogo Dalot two yellows in a row and then a red. Photo: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC
“Keep 'Press on the gas': such a diktat was uttered just last week by Howard Webb, the Premier League's chief referee, in his unapologetic campaign against dissent. Except that Michael Oliver, in his exasperated final act at Anfield, seemed to have interpreted the instructions too literally. Diogo Dalot had barely protested that Manchester United had not awarded a late throw-in when the ball had clearly deflected off Mohamed Salah when the referee rushed to show him a yellow card for dissent. Five seconds later he swung a second one. And at that moment, you wondered whether such a gratuitous trip to power really served Webb's crusade best.
Oliver has a form for this two-card blink-and-you'll-miss-it trick. He also carried it out last year, to the detriment of Gabriel Martinelli, booking the Arsenal winger for pushing towards Wolves and then, a heartbeat later, sending him off for a flagrant foul. In this case, it could be argued that this was an appropriate sanction for the rarity of a quick double offense. But this time Dalot had every right to look dumbfounded. The United defender reacted mildly to the initial mistake, especially compared to Erling Haaland's goggle antics against Simon Hooper, and was sent off for his troubles. For those hoping for consistency, this was not an instructive spectacle.
You didn't even need to reference Haaland's example to see that Oliver went overboard. You could only judge by his own previous actions in the same game. In the first half, Darwin Nunez reacted to a booking for body checking Jonny Evans with an exasperated kick to the ball and then sarcastically applauded. It was the essence of dissent, on par with the imaginary yellows to which Webb had called for the harshest possible response, and yet Oliver had lost sight of it. By what criteria does a harmless hysteria cause two bookings, while a blatant provocation costs nothing?
This is a paradox that needs to be cleared up if we are to restore the fans' shaky faith in referees. Defending the dignity of your profession is a noble cause. And there's no doubt that the game has been marred by too many instances of pointless abuse for too long. However, Dalot's temper tantrum did not fall into this category. It was a sensible reaction to an erroneous call that gave Liverpool a dangerous attacking position with just a minute left in the match. And unlike Haaland, who attacked Hooper for refusing to take advantage and screaming in his face, Dalot didn't even seem to direct his anger at Oliver specifically.
If this is now the standard for red, it is tempting to wonder whether future games of this magnitude will end with any players left on the field. One of the many problems with Dalot's dismissal is that there is no obvious indication that two separate violations occurred. Of course, his initial outburst, when he raised his hand in contempt, was aggressive and worthy of a yellow card. But where was the escalation? Gary Neville wasn't sure and mused: “I think it's the same thing. I think Michael Oliver may have created something that he doesn't really need.”
“It appears that the second offer was made at the same time the yellow card was issued” @GNev2 and @Carra23 do not think Diogo Dalot should be sent off against Liverpool 🤔 pic.twitter.com /0OS6qgFrtW
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 17, 2023
Oliver's colleagues could be forgiven for drawing the same conclusion. This is the point at which many judges feel they are not receiving adequate protection. They're worried when they see Haaland dodging FA action for tweeting “wtf” about Hooper's decision, and nervous about what else might be in store for them when Mikel Arteta will be cleared of misconduct charges after describing Ware as “embarrassing” and “disgraceful”. In such an environment they can do without the excessive zeal of one person giving legitimate grounds for discontent.
One of the harsh responses from many United fans was to accuse Oliver of trying to make a story out of himself. But what reviewers would seriously consider intervening in the narrative further than necessary? Their work is already characterized by nightmarish sensitivity: the slightest mistake leads to a cascade of abuses. The most logical interpretation of Oliver's severity towards Dalot is not that he was seeking publicity, but simply that he was seeking to implement Webb's measures to suppress the dissent identified in the letter.
Being against dissent is a fair cause. After all, Halil Umut Meler is still recovering in Turkey after a dastardly attack on the pitch by the club president. Problems arise when, as in the case of Oliver v. Dalot, the punishment clearly does not fit the crime. While the idea of more severe punishment for dissent is laudable, executions are becoming alarmingly haphazard.
Dalot's dissent was unacceptable – the red card is correct
At the start of the season, Howard Webb, with the full support of the authorities, published a Charter of Conduct for Participants, which was distributed to the media and to all stakeholders in the game. It was about value, respect and protecting the reputation of the game. Since its launch, the average number of yellow cards has increased from approximately 3.3 per game to 4.98. I would suggest that this figure is at a record pace since the formation of the Premier League.
In the 160 games this season up to this round we have seen 798 yellow cards handed out. I'm sure this is a result of Webb's crackdown, and it's likely that the increase is a reflection of action taken against early dissent, as we're already seeing vote-count suspensions.
Diogo Dalot was clearly unhappy with that that the throw-in was awarded to Liverpool. His public, verbal and animated expression of disagreement was unacceptable and after being shown a yellow card by Michael Oliver he continued his outburst. This display of dissent was clearly unacceptable, and his manager should not have had much sympathy for his loss of composure. The Liverpool v Manchester United match is always a test for the match official and Michael Oliver, our head referee, handled the game well.
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