Liverpool supporters fume as referee announced for crunch Man Utd encounter
Liverpool fans have reacted angrily to the news that Manchester-born referee Anthony Taylor will officiate their crucial match against bitter rivals Manchester United on Sunday.
Both teams have Champions League hurdles to clear between now and then, but the tense matchup is clearly on fans’ minds days in advance.
After losing to Leicester City on Saturday, United will face Italian side Atalanta in a match that will either restore or destroy their confidence.
As a result, Ole Gunner Solskjaer is in need of a big performance, and their opponents are deceptively dangerous.
Meanwhile, Liverpool maintained their unbeaten start to the season with a 5-0 thrashing of Watford in Claudio Ranieri’s first game in charge.
The Reds are the only unbeaten team in the Premier League, and they would undoubtedly hate to see their unbeaten streak come to an end at the hands of their bitter rivals.
Taylor’s appointment has sparked fan outrage because he was born in Wythenshawe, a traditional Manchester United stronghold.
In fact, it is the neighborhood where Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford grew up.
Official Premier League rules state that referees are not permitted to take charge of games involving teams they support or rivals of teams they support.
In Taylor’s case, he is registered as a fan of non-league Altrincham, but that hasn’t stopped people from accusing him of bias against Manchester United in the past.
In addition to that, another fan correctly pointed out that Merseyside-born Mike Dean is on fourth official duties, which should, in theory, even the score.
Having said that, Dean is a well-known Tranmere Rovers fan, and has been seen cheering them on from the stands at Prenton Park.
Not that the historic match needed it, but the officiating controversy adds another layer to an already fiery match, and the stakes are high this time around.
Perhaps this is especially true for United and Solskjaer, who cannot afford to lose any ground in the Premier League title race at this early stage of the season.
Liverpool will be just as eager to punish their opponents who are having a bad run of form, as they will be to maintain their unbeaten streak.
Here are some reactions on Twitter on the development:
At least we have a good scouse fourth official
— AJ (@The_Broski_Boot) October 19, 2021
That’s going to make it fair
Don’t worry, Mo will take care of it 😜 pic.twitter.com/2Z3vvQwyjt
— Steve Butt (@Buttsy9) October 19, 2021
Can’t get the job done with 11 need 12 well it’ll just be all the sweeter when we smash them
— Robert Connon 🏴🇵🇸 (@tartanmarvel89) October 19, 2021
11 players ain’t enough! They’ve brought in the Refs Association.
— Cliff (@cliff_70) October 19, 2021
That’s a proper stitch up if I’ve ever seen one
— Mr Nice Guy (@MrNiceGuyyyyyy9) October 19, 2021
They are desperate to help Ole
— Pete (@PeterTu90447906) October 19, 2021
Liverpool supporters fume as referee announced for crunch Man Utd encounter
