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Alisson KICKS out and Andoni Iraola fumes at fourth official’s electronic board issue

Alisson KICKS out and Andoni Iraola fumes at fourth official’s electronic board issue in Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest.

Frustration for the Liverpool head coach who has questioned the professionalism of fourth official Tim Robinson over the time it took to get the substitutes’ board ready, struggling after it had malfunctioned.

He had been trying to get three subs done, just before a controversial penalty was awarded to Nottingham Forest on the 70th minute with Alisson bringing down Neco Williams inside the box following a quick throw-in.

Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola said, as per the club website: “I cannot explain because I don’t have explanation.

“I wanted to make those three subs like three minutes before.

“And there have been two, three or four times I think the ball has gone out and I still don’t know the reason why we haven’t made the subs.

“I think definitely he was having some problems with the board or something.

“[It] would have happened, definitely.

“You stop [the game] because you want to sub [but] it doesn’t happen.

“The quick throw-in, because we are waiting for the subs, so if I ask for the sub, and I already asked and I complained even the previous time that the ball went out and everyone was – even the supporters, I think they were shouting – aware of the situation, but I don’t know the reason why they haven’t done it.

“And the penalty, I leave you to decide if it’s a penalty or not.”

 

Sky Sports had a look at official guidance, which says ‘when substitutions are being made, the process is that the club should complete a subs card and prepare their subs board with the relevant players’ numbers and, once ready, then pass this to the fourth official, who will hold it up.’

On the performance and result, he added: “I think it has been quite clear, the first half has been poor from our side. I think we haven’t been good enough, we haven’t controlled the game and afterwards we improved a lot in the second half. We were much more intense, much quicker on the ball with more sense of urgency, and I think that we have been much better. But it hasn’t been enough to win the game, and I think we have to blame the first half that we’ve done.

“Yes. I’m frustrated because we want to win – especially at home. It’s not a good result to draw at home. It’s true that we’ve come back from two results where we were losing, like the other day against Newcastle. But at the end what makes the difference are the wins and the three points. I like what we’ve done in the second half, but we haven’t been able to complete the comeback and the point. It leaves you frustrated, yes.”

Forest’s Oliver Glasner said: “We’re all disappointed because we all feel it could have been more. It could have been a win, but it shows on the other side how well the team performed and how well the players have done.

“Leading twice, creating so many chances, but on the other side we conceded two goals more or less in the same way through the same channel and twice it was the same mistake.

“I could see in this situation that not everything is 100% settled. Of course, here at Anfield you’re getting fatigued, you make a little mistake and you get punished.

“But the reaction was good, after the equaliser we played forward and won the penalty. That’s what I really liked and credit to the players.”

He added: “Everybody could see the things we’re talking about, the things we’re training, they work everywhere. When they work at Anfield, they work everywhere.

“It’s a huge credit to the players because they’ve had the same questions as everyone else with a new Head Coach and then two defeats; staying positive and staying committed to the plan.

“It’s tough, but it shows what great character we have in the players. We got a little reward in getting the point, but we will have a big reward in a very short time.”

Here’s how fans reacted after Alisson KICKS out and Andoni Iraola fumes at the fourth official’s electronic board issue…

@Javier_EPP: Andoni Iraola complaining to the fourth official about how long it took to set up the boards for the substitutions. Subsequent play: Nottingham Forest’s penalty for the 2-1, a play that starts down the right flank and one of Iraola’s substitutions was to take off Frimpong and put Szoboszlai at right-back. Would it have changed anything?

@LiverpoolFCse: A player has to leave the field in 10 seconds. But the referee can take 5 minutes to put in the numbers in the electronic board. Maybe they should go back to paper boards? Or let the team add the numbers themselves.

@Refsplaining: The subs boards are not fit for purpose. Each number has to be entered manually, and they only count up one at a time. Entering number 38 on its own could take several seconds and there are six numbers to plug in here. Also, the sponsors’ advertising makes them heavy and unwieldy, which is why the 4th has them on the ground. In UEFA comps the clubs have to enter the numbers themselves, which means they can get the subs done quicker. The PL only did this during Covid. The 4th official would have had to check and double check the names and numbers of all six players involved in the substitutions against the official team sheet in case the club has made an error, which happens frequently enough to make such checks necessary

@Jacki8972: The ref wouldn’t wait for subs but he was okie with the Forrest keeper takin a age on every goal kick from minute 1

@SocksyBeast: Welcome to Liverpool Andoni lol, this kinda thing happens to us every game!

@DannyI10: It doesn’t matter how you think Liverpool played. The penalty wouldn’t have happened if it didn’t take 3 minutes delay in the board being faulty. Let’s not mention the foul throw that led to it..

@baldypaul: Thought we were waiting til it was our dead ball in the ground but shocking that they were allowed to take TWO throw-ins and win a pentu before the fourth official could sort his shit out. Should have been switched on and shouldn’t have cost us a goal, but frustrating still.

@billywigwam13: Iraola is right. That was pathetic from the 4th official. Couldn’t sort the subs board out having been given the subs on the piece of paper. Took so long the subs couldn’t happen at the right time then Forest get a pen before subs I would be fuming. Slack work lad. Slack work

@ThePublicBrief: He is 100% right! You’d think this is Sunday league

@The_Gerrard_Era: My question is why in big 2026 do we need a gimp to hold up the numbers when it gets fucking announced to the stadium and put on our screens

@kat_lfc13: Why the fuck do they need the board to make a sub? We’ve got screens to tell us the subs. We’ve got a stadium announcer. Use some common sense.

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