Keith Hackett: Chris Kavanagh did nothing to stop Newcastle time-wasting v Leeds United
We’re delighted to welcome former Premier League referee Keith Hackett to the MOT Leeds News team. Each week, Hackett will discuss the big moments from the latest Leeds United games and deliver his verdict on whether his successors got their calls right or wrong…
Keith Hackett has taken aim at Chris Kavanagh and his officials for ignoring blatant Newcastle time-wasting against Leeds United.
The ex-Premier League referee insisted that Kavanagh did nothing to prevent it from consistently happening at Elland Road.
Hackett admitted that the officials needed to be “proactive” with Marcelo Bielsa having every right to complain.
“It has an impact on the game,” he exclusively told MOT Leeds News. “I think Bielsa is absolutely spot on, there’s a difference between time-consuming and time-wasting, but again, the referee wasn’t proactive, was he aware?
“The reality is, Newcastle were beginning to waste time, they were a goal up and wanted to stay a goal up, that’s what they set out to achieve. At a corner kick or Newcastle goal kick, all he has to do is tell the goalkeeper he’s taking too much time, and you say that to the captain.
“They were delaying generally, that’s the very nature of the importance of a win. He did nothing about it, he was adrift on that, the manager has every right to complain that Newcastle were allowed to waste time and the referee completely ignored it.”
Shocker.
Kavanagh kept trying to make it clear that he was pausing time, but then only added on five minutes of injury time at the end of 90 minutes.
The standard of officiating in the Premier League is getting worst each week, with players simply allowed to do whatever they like.
We are nearing rock bottom, and the likes of Kavanagh being walked all over by players is speeding up that process.
Time-wasting is one of those things that is celebrated when it is your team doing it, we admit that, but usually, it is clamped down by regular bookings, something that never happened.
Kavanagh is now really under the spotlight, although his control of games can’t get any worst based on the latest evidence.
In other Leeds United news, the Whites are set to table a sneaky £22million bid to secure major new January signing