‘Honestly’: Ian Wright speaks for every football fan with strong David Coote opinion
You can forgive Liverpool fans, and perhaps football fans at large, for feeling a little let down by some of the commentary that has followed the release of David Coote’s controversial clips.
To be completely fair to Gary Neville and Co. on The Overlap, it’s worth emphasising from the off that the latest episode has not been able to deal with the latest controversies to have since arisen around the official.
Nonetheless, in dealing with the issues on the table, there has to be some concern that we’re not entirely addressing the underlying problems.
Are we genuinely taking into consideration the integrity of referees and officials as a whole? There were few answers on that front in Howard Webb’s address to the nation on Mic’d Up.
Ian Wright raises important David Coote point
We might never have found out about Coote’s true feelings about officiating Liverpool without the release of a damning set of clips.
Ian Wright, for his part, certainly seemed to suggest it was more beneficial for fans and commentators to be aware of the referee’s innermost views.
“Instantly, he should have got up and said, ‘Delete that now’,” the former Arsenal star spoke on The Overlap*.
“But then we’re saying if he deletes that now then we don’t know how he feels about Jurgen.”
Roy Keane couldn’t quite believe what he was hearing: “Is that it? He slagged Klopp off? Do you know think other referees do it privately and have chats with their friends, obviously he’s been caught on camera, but if he thinks that of Jurgen Klopp, he should stop refereeing forever? Just avoid Liverpool matches.”
Ian Wright speaks for concerned football fans
We can’t help but feel that ex-Arsenal star is the one truly getting to the crux of the problem.
A specific mention of subconscious (and, ergo, implicit biases) and it’s potential impact on decision-making is well worth some discussion. Rather than limiting talks to how fair or unfair it would be to prevent Coote from working as an official in England ever again.
“When listening to Gary O’Neill – one popped up yesterday when he’s talking about in their subconscious, he’s saying about sometimes you feel like things might sway you,” Wright said.
“Now with him saying that and coming out and blatantly speaking like he did, fans have got every right to feel how they feel about what he said about Klopp. Every right to feel that now. Call everything into question – he’s brought refereeing into [disrepute]. Integrity. Honestly!”
Ultimately, however the PGMOL decides to adjudicate this issue, we hope there’s a genuine drive to restore fans’ faith in the officiating body.
Merely throwing the referee in question under the bus and saying “That’s it, folks!” will still leave an abundance of questions about the integrity of Coote’s remaining colleagues.
Can we trust that no other official in the English game harbours implicit biases against Liverpool or another Premier League outfit?
Rest assured: The issue is unlikely to be endemic to Arne Slot’s men.
* This latest instalment of Stick to Football was recorded on 12 November
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