Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola has questioned whether his team are “too honest” after they were denied a penalty in last weekend’s 1-0 defeat to Arsenal in the Premier League.
There has been plenty of debate after Arsenal defender Jurriën Timber was not penalised for pulling back Alexander Isak inside the penalty area at Anfield.
This week, figures from Opta also revealed that 58% of fouls in Liverpool’s games this season have been against the Reds — the highest ratio of any side in the top flight.
Asked whether he feels his side are being refereed fairly, Iraola said: “I don’t want to talk too much about referees. I think we are quite an honest group — sometimes too honest. Even the other day after the game, the referee congratulated us but I don’t know if I like that a lot or not. He said the behaviour had been very good overall from the players and the staff. I think it has to be genuine.
“You cannot fake things. When we complain, it has to be genuine complaints because we think it’s a penalty or a yellow card or whatever. I feel we are a team that always wants to press, wants to be intense but I think the balance there [between fouls awarded for and against Liverpool,] there is a big difference.”
Liverpool will look to return to winning ways in the Premier League when they travel to Selhurst Park to take on Crystal Palace on Sunday. The Reds have lost two games in a row for the first time under Iraola, having been beaten 3-2 by Fenerbahce in the UEFA Champions League in midweek.
“It’s not easy in the moment because we react the same way,” Iraola said. “When we lose a game, everyone is angry but we have to have some perspective. We know in the process we’ll have ups and downs and we have to get through this moment. We would love to have good performances, wins and good results but normally it doesn’t happen.
“There are moments where you are in a good run like we were before Arsenal, now you lose two games and there always doubts. I understand. If I were a supporter, I would do the same.
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“It is normal. But the ones that are here, we work every day and we know what we are doing. We are not as bad as we look today, we were not as good we looked one week ago and now we have to have some perspective and this is part of my challenge also in terms of mood for the group.
“Obviously we need to correct things, especially the other day that cost us the goals from set plays, but we are still doing good things.”
