Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg has condemned referee Tierney's performance in his Daily Mail column. Clattenburg was baffled by the scenes before the match and stated: "The image of Paul Tierney standing in the middle of Chelsea's huddle, staring directly into the television camera lens, was not only utterly bizarre but also a terrible image for the referee."

He noted that the referee had many opportunities to avoid the situation entirely. "Tierney had multiple opportunities to push his way through the Chelsea players, but he just let it happen," Clattenburg observed and added: "From his body language, he looked like he was enjoying it." The former referee pointed out that a referee's normal starting position should be well outside the center circle.

The psychological impact on the opposing team was a major point of contention for Clattenburg, who believed the visiting team had every right to feel aggrieved. Reflecting on that dynamic and the tension it creates, he wrote: "If I had been a Newcastle player, I would have been annoyed and angry to see him inside Chelsea's huddle."

He highlighted that while no wrongdoing is suspected, the image invites scrutiny. "Referees in this country can be incompetent, but they are not corrupt; however, allowing this to happen can lead to unwelcome accusations," Clattenburg argued. Furthermore, he noted that when Cole Palmer "leans in and almost cuddles Tierney while it's happening," referees must be very aware of the perception this creates.

The match was marked by several controversial incidents, including a dismissed penalty appeal from Cole Palmer following a tackle by Nick Woltemade. Clattenburg completely dismissed the appeal and bluntly expressed his firm opinion on the incident: "I don't think Chelsea should have been given a penalty for that Nick Woltemade tackle on Palmer. I think Palmer should have been booked for diving."

Clattenburg suggested that Liam Rosenior's subsequent complaints were nothing more than "a classic case of a manager deflecting attention from the whole embarrassing huddle episode, before a match they failed to win, by putting all the blame on the referee."

Ultimately, the former referee believes the entire situation could have been easily avoided if basic game management skills had been applied. Clattenburg pointed to a simple solution: "Tierney could have avoided all of this by simply stepping away or, as soon as he saw the Chelsea players starting to surround him, pushing them to get through. He was too arrogant to do either."

Roundtablesports is Free to join! You can post your own thoughts, comment on articles, and start conversations with our Roundtable Writers. 

Download the FREE Roundtable APP, and get even easier access to your favorite teams and news!