Unimpressed Graeme Souness believes Liverpool star Andy Robertson has too much to say for himself in the wake of his stormy flashpoint with a match official.
Constantine Hatzidakis will face no FA action after it appeared he elbowed the Scotland skipper at half time of Sunday's pulsating 2-2 draw with Arsenal at Anfield. The linesman has since apologised to Robertson, however, Souness was keen to publicly voice his verdict and he reckons there's room for growth from the current Anfield star when it comes to his on-field behaviour moving forward.
And the 69-year-old believes the incident was a reflection of modern society where he claims overreactions are the default setting. Speaking in his Daily Mail column, Souness said: "Like everything else in football today, the moment when Liverpool's Andy Robertson approached the linesman at Anfield last Sunday has been analysed in microscopic detail but I wouldn't say it's all that complicated. Perhaps it's because he's a wide player, in the immediate vicinity of an official, but Robbo's got a hell of a lot to say for himself and it was very much the case in that match against Arsenal.
"There had been an earlier conversation between him and the official, Constantine Hatzidakis, and you didn't need to be a rocket scientist or a lip reader to work out what he was saying when he approached him again, as the teams left the pitch at half-time. Let's just say that
"Robbo was not enquiring after the health of that official's family. It was language for adults only. Robbo is among the most guilty when it comes to Premier League players letting the officials have it. And to compound things, he then placed an arm on Hatzidakis. I don't care how light that contact might have been, you never touch an official in a moment of criticism or aggression. Not in my day. Not now. And that's why I have sympathy with the linesman in this case. I don't see him throwing out an elbow.
"What I see is a reflex response which says: 'Get away. Go away'. In the days which have followed, this official has been hung out to dry by his peers. I wouldn't like to be on the receiving end of a proper elbow from Hatzidakis, by the way. He's clearly someone who spends a lot of time in the gym. But I don't think there's been a common-sense response to this incident. That's just where we are in the world, not just football. Everyone goes overboard with their reactions.
"I also have to say that my heart sinks when I see the quality of some of our referees and I have no compunction in saying I am their biggest critic. I would love us to get away from constantly talking about VAR, in the way that all commentators and pundits do, as if the technology were in some way the source of some shocking decisions, rather than human error.
"Let's get it right. Instead of being an aid, this technology is embarrassing the life out of referees and showing some up in a very poor light. But that still doesn't justify the physical contact. As a player, I might have put my arm around a referee to say, 'Well done ref' but never in the heat of a moment. At Liverpool, we were told you must never get a card for talking, only for making a borderline or mistimed challenge."
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