Liverpool’s Mo Salah has been on the receiving end of a tirade of criticism from rival Premier League fans since he’s been awarded a string of penalties in recent weeks, and now even former match referees are getting in on the act.
It was a failed attempt at winning a spot kick, when going down easily in the box while under pressure from Crystal Palace defender Mamadou Sakho at Anfield on Saturday, that’s drawn the ire of Mark Clattenburg.
“Mo Salah went down with no contact from Mamadou Sakho,” Clattenburg told the Daily Mail.
“It’s irrelevant that he did not appeal for a penalty, because he was trying to deceive referee Jonathan Moss, who should have issued a yellow card.
“Salah was accused of going down easily to win penalties against Arsenal and Newcastle.
“In all these situations, he has no chance to score, so it seems he prefers to try to win a penalty.
“As he is Liverpool’s penalty taker, he will know winning a spot-kick means he has a free shot at goal.
“He is then likely to increase his chances of winning the Golden Boot.“One thing I have noticed is that when Salah goes down to try to win penalties, his hands go above his head.
“This is what officials look for when trying to see if a player has simulated.
“Usually, if you are knocked over, you put your hands straight out to break your fall.
“Until the introduction of VAR, if a player simulates, a suspension should follow — irrespective of the referee’s decision.”
Clattenburg is currently Head of Refereeing with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation.