Andoni Iraola has suggested he is not satisfied with how his Liverpool side have been officiated this season, describing an imbalance in the treatment his team receives from referees.
The Reds have conceded the most fouls in the Premier League (128) during the current campaign and received the joint-third most yellow cards (21). Meanwhile, they have been on the receiving end of the fourth-fewest fouls in the English top-flight (88).
Iraola defends his players
Defending his players, Iraola insisted they are an honest group as he shared his belief there is an imbalance in the officiating of his side, recounting a recent exchange he had with a referee to make his point.
"I don't want to talk too much about referees," he said. "I think we are quite an honest group, sometimes too honest, sometimes.
"And even the other day after the game, I think the referee congratulated us. I don't know if I liked it a lot or not, but he said our behaviour had been very good, overall from the players, from the staff.
"I think it has to be genuine, no? You cannot fake things. When we complain it has to be genuine complaints because I think it's a penalty, it's a yellow card, it's whatever.
"I feel we are willing obviously, we are a team that wants to press, wants to be intense. But I think the balance, there is a big difference, yes."
Penalty explanation pending
Meanwhile, Iraola revealed that Liverpool are yet to receive an explanation from Pro Ref as to why they were not awarded a penalty in their defeat to Arsenal for a shirt pull on Alexander Isak.
However, he explained that the panel's conclusions from last week's fixtures are not yet due.
"No, we haven't received an explanation, but this is how it works, no?" he said. "They've just served the conclusion of the panel from the previous game week, I think it's against Brighton, but nothing happened in our game.
"And we will have to wait, I think it's 10 days, before they give whatever they think, but no, no news, no."
