Andoni Iraola slams fourth official over substitution blunder in Liverpool draw

Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola voiced his intense frustration following a 2-2 draw against Nottingham Forest, specifically pointing to an officiating blunder that disrupted his team's momentum. The Basque tactician was left furious after failing to execute a crucial triple substitution during the second half.

With the score level at 1-1, Iraola intended to introduce Ryan Gravenberch, Kostas Tsimikas, and Rio Ngumoha to energize his side. Despite the ball going out of play on three separate occasions, the trio remained sidelined as fourth official Tim Robinson struggled with an electronic board failure. Shortly after this delay, Forest were awarded the penalty that restored their lead.

"A professional fourth official cannot take three minutes. We'd already given him the subs two or three minutes before. I was already angry because in the previous stoppage we couldn't make the subs and then before throw-in I thought we could do it. I don't know, they will have to explain it. But it has taken ages," said Andoni Iraola.

The incident has added to a difficult start for the new manager, who is searching for consistency following his appointment this summer. Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, acting as a pundit, supported the manager's frustration, stating that such a lengthy delay due to technology in modern football is unacceptable.