Iraola furious after fourth official’s board delay leaves Liverpool waiting before Forest penalty

liverpool manager Andoni Iraola publicly criticised the fourth official after a technical problem with the electronic substitution board delayed his side’s planned changes during the club’s 2-2 premier League draw with nottingham Forest at Anfield.

What happened

With the score 1-1 in the second half, Liverpool intended to make a triple substitution: Ryan Gravenberch, Kostas Tsimikas and Rio Ngumoha were ready to come on. BBC Match of the Day reports that the fourth official, Tim Robinson, experienced problems with the substitution board and took around three minutes to register the changes.

During the stoppages when Liverpool say they wanted to make the changes, play was restarted. On the third instance, Nottingham Forest quickly took a throw-in that led to Neco Williams being fouled in the box; referee Samuel Barrott awarded a penalty after Alisson’s contact and Forest regained the lead. The game finished 2-2 after Victor Munoz equalised late for Liverpool.

Iraola’s criticism and how commentators reacted

Iraola told BBC Match of the Day he was angry about the delay and said the team had to wait roughly three minutes to make their changes. Speaking to TNT Sports, according to BBC coverage, he said: “A professional fourth official cannot take three minutes,” and added he had already sought to make the substitutions at earlier stoppages.

Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard and ex-full-back Stephen Warnock, speaking on broadcast platforms cited by BBC, sympathised with Iraola’s frustration. Gerrard said the delay was hard to understand given modern technology and Warnock described the situation as “appalling from the fourth official.”

What sources show and what they don’t

The BBC’s match report is the principal source for the sequence and quotes summarised above and names Tim Robinson as the fourth official and Samuel Barrott as match referee. Independent Liverpool site This Is Anfield reports the same chain of events and reproduces Iraola’s comments to TNT Sports about the length of the delay. No source in the packet supplies an official explanation from the match officials, the Premier League or Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL).

Why this matters

• Timing of substitutions: Managers use substitutions to change tactical shape, stem opposition momentum or introduce fresh legs. A delay of multiple stoppages can prevent tactical adjustments being implemented when intended.
• Refereeing procedures and technology: The incident raises questions about the reliability and speed of the substitution process — an electronic board and fourth-official workflow that should operate quickly in elite competitions.
• Competitive consequence: Liverpool maintain they intended the changes before Forest’s quick throw-in; the sequence culminated in a penalty that changed the scoreline. That outcome feeds into wider debate about how procedural issues can intersect with on-field events.

Timeline of the stoppages (as reported)

1. First stoppage in the second half where Liverpool say they attempted to make substitutions but could not.
2. A subsequent stoppage when Liverpool again tried to bring the three players on; the fourth official was preparing the board.
3. Before the substitutions were completed, Nottingham Forest took a quick throw-in; the move led to a penalty being awarded against Liverpool.
4. Later in the match Victor Munoz scored to level the game at 2-2.

Where reporting disagrees or is incomplete

The available sources agree on the core facts: Liverpool attempted to make a triple change, there was a delay in registering the substitutions, and Forest quickly resumed play and won a penalty. None of the sources in the packet provide an official response from the match officials, the Premier League or PGMOL explaining whether the delay was caused by technical failure, human error, or other factors. That gap means it is not possible to state definitively whether the fourth official breached any operational protocol.

Practical implications and what comes next

For Liverpool, the immediate consequence was frustration at the stadium and in post-match interviews; the draw left Iraola still awaiting a first win in charge, according to BBC coverage. For officials’ governance bodies, the incident is likely to prompt at least internal review — if only because Iraola has publicly asked for an explanation and national broadcast figures highlighted the delay.

If PGMOL or the Premier League issue a statement, it would be the authoritative source on any technical fault, procedural lapse or remedial steps. Until such a statement is published, media reports should be read as managerial and pundit reaction to an operational delay rather than as an established breach of refereeing protocol.

Key takeaways

• Andoni Iraola criticised the fourth official after an approximately three-minute delay registering substitutions during Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest (BBC).
• The delay occurred across multiple stoppages; Forest resumed play with a quick throw-in that led to a penalty and a 2-1 lead (BBC, This Is Anfield).
• No official explanation from match officials or refereeing bodies is present in the available reporting; an internal review or statement would be needed to confirm the cause of the delay.

What to watch for

Watch for an official response from the match authorities (Premier League/PGMOL) or the referee team. Such a statement would clarify whether the issue was purely technical, procedural, or otherwise, and whether any changes to substitution procedures will follow. Meanwhile, Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola has signalled he expects answers about the delay after a fixture that ended in a draw.