Jamie Carragher has defended the linesman in Cardiff City's controversial defeat at the weekend, saying it was "almost impossible" for him to give offside for Chelsea's equaliser.
Manager Neil Warnock was left incensed after César Azpilicueta's 84th minute goal was allowed despite him being yards offside, with the Bluebirds boss later revealing the linesman said "that Willian got in his way".
Speaking on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football, Carragher defended the officials and donned a virtual reality mask to show what the linesman's viewpoint would have been for the equaliser.
"I have huge sympathy [with the officials] and I'd go as far as to say that I think it's almost impossible for them to give offside," he said.
"If he's watching Neil Warnock might not take too kindly to this, but we've had a good look at it and I've spoken to Mike Riley [head of Professional Game Match Officials Ltd] about it to get to how difficult this is for the officials and what can be done about it in the future because it's a really difficult one that's quite rare."
"That's his view when Alonso's getting the touch on the ball", Carragher explained.
"He's completely blocked. When it's stopped, yes, I can get around and see he's clearly offside but we've just seen the speed it's going at. How can he give offside?
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"I said I had huge sympathy with the referee's assistant and that's the reason why. We've got to put ourselves as much as possible into what they see, what was there and realise why it is so difficult."
The Bluebirds' 2-1 defeat on Sunday was shrouded in controversy with a series of decisions going against them. As well as the equaliser decision, Cardiff were also denied two penalties and Chelsea star Antonio Rudiger should have been sent off. You can read full details of the shocking decisions here.
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Chelsea sealed their victory with a late header from substitute Ruben Loftus-Cheek, with Warnock then involved in an on-pitch stand off with the officials after the game.
Still seething on Monday morning, Warnock told talkSport: "At this level, surely they have to get better coaching. He (the linesman) says that Willian got in his way or something! There's always somebody taking the corner kick, there's no invisible man. Surely he should get taught what to do if someone's taking a corner."
Club owner Vincent Tan has since issued a statement publicly backing the manager on the equaliser, adding VAR should be brought in as soon as possible "so that human errors can be avoided and aggrieved parties won’t be fined for their rightful rant and unhappiness which is costly to a club like Cardiff fighting relegation".
