Mike Dean calls for major PGMOL change that would impact Premier League sides

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The PGMOL have come under increased scrutiny in recent months, as referee decisions have been under a microscope following several calls that caused plenty of heated debate.

The latest of those came in the clash between Liverpool and Manchester City , where a call to disallow Virgil van Dijk's headed effort came under fire, with questions arising over how involved Andy Robertson was while in an offside position. Liverpool contacted PGMOL chief Howard Webb to raise some "concerns" surrounding the disallowed goal, but they aren't the only team to have done so.

Just earlier this month, Sunderland contacted the PGMOL to request clarification over a potential handball against Michael Keane in a draw with Everton , which ultimately was not awarded.

This is despite the referee body bringing in measures to try and be more transparent with both clubs and the fans as to how a decision is reached. The Premier League Match Centre account on social media was setup to give some insight into the calls, though questions still remain over the big decisions.

For former Premier League referee Mike Dean, however, there is belief that posting these social media posts so soon after the decision has been made isn't ideal.

Speaking on The Overlap , he said: "I think the clubs requested clarification sooner rather than later. You have these programmes where referees will explain decisions but you will get tweets out within 15 minutes of a decision, which I don’t think is a good decision.

"When the game is going on, the refereeing team is going to find out if the PGMOL thinks it’s right or wrong before the start of the second-half or find out from somebody.

"I think they should wait until after to release the statements not during, that’s wrong. With regards to rushing, I’d rather something out within an hour-an-a-half rather than [the match] finishes yesterday and it comes out on Tuesday as it’s pointless. You can then put a story together."

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It's a change that would see Premier League clubs receive communication through the official channels at a different time to usual. However, it may not stop them trying to clarify situations with the PGMOL, as has been seen with some recent cases.

It's one of several changes that Howard Webb is faced with as the head of the PGMOL, having recently introduced on-field announcements from referees after a VAR decision is overturned. That is part of a plan to make the body more transparent with their processes and how they reach a decision.

Referee bosses recently praised improvements in the VAR process , which has seen VAR-related errors cut down by 42% over the past season.

The Match Officials Mic'd Up show is also broadcasted regularly to give some insight into the way decisions have been made, with audio and pictures from the referees and officials in the scenarios.

It remains to be seen whether many more changes will be made in the coming months, with questions marks and scrutiny still placed on every key decision.