Collymore’s column: Premier League managers need wings clipped, Potter would be great Man United coach, Mourinho to Newcastle? and more

In his exclusive column for CaughtOffside, former Liverpool attacker Stan Collymore discusses some of football’s biggest talking points, including Premier League managers’ behaviour towards referees, Jose Mourinho to Newcastle and Liverpool vs Man United.

Premier League managers need their wings clipped when it comes to referees

I agree with Ange Postecoglou, I think we need to get back to respecting referees. Around 10 years ago there was a respect campaign which revolved around players crowding around officials and they had discussed this with the captains of both the Northern and Southern Premier League teams. They said we are going to respect the laws of the game and referees and so on. Managers were involved in this and also agreed to it but as players have become unable to control themselves from crowding and pleading their cases to the referees after they feel a wrong decision has gone against them, managers have now taken it upon themselves to do it also.

Arteta is one of many culprits that do this. Concerning this latest occasion, where the Arsenal boss has been let off for his comments following their defeat to Newcastle last month, it is neither here nor there. It shouldn’t be about whether Arteta was let off or not, the bigger point that needs to stand is when are the authorities going to say to managers that all you are allowed to do in a post-match press conference or interview is talk about your own team – nothing about the referee or opposition. If they deviate from that, it is an automatic fine.

I think it should be the same for pre-match press conferences too as all this would avoid blurring the lines. Referees should only be discussed by former referees and pundits on TV shows.

What we are doing at the