Source: Daily_Mail
FA charge Liverpool boss Benitez with improper conduct after his Spurs blast
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez was hit with a misconduct charge on Tuesday as the FA stepped up their campaign to protect referees from criticism.
Managers were warned at the start of the season that any inflammatory remarks about officials in the build-up to games would lead to disciplinary measures.
FA chiefs remain just as intent on stamping out the practice after games and have taken action against Benitez over his assessment of Phil Dowd and Stuart Attwell at White Hart Lane last month.
Liverpool had two late penalty appeals waved away by referee Dowd, while fourth official Attwell sent assistant manager Sammy Lee to the stands as Tottenham held on for a 2-1 opening-day win.
Reflecting on Tottenham defender Benoit Assou-Ekotto's challenge on Andriy Voronin and apparent handball from a Fernando Torres cross, the Liverpool manager fumed: 'The decisions were very poor. Everyone could see the first one was a penalty. It was so clear, it was unbelievable.
'The second was handball, but we knew it would not be a penalty. Can you get two penalties at an away ground? No. With this referee, I knew that would be impossible.
'As for the fourth official, he is a young referee and maybe he has to calm down. He is too young.'
