Liverpool left angry by substitute board debacle - is it time they were scrapped?

Key Points:

• Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola criticized the fourth official for taking around three minutes to display the correct substitution numbers during their 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest, which disrupted Liverpool’s substitution plans and preceded a controversial penalty.
• The delay occurred because the electronic substitution board malfunctioned, forcing the official to manually input each shirt number, a process made cumbersome by the board’s design and advertising attachments.
• Former Premier League referee Graham Scott explained that the current substitution boards are inefficient, requiring manual entry of each digit and being heavy due to sponsor ads, which slows down substitution procedures.
• The Premier League Handbook specifies that clubs are responsible for preparing the substitution boards and handing them to the fourth official, a system used in UEFA competitions to speed up substitutions.
• Alisson, Liverpool’s goalkeeper, expressed his frustration by kicking one of the substitution boards after the penalty decision, and he was booked for his protests during the match.