Erling Haaland and Manchester United both have Premier League questions to answer

A singer of a prominent band once wrote, ‘don’t trust a perfect person and don’t trust a song that’s flawless’.

The meaning of that is referring to someone who says they have no faults and everything they do is absent of any error. This describes a tiny percentage of the population but some like to make out that they are all football referees.

Social media and a number of ex-players have banged the drum that officials are pompous and oblivious to their mistakes. One look at Simon Hooper’s face on the Etihad pitch at 6.25pm on Sunday would suggest otherwise.

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He will know he made a huge blunder in not extending his advantage when Jack Grealish was sent clear of the Tottenham defence by Erling Haaland. After slapping the hand of Hooper at full-time, Haaland stormed down the tunnel to collect his phone and tweet an expletive phrase in reaction, an act the FA says it will not punish him for.

However, he and his teammates will likely be penalised for their behaviour minutes earlier. The FA has charged Manchester City for failing to control their players upon Hooper’s error. Haaland’s disbelieving, aghast face at the call made an easy pick for the back page photographers.

But beyond the short chortles at Haaland’s expression, there is a serious point. A referee support charity says it deals with calls from grassroots referees every weekend due to the abuse - sometimes physical - directed at officials.

And this is not just exclusive to referees over the age of 18. This reporter was once told by a referee that the only thing yet to happen to those within the vocation is a murder.

There is real