FA to investigate Rodgers comments

The Football Association has contacted Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers to ask him to explain comments concerning his criticism of referee Lee Mason. Rodgers said the officials' performance in Liverpool's 2-1 Boxing Day defeat by Manchester City was "horrendous". He also queried the decision to give the game to the Bolton referee. Continue reading the main story “I was surprised that we are playing in Manchester and we had a referee from Greater Manchester” Brendanodgers Speaking straight after Boxing Day's game The FA will seek Rodgers' observations before deciding whether to act, and the Liverpool manager must respond by 2 January. He defended his comments at his press conference on Friday ahead of Liverpool's Premier League match away to Chelsea. "I certainly wasn't questioning the integrity of referees," Rodgers said. "It was more than logical [to question] having a referee from that part of the world [get] a game in Manchester." After the match at the Etihad Stadium, Rodgers was angry that Raheem Sterling had a goal wrongly ruled out for offside and felt Luis Suarez was denied a late penalty. Rodgers said: "Hopefully we won't have a Greater Manchester referee with Liverpool-Manchester games in future. "We had nothing that went our way at all." Bolton is only 16 miles away from the Etihad Stadium, and Rodgers said: "I was surprised that we are playing in Manchester and we had a referee from Greater Manchester. "I was surprised when I saw it but that's by the by. "For Liverpool against Manchester City, I don't think we'd get an official from Wirral."