QUESTION: What have Phil Dowd, Martin Atkinson, Lee Probert and Mark Clattenburg got in common?

Answer: They are all determined to stop Liverpool winning the title.

Actually, they are all highlyrespected top-flight referees of integrity who would no more show favouritism to a team than loot a store in a city centre riot.

But, according to Kenny Dalglish, they all have it in for his club. Furious after Clattenburg awarded the penalty that led to Stoke City beating Liverpool 1-0 on Saturday, the Anfield boss said: “Our first four games have had contentious decisions and every one this season has gone against us.”

Dalglish is considering making an official complaint – presumably to the Referee’s Association or the authorities – but said he would first consult Liverpool’s owners.

What good would that do?

Does he honestly believe a formal complaint, whether backed by the Anfield hierarchy or not, will stop referees making decisions that aren’t to his liking?

If he’s suggesting the likes of Dowd, Atkinson, Probert and Clattenburg have not been even-handed, he is wrong and, whatever words he chooses to express his opinion, he is showing a flagrant disregard for the respect campaign the Premier League hoped would stop this post-match nonsense.

His answer to that: “It’s important to respect referees but it’s more important that referees respect my football club, the owners’ football club, Liverpool Football Club.”

No it isn’t. What is most important is that managers, players and referees respect the game and show respect to each other in equal measures.

For what it’s worth, I’ve studied the three big decisions at Stoke and reckon Clattenburg got two right and one wrong. He should have awarded Liverpool a penalty when Rory Delap handled the ball in the first half but was right not to point to the spot when Matthew Upson blocked a Luis Suarez effort late on.

As for the penalty he gave, Jamie Carragher definitely used his arm to impede Jon Walters and, although the ex-Wanderer went down too easily for some folks’ liking, that didn’t alter the fact that the referee was right.