Brendan Rodgers last night told the meeting of referee and top flight managers that whistlers need to go full-time if there is to be greater consistency within the game.

Speaking at McDiarmid Park at a get-together chaired by SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell after a number of controversial issues this season, Rodgers spoke of his belief that bringing in officials in a professional capacity is the only way to raise the standard.

“Referees going full-time is a big one for me,” said the Celtic manager.

“Where the money comes from I don’t know but for me the game up here gets great coverage, it is a fantastic league and for me it is one of the areas I would look at for them being professional and full-time.

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“If you are refereeing a game at the weekend – and I think they do their best – then you come together on a Monday because it is your job then you can analyse and you can look at areas where you were really good in the game, areas where you could be better and then you are mentored in that situation and can exchange ideas with other referees, then that preparation will give you confidence.

“And when you go into your next games that confidence makes you better. You are better prepared then to deal with pressure and pressurised situations. I respect some of the guys have good jobs but I do think there is a need for that and there is also a need to protect players.

“I have never not known full-time referees other than coming to here. If you have refereed a game at the weekend and you have got to get to your work on a Monday and focus on your job til 5pm or 3pm or whenever it is, then your full concentration isn’t on the [refereeing] job.

“These guys are going into high pressure situations and asked to deal with that type of pressure. If you are prepared and working hard at your game then the more you out into it then it gives you confidence. It doesn’t guarantee you but you should success at a better level.”

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There is an argument to suggest that the red tape behind the scenes also needs to be addressed in order to create a safety net. At the minute if the referee has seen or acted on an incident during the game then he cannot overrule his original decision, something that has this season created some bizarre decisions.

Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos walked away without sanction despite a number of incidents in the Ibrox club’s win over Celtic and Rodgers has called for some common sense in dealing with retrospective incidents.

“You can be in a game and watching it but when you go back an analyse it, it’s never as bad – or as good – as you think at the time,” he said. “Sometimes these referees are in the game and make their report, but when they come away after a couple of days and analyse it, things may look different.

“But under the current structure here, they can’t change it.

“It’s about looking at the whole process really.”

“I just think there’s some really poor decisions. It’s been consistent.

“It’s maybe highlighted more now a bit but it’s about trying to ensure the game doesn’t become reckless.

“I’ve been saying it since I came here, when Kieran Tierney suffered a bad tackle. The safety of players is the main thing.

“We all make mistakes, referees, managers, players, every one of us.

“You have to be able to make mistakes but it’s about not making as many of them.

“It’s about getting the right decisions for the greater good of the game, other than just protecting referees.

“It’s a very difficult job, we all recognise that, but it’s about getting consistency.

“They just need a bit of help, but it’s also about how they can help themselves.

“Having that professional attitude on a day to day basis would help them improve.”