Andoni Iraola said he would tell his players to go to ground in future after Liverpool were denied a penalty during their defeat by Arsenal on Sunday.
Liverpool were 1-0 down after Kai Havertz's opener when Alexander Isak's shirt was pulled by Jurrien Timber as the striker moved to meet Bradley Barcola's cross. Isak stayed on his feet, and referee Andy Madley did not award a penalty. VAR official Stuart Attwell decided the contact was not sufficient to overturn the decision.
Iraola disagreed, describing the incident as a clear shirt pull. Speaking to Match of the Day, he said Isak would have been awarded a penalty if he had gone to ground and argued that managers may now have to instruct players to do so.
"The answer is you have to dive, if you don't dive they won't call it," Iraola said. He later confirmed that he would definitely give Isak that advice in future.
The manager said it was unfortunate that players could be criticised for going down while also being unlikely to receive a decision if they remain upright. He maintained that Isak had tried to play the ball and that the pull was clear from the moment it happened.
The understanding was that the contact was minimal and involved a slight tug rather than sustained holding, which allowed play to continue. Former Premier League assistant referee Darren Cann said Timber had taken a significant risk but noted that the incident was close to the threshold for a penalty.
Liverpool also had a second penalty appeal rejected after Cody Gakpo went down under pressure from Christos Tzolis.
Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy said the Isak incident came at a pivotal moment and suggested the striker might have received the decision had he made more of the contact. Gary Neville similarly described Isak's lack of reaction as unusual for a centre-forward who had been prevented from connecting with the ball.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk defended Isak, saying the many available camera angles should have been enough for the incident to be judged without the player needing to complain. Liverpool ultimately lost the match, while Iraola acknowledged that any later apology from the Premier League's refereeing body would not change the outcome.
Sources: BBC Sport.