Phil Jagielka reacts to Martin Atkinson's controversial appointment

Phil Jagielka stands by his comments about Martin Atkinson as he prepares to come face-to-face with the referee once more against Bournemouth on Saturday.

Atkinson has been appointed referee for the FA Cup fifth round tie just three weeks after his controversial performance against Man City in the Capital One Cup semi-final second leg.

Atkinson failed to spot the ball had clearly gone out of play before Raheem Sterling crossed for Kevin de Bruyne in the build-up to City's crucial second goal.

When Jagielka protested the decision Atkinson responded by making a sarcastic remark about Everton's defending, prompting the Toffees captain to label him "arrogant". after the game

When asked by the Liverpool Echo for his response to Atkinson's appointment Jagielka said:

“There is nothing much we can do, is there?. We’ve had him before and we’ll have him again.

“I stick by the things I said, especially in a semi-final game, but we’ll get on with it, shake hands and deal with the day.

“Everyone makes bad decisions but you have got to look at the context of the game.

“You have got to look at scorelines and you have got to adapt your mannerisms throughout the game.

“If someone is going to shout and ball at you, by all means don’t speak to them, but in the big games when things are on the line you have got to show the respect both ways.“If he thinks I’ve over-stepped the line then pull me to the side and say ‘that’s it’, that is fair enough.

“But it’s difficult when you go out there and within two or three minutes of the game you’re at that stage already, where you’ve not said or done anything, and some officials are like that.

“Whether you’ve got their back up from previous games, I don’t know, but it is a difficult one.

“You expect as the game goes on, and if things aren’t going your way, then you expect those type of conversations to happen as the game goes on but two or three minutes into the game, it feels like you’ve already done something when you haven’t.

“It’s a tough job, it’s a really tough job, but you just want a bit of honesty."

Atkinson, of course, has a bit of previous when it comes to controversial decisions during Everton games, most notably in October 2011 when he wrongly sent off Jack Rodwell in a Merseyside derby at Goodison Park.

He also infamously blew the final whistle when Everton were on the attack against Man Utd in a 3-3 draw in September 2010, prompting a furious reaction from then manager David Moyes and his assistant Steve Round. More recently he chose not to show a second yellow card to Liverpool midfielder Lucas during last October's Goodison derby, the Brazilian substituted soon after.

Given the controversy and fallout from last month's semi-final it seems surprising that the FA have given Atkinson an Everton game so quickly, there are plenty of other referee's available to take the tie.

The news has only increased Evertonians' sense of foreboding ahead of a game that could make or break the club's season.