Roberto De Zerbi’s comments about not liking 80% of referees in England were laughed off by some.

“Only 80%? I thought it might be slightly higher,” Match Of The Day presenter Mark Chapman told viewers on Sunday night.

On Monday morning, TalkSPORT presenter and former Scotland striker Ally McCoist, in a jokey exchange, told ex-ref Mark Halsey he would have been one of the 20%.

On the same radio station, former manager Martin O’Neill said he did not understand De Zerbi’s comments given he had also agreed the decision to dismiss Mahmoud Dahoud was correct.

But De Zerbi’s frustration has been growing and is not just related to one red card or to the big, VAR-related, headline-grabbing moments in general.

There are what can also be perceived as small things.

But still really important things, especially with the way De Zerbi wants his Albion side to play.

There have, for example, been incidents of play being delayed at their set-pieces.

All teams do that at pretty much all levels when they concede a free-kick or throw-in.

But the word this season was such tactics would be clamped down upon.

There were a couple of moments in the first half at Everton, as Sean Dyche’s side looked to nullify Albion’s build-up play, when they felt that guideline was not followed.

That the opposition were able to slow them down at set-pieces with no comeback.

The Argus: At least five Albion players point out that the ball has been kicked away as they looked to take a quick free-kick at Everton

And there had been other examples in previous matches.

Another point made by those commenting on De Zerbi was that he had a microphone shoved under his nose straight after the game.

But it was not a one-off comment in his first flash interview.

He made the "80%" comment to BBC Match Of The Day cameras and again in his press conference with members of the printed media, which started at 4.45pm.

So disagree with the sentiments by all means but don’t put them down to, or dismiss them as, a snap reaction to a disappointing result.

De Zerbi was honest enough to say his own team got things wrong and it was their fault they did not win the game.

He also said the red card was the correct decision under the laws of the game.

That is all officials can do – apply the laws.

Anyone who has watched football for any period of time – and, for some of us, that goes back to when you could get away with quite a lot – has an inner barometer as to what feels like a red card.

What feels like an act so bad it should be punished by immediate banishment to the changing room and a three-game ban.

This, by Dahoud, felt like an attempt to be aggressive, strong and assertive in the midfield battle which went wrong.

It came maybe a second after he had seen his opponent force Billy Gilmour off the ball in robust style.

Which is what De Zerbi appeared to getting at when he said yes, red card, no arguments under the laws, but to an ex-player “the dynamic of the situation” did not feel like it should be a red.

Where there was agreement among ex-players that the laws were NOT followed was with the penalty claim as a cross from Dahoud was blocked by the arm of Jayden Bogle.

Ian Wright and Alan Shearer both said on Match Of The Day 2 that a spot kick should have been awarded.

“We go down to ten men, I think we should get a penalty before,” said skipper Pascal Gross.

“A red card always changes a game somehow but it was still too easy, the way we concede.

“In the end there was one more incident where we get wrestled down and he said the ball wouldn’t come there - but a foul is a foul.

“But I think the red card is a red card, that’s what I have heard right now.

“We should still win the game.“ So no excuses about the dropped points but De Zerbi’s frustrations go back further.

Aware of that, I asked him on Friday afternoon a fairly open-ended question which invited him to say a few things if he saw fit.

On this occasion, he did not really expand.

I asked whether his dis-satisfaction with refs reflected something more than the headline-making moments.

Whether it was also general handling of matches.

He said: “Both. I think they are making mistakes but I am speaking in general they can do better.”

Albion have been on the wrong end of some high-profile errors.

De Zerbi said he struggles with how that can be the case now VAR is in place.

One even wonders about, for example, the offside to disallow Lewis Dunk’s goal at Everton, even though it was said to be the correct call.

Even on the still image – if the correct frame was used, of course – it did not look offside.

But the less easily noticed things have added to the emotions which were expressed on Sunday.

Not as a “rant” but quite calmly in at least two interviews.

One waits to see if there is any comeback.