Consistency and common sense are mutually exclusive. However, the media have always preferred those referees who “allow the game to flow” as opposed to those who apply the letter of the law.
The best example is the 1991 FA Cup Final when Paul Gascoigne was clearly in a frenzied state of mind, before committing a stupid, horrific foul, in the opening minutes
David Elleray would have deemed it an automatic red card offence, and then been slaughtered by the media for not understanding the occasion, whereas Roger Milford looked the other way and let the game continue without so much as a serious word with Gascoigne or even Tottenham’s Captain.
Two minutes later he repeated the challenge and subsequently departed on a stretcher, with serious question marks hanging over his future career.
Without much effort I can immediately recall 3-4 occasions where Anthony Taylor has tried to use common sense, before seemingly panicking and thrusting consistency when it’s far too late.
One of the worst Forest fouls on Saturday was the one that led to Alvarez’ 2nd Free Kick. However, Taylor did nothing because he’d just carded somebody else.
He did exactly the same at Anfield last season, and previous games v Tottenham and Chelsea. Let loads of fouls go unpunished until nobody’s quite sure what’s happening, and then suddenly introduce the letter of the law.