The Football Association could launch disciplinary action against Liverpool forward Ryan Babel after he tweeted a photo of referee Howard Webb in a Manchester United shirt.

The mocked-up picture appeared on the winger’s official Twitter page a matter of hours after his side exited the FA Cup at Old Trafford.

Webb, who refereed the game which the home side won 1-0, angered Liverpool by awarding a penalty against them and then sending off captain Steven Gerrard.

As well as the photo, Babel wrote: ‘‘And they call him one of the best referees? That’s a joke. SMH.’’ SMH is an abbreviation for ‘‘shaking my head’’ and Babel is not the first Liverpool player to run into trouble on Twitter this weekend.

On Saturday, defender Glen Johnson, launched an attack on TV pundit Paul Merson after he criticised his performances for the Reds.

‘‘Comments from alcoholic drug abusers are not really gonna upset me and who is Paul Merson to judge players, he was average at the best of times,’’ Johnson wrote.

‘‘The only reason he’s on that show is coz he gambled all his money away. The clown!’’ Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish called Webb‘s penalty decision a ‘‘joke’’ and also disputed Gerrard‘s dismissal, but his son Paul, the former Newcastle striker, via his own Twitter account, said: “‘Fergie has his puppet Howard Webb on a piece of string.’’ He also added: ‘‘Howard Webb MBE. Manc of the Busby Empire.’’