The Everton manager Claims Refereeing Officials Unwilling to Clarify Controversial Calls
David Moyes has claimed that the PGMO is hesitant to communicate with managers because so many refereeing decisions this season have been hard to justify. Moyes said he was left speechless when Fulham were awarded what proved to be a decisive penalty against Nottingham Forest on Monday.
Inconsistency in Penalty Calls Highlighted
Everton were denied a penalty on Saturday for a similar offence during their home defeat by Arsenal. The manager initially held his tongue on the decision at the time but, following Fulham’s penalty, feels the inconsistency of referees can not be ignored.
“It took my breath away last night when I saw the decision given and ours wasn’t,” Moyes commented. “It feels as though certain clubs get those decisions and other clubs don’t. It appears we are on the latter side of that.”
Previous Cases and Growing Frustration
The coach also pointed to an earlier incident in the season at Brentford involving Virgil van Dijk which was very comparable. “It was later it was given. We are disappointed it wasn’t given on the night and we are reviewing other instances which have been overlooked,” he added.
Communication Breakdown with Referee Chiefs
When asked whether he intended to present his case with referee chiefs, Moyes expressed further frustration. “It’s unclear,” he said. “They are not accommodating whatever you want. They don’t want to have a conversation about it really. They will have, but they don’t want to because they’re finding it probably very difficult to explain things.”
This position from the officials highlights a wider issue of openness and accountability in the sport’s refereeing, according to the experienced manager.