Nottingham Forest, a renowned football club, have requested the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) audio following their defeat by Manchester City. The club is considering making a formal complaint due to dissatisfaction with referee Rob Jones' decisions during the match.
The match, which took place at the City Ground on Saturday, ended in a 2-1 loss for Nottingham Forest. The club has expressed extreme unhappiness with several of Jones' calls during this game. In response to these concerns, they have approached the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), requesting access to conversations between on-pitch officials and the VAR team during key moments of the match.
Head coach Sean Dyche was particularly aggrieved by two incidents: Rayan Cherki's 83rd-minute winner and an incident involving Manchester City defender Ruben Dias after halftime. Dyche believes that Cherki's goal should have been disallowed due to a foul on Morgan Gibbs-White and that Dias should have received a second yellow card.
Sean Dyche, Nottingham Forest manager, said:
"Such an easy game to referee, in my opinion, such an easy decision for VAR. When you played so well, to come in and have to talk about officials affecting the game - but they clearly did.
"Everyone in the stadium and everyone watching at home could see that."
Players express frustration over unfair play
Forest players also voiced their complaints about perceived unfair play during the game. They argued that Gibbs-White had been pushed by Nico O'Reilly while defending a corner, preventing him from blocking Cherki's winning goal.
Despite these protests, VAR checked but allowed Jones' decision regarding Cherki’s goal to stand. This defeat left Nottingham Forest just five points above Premier League's relegation zone.
Sean Dyche added:
"Morgan Gibbs-White quite clearly gets pushed to the floor and the same player is involved in blocking the ball,"
"But he can't block it because as he jumps up, it goes through the bit of his body which he would have blocked it with. Whichever way you look at it, it's a foul."
PGMOL’s response
The PGMOL has previously provided clubs with private access to VAR audio - including Nottingham Forest - as part of its commitment towards transparency in officiating decisions. Howard Webb, PGMOL chief refereeing officer often discusses such incidents on his Mic'd Up programme.
This isn't the first time Nottingham Forest has expressed dissatisfaction with Jones' refereeing. Two years ago, Jones sent off Willy Boly during a match against Bournemouth, leading then-boss Nuno Espirito Santo to call for VAR intervention on second yellow cards. In the last season, Jones sent off Nuno for dissent at Brighton. This incident led to the Portuguese being charged by the Football Association.
The recent request from Nottingham Forest highlights ongoing concerns about refereeing decisions in football matches and the role of VAR in ensuring fair play. As clubs continue to seek transparency and fairness in officiating decisions, it remains crucial that governing bodies like PGMOL respond effectively and maintain open lines of communication.
