The Everton manager Asserts Refereeing Officials Unwilling to Clarify Debatable Calls
David Moyes has claimed that the PGMO is reluctant to engage with managers because a high number of 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 Spot-Kick Decisions Brought to Light
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, in light of Fulham’s penalty, believes the lack of consistency of referees must be addressed.
“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.”
Past Incidents and Mounting Discontent
The coach also pointed to an previous case in the season at Brentford involving Virgil van Dijk which was quite similar. “I think eventually it was given. It is frustrating it wasn’t given on the night and we are looking at others which have been missed,” he added.
Lack of Dialogue with Officiating Authorities
Questioned on whether he intended to raise the issue with referee chiefs, Moyes expressed additional concern. “I don’t really know,” he said. “They are not accommodating whatever you want. They are unwilling to have a conversation about it really. They might engage, but they don’t want to because they’re finding it probably very difficult to explain things.”
This stance from the PGMO highlights a broader problem of openness and accountability in the game’s officiating, according to the experienced manager.
