Nottingham Forest make formal complaint over controversial refereeing after Manchester United defeat

Nottingham Forest has formally expressed its dissatisfaction regarding the decisions made by referees during their recent encounter with Manchester United.

In this fiery match, Forest saw their two-goal lead evaporate, leading to a 3-2 defeat at Old Trafford. Key moments in the game were influenced by the judgments of the officials, particularly referee Stuart Attwell.

One pivotal incident saw Joe Worrall, a Forest player, receive a red card from Attwell for a foul as the last man. Additionally, a penalty was awarded to Manchester United due to Danilo’s challenge on Marcus Rashford.

Despite calls for review, VAR official Robert Jones chose not to overturn either of these contentious calls or advise Attwell to review them using the pitchside monitor.

Forest’s anger, though initially kept under wraps by manager Steve Cooper, has now surfaced. A report from The Telegraph reveals that the club has lodged a formal complaint via email to the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL).

This move was influenced by the encouragement of Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis, who urged the club to escalate their concerns to PGMOL chief Howard Webb.

Attwell’s officiating in this match marked his return to overseeing a Forest game after his last involvement in May 2022. Forest contends that Worrall’s red card was unfairly harsh, as they believe Willy Boly’s proximity to the incident could have potentially thwarted Bruno Fernandes’ goal-scoring opportunity.

Cooper, the Forest manager, managed to temper his criticism of Attwell’s performance during his post-match remarks. He remarked, “You need things to go your way. I’m biting my tongue to be honest in terms of what I really feel because they are defining moments. There were other things as well. I was surprised at how quickly decisions were made.”

A curious observation made by former Arsenal defender Martin Keown and shared by him was that of the match-winning penalty decision. This moment involved Marcus Rashford going down in the box after a challenge by Danilo. Keown questioned the accuracy of the decision, wondering if the officials truly saw what transpired. He expressed a longing for the day when referees can communicate their rationale for decisions to the spectators and provide insights into the workings of the VAR room.

Chris Sutton, a former striker for Blackburn, joined Keown in the critique, labeling Rashford’s actions as clever but controversial. He asserted, “Had this been the other way around, would the visitors have been awarded a penalty?

Steve Cooper does not seem to think so. When a United player drops down in the box, the threshold for a penalty never seems to be as high as it is for their opponents.”