The Everton manager Claims PGMO Unwilling to Clarify Controversial Calls
David Moyes has claimed that the Professional Game Match Officials is reluctant to engage with managers because so many refereeing decisions this season have been difficult to explain. The Everton manager said he “half choked” when Fulham were awarded what proved to be a decisive penalty against Nottingham Forest on Monday.
Lack of Uniformity in Penalty Calls Brought to Light
The Toffees were refused a penalty on Saturday for a comparable incident 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 can not be ignored.
“It took my breath away last night when I saw the decision given and ours wasn’t,” said the Everton manager. “There is a sense that 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
Moyes also referenced 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 reviewing other instances which have been overlooked,” he added.
Lack of Dialogue with Referee Chiefs
Questioned on whether he intended to raise the issue with referee chiefs, Moyes expressed additional concern. “I don’t really know,” he said. “They don’t make it easy 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 stance from the PGMO highlights a broader problem of transparency and accountability in the sport’s refereeing, as per the experienced manager.
