David Moyes Claims PGMO Unwilling to Explain Debatable Decisions
David Moyes has claimed that the PGMO is hesitant to communicate with managers because a high number of refereeing decisions this season have been difficult to explain. Moyes 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 Highlighted
Everton were denied 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, feels the inconsistency of referees can not be ignored.
“I was half choking last night when I saw the decision given and ours wasn’t,” said the Everton manager. “It feels as though certain clubs get those decisions and other clubs don’t. We seem to be on the latter side of that.”
Previous Cases and Mounting Discontent
The coach also pointed to an previous case in the season at Brentford involving Virgil van Dijk which was very comparable. “I think eventually 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. “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 likely discovering it is very difficult to explain things.”
This position from the PGMO highlights a broader problem of openness and answerability in the sport’s refereeing, according to the experienced manager.