David Moyes Claims PGMO Unwilling to Explain Controversial Decisions
The Everton boss has stated that the PGMO 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 match-winning penalty against Nottingham Forest on Monday.
Lack of Uniformity in Penalty Calls Highlighted
The Toffees were refused a penalty on Saturday for a similar offence during their home defeat by Arsenal. Moyes did not criticise the decision at the time but, following Fulham’s penalty, feels the inconsistency 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 Growing Frustration
Moyes also referenced an earlier incident in the season at Brentford involving Virgil van Dijk which was quite similar. “It was later it was given. It is frustrating it wasn’t given on the night and we are looking at others which have been overlooked,” he added.
Lack of Dialogue with Referee Chiefs
When asked whether he intended to present his case with referee chiefs, Moyes expressed further frustration. “It’s unclear,” he said. “They are not accommodating whatever you want. They don’t want 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 position from the PGMO underscores a wider issue of openness and answerability in the sport’s refereeing, as per the experienced manager.
