Gary Neville has criticised Arsenal and Liverpool for setting a precedent that led Nottingham Forest to file a complaint with the PGMOL.
Gary Neville, the former Manchester United defender, has pointed fingers at Arsenal and Liverpool for influencing Nottingham Forest‘s decision to file a complaint with the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL).
Neville’s criticism comes in the wake of Forest’s complaint regarding a controversial goal scored by Brentford‘s Ivan Toney against them.
Neville’s disapproval is centred on the actions of Arsenal and Liverpool, which he believes set a precedent for other clubs to follow suit in seeking formal clarifications from the PGMOL whoom Neville seems to think should never be questioned.
This ‘trend’, according to Neville, was evident when Nottingham Forest approached PGMOL head Howard Webb for an explanation about Toney’s goal.
During Brentford’s match against Nottingham Forest, Toney, heavily linked with a move to Arsenal, scored from a free kick. This goal, which was crucial to Brentford’s 3-2 victory, was contentious as Toney appeared to move the ball and the vanishing spray before taking the kick.
Despite this, the goal was allowed to stand.
Neville wrote on Twitter: “Clubs writing to PGMOL is embarrassing! Liverpool and Arsenal started it and set the precedent of this nonsense.”
He then added in another tweet, “The refs should be doing better and are under enormous pressure at the moment.
“It’s in the clubs interests to work with them to make them improve. This public posturing is unnecessary.
“Speak to them and email them to gain clarification in private but they don’t have to “announce” they’ve written to the PGMOL. It’s not going to change the decision and it’s not going to help anyone! It just adds to the pile on.”
Nuno Espirito Santo, Nottingham Forest’s manager, voiced his frustration after the match, particularly concerning the role of VAR in the incident.
He pointed out that the law requires checking every goal and the circumstances leading to it. He expressed surprise at his players’ lack of immediate reaction to the incident, which he described as a significant ‘ball displacement.’
“I was also surprised the players didn’t complain about it,” said Espirito Santo.
“I think we have to be a little bit more mature in that situation, because it changes the position of the wall and then it is a soft ball. Everyone in the stands thinks it is a mistake of the wall with its position, but it was a clear ball displacement – not only inches, it is a yard almost,”
Following the match, reports emerged that Nottingham Forest had written to the PGMOL, seeking clarity on whether Toney’s action was within the rules and if VAR should have intervened.
Neville will no doubt be on Sky Sports this week, giving Howard Webb a platform to explain why everybody else is wrong as referees once again dominate the Premier League narrative.