David Moyes Claims PGMO Reluctant to Explain Controversial Calls
The Everton boss has stated that the PGMO is hesitant to communicate with managers because so many 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 Spot-Kick Decisions Brought to Light
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, believes the lack of consistency 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. It appears we are on the latter side of that.”
Previous Cases and Growing Frustration
Moyes also referenced an earlier incident in the season at Brentford involving Virgil van Dijk which was very comparable. “I think eventually 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 Officiating Authorities
Questioned on whether he intended to raise the issue with the officiating body, Moyes expressed further frustration. “It’s unclear,” he said. “They don’t make it easy 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 officials highlights a broader problem of transparency and answerability in the sport’s refereeing, according to the long-serving coach.
