The Everton manager Asserts Refereeing Officials Unwilling to Explain Debatable Calls

David Moyes has claimed that the PGMO is hesitant to communicate with managers because so many refereeing decisions this season have been hard to justify. 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 Spot-Kick Decisions Brought to Light

Everton were denied a penalty on Saturday for a comparable incident 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.

“It took my breath away last night when I saw the decision given and ours wasn’t,” Moyes commented. “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 very comparable. “It was later it was given. We are disappointed it wasn’t given on the night and we are looking at others which have been missed,” he added.

Communication Breakdown with Referee Chiefs

Questioned on whether he intended to present his case with the officiating body, Moyes expressed additional concern. “It’s unclear,” he said. “They are not accommodating whatever you want. They are unwilling to have a conversation about it really. They might engage, but they don’t want to because they’re likely discovering it is very difficult to explain things.”

This position from the PGMO underscores a broader problem of openness and accountability in the sport’s refereeing, as per the experienced manager.