Everton chase of Nottingham Forest’s Brennan Johnson damaged as referees continue to hurt club
Poor officiating continues to plague Everton even after their season has finished as controversy in the playoff final has hurt their transfer plans.
The Daily Mail reported last week that the club were “readying” a £20million bid for Nottingham Forest star Brennan Johnson having put the 21-year-old at the “top of their summer wish list”.
Their chances of landing the Welsh international were expected to be heavily impacted by the events at Wembley, and after a contentious 1-0 win over Huddersfield he has expressed a desire to play for his current side in the Premier League.
He told a Nottingham crowd on Monday (30 May), via Nottinghamshire Live: “Yesterday was the best day of my life. I can’t wait to play here next season.”
The result in the crucial game in the capital was heavily influenced by referee Jon Moss’ decisions not to award the Terriers two penalties, despite strong shouts, with VAR Paul Tierney not recommending either be overturned.
In reaction former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett wrote in the Telegraph that he “shudders to think” about the retiring Moss’ ascent to a new role managing the current officials after giving Huddersfield “every right to feel aggrieved”.
So it goes on
Toffees fans have become well-accustomed to refereeing controversies throughout the relegation battle this season, and will at this point probably not be shocked that they are still managing to negatively affect the club.
A list of major decisions went against the club over the last few months of the year including the Rodri handball against Manchester City that went unpunished when Tierney was in charge and led to an apology from Mike Riley, and the failure to award Anthony Gordon a penalty at Anfield for which manager Frank Lampard was subsequently charged by the FA over his reaction.
Richarlison having his shirt pulled off against Brentford only for Michael Oliver to let it go and Jarrad Branthwaite to end up being sent off down the other end shortly preceded Jordan Ayew escaping a red card for a high tackle on Gordon minutes before he scored for Crystal Palace.
Hackett has been vocal in his criticism of officials for their involvement in a number of those incidents, and particularly of Moss, who he felt should have awarded penalties for fouls on Harry Toffolo and Lewis O’Brien.
It is impossible to say whether the result would have been different had both been given, as it cannot be conclusively proven that Everton’s fortunes would have been better this season if various calls had gone their way, but there is a good chance that two late spot-kicks would have prevented Forest from going up.
Had that been the case, and with the benefit of VAR it is hard to see how neither were given, it would have cleared the way for the Toffees to make a run at Johnson, but it will be far harder, and more expensive, to do so now.
Goodison News pundit Kevin Campbell has bemoaned the “horrendous” decisions that the club have been on the receiving end of this year, and recently expressed bewilderment at the use of VAR in Toffees games.
Although it is Huddersfield who are feeling the effects worse this time, it has still found a way to bite Frank Lampard who now faces missing out on a key summer target.
In other Everton news, Campbell has hailed the manager’s influence in the massive improvement from one player that fans had their doubts about.
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