Everton vs Nottingham Forest half-time events emerge amid extreme anger at Goodison Park
Nottingham Forest were “so angry” at half time of their game against Everton they wanted to release their controversial statement then and there, according to Rob Dorsett.
The Sky Sports journalist reported via Twitter on 23 April that the fury at officiating in the 2-0 Toffees win had already erupted during the break at Goodison Park, with the club’s media chief having to talk his bosses down.
Forest had already had two penalty shouts against Ashley Young turned down by Anthony Taylor by that point, with VAR Stuart Attwell not recommending reviews for either.
After a third appeal went begging in the second period the club subsequently accused Attwell of bias due to being a Luton Town fan, sparking major controversy in the wake of the game.
Dorsett wrote: “NFFC bosses were so angry at half time v EFC they wanted to issue a statement questioning the officials’ integrity during the break, but they were seen to be talked down by the club’s media chief.”
Fury at Goodison amid crucial Everton win
Considering how much of a reaction there has been from Forest themselves, various pundits, the PGMOL and the Premier League over the statement after the final whistle it would surely have been even greater if they had done so during the interval.
They would potentially have been accused of trying to influence the result while the match was still in progress, but it demonstrates the level of outrage from the City Ground side.
In light of how this season has gone from an Everton point of view it is a novel position for the Toffees to be in that such major drama is erupted around them yet has seemingly left them unaffected this time.
Perhaps the greatest question it leaves for Sean Dyche ahead of the massive visit of Liverpool on Wednesday night for the Merseyside derby (24 April), is whether he wants to risk sending Young out as part of his line up again, considering the focus that will no doubt be on every challenge the 38-year-old makes in his own box.
He was certainly fortunate against Forest in a way that he hasn’t got away with on previous occasions this term, so it is somewhat understandable why the visitors were so upset, with Everton all-too-familiar with being in such a position in recent seasons.
Given how these issues are usually dealt with the Forest reaction is likely to be cracked down on by the authorities, but perhaps more importantly it still remains to be seen how officials’ performances are affected going forward, which may be what Evangelos Marinakis and company are most interested in either way.
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