Nottingham Forest has lodged an official complaint with the steering group of Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL). This follows a highly publicized bad call by officials in their last game versus Manchester City. At the center of the complaint is a single incident involving Manchester City defender Ruben Dias. He escaped a second yellow card for violent conduct after elbowing Igor Jesus in the face just 18 seconds into the second half. The decision attracted criticism from Forest’s manager Sean Dyche, who thought the foul deserved a red.
In the first half of their recent match, Ruben Dias got a yellow card for dissent. His second challenge on Igor Jesus was when the latter was sprinting clear after the second half’s restart. Referee Rob Jones issued Dias a penalty for the foul. He simply issued a yellow card, bringing into question the consistency of officiating this season across the league.
Incident Details Spark Outrage
The play that turned ugly began when Igor Jesus made a long run down the field. Dias soon brought him down—a challenge that needed VAR scrutiny for the flat-out question of whether that was a second bookable offence. Dyche clearly wasn’t happy with the decision at all, claiming that Dias was a clear red card and should’ve been sent off.
“They say it’s an accident. If that’s an accident when he’s running through on goal we all know what happens. You get a red card. So why is it an accident and he isn’t yellow carded then?” – Sean Dyche
Dyche’s widely immortalized comments were just one of many from managers, worried about the ongoing standards of officiating across the league. Even Dermot Gallagher, former top flight referee and now ITV Football pundit agreed with Dyche. He announced that Dias’ behavior obviously deserved a second yellow card.
“Whether it is an accident doesn’t matter. That is a second yellow card. It was a promising attack.” – Dermot Gallagher
Gallagher’s analysis illustrates the increasing agreement among critics that referees must do a better job of identifying and reacting to possibly game-changing fouls.
VAR and Its Limitations
Compounding this controversy is the influence of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) when it comes to awarding penalties. As league regulations dictate, VAR is not allowed to intervene in cases of second overlapping yellow card offences. This significant limitation immediately calls into question whether VAR is enough to enforce fair play. This limitation has led to intense debate among fans and analysts across the world over the need for reform in officiating protocols.
Dyche noted that when VAR fails to handle the most crucial of incidents, it questions the very point of its existence to improve the integrity of the game. He stated that he could hardly believe no one had been fired or suspended for failing to act against Dias.
“I just find it bizarre, I really do. And I think these are easy things. Just give him a second yellow, that’s it. ‘Off you go’. I’m absolutely stunned.” – Sean Dyche
This case is yet another example of how VAR’s limitations can create huge gaps in officiating quality.
Broader Conversations About Officiating
The foul by Dias and the subsequent decision not to send him off have opened a wider dialogue regarding officiating in English football this season. Thousands of pundits, including us, have lamented the lack of consistency and clarity in refereeing decisions.
Jay Bothroyd, another former player, noted that while fouls may seem accidental in certain contexts, they can have serious implications for attacking opportunities.
“Anywhere else on the field, this is an accidental challenge. I don’t think they should be yellow cards, but Dermot explained that it stopped a promising attack.” – Jay Bothroyd
This incident has led to another round of spirited debate about bad officiating, often on a case-by-case basis. This demands an overall, systemic change to how the officiating process works.
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