“All the top six teams get them penalties” – Neco Williams rages over the treatment shown towards Nottingham Forest after defeat at Everton.
He felt that his side were denied three “blatant penalties” while goals from Idrissa Gueye and Dwight McNeil in either half gave the Toffees a much needed win as it lifts Sean Dyche’s side five points above the drop zone.
However, after the final whistle blew, Forest released a statement in which they said they are “considering their options” over “extremely poor” refereeing decisions during the game, “warned” the Professional Game Match Officials Board (PGMOL) that the VAR official for the game was a Luton Town fan.
The Football Association are to investigate the statement, while Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo agreed with the club’s stance on the decisions of the officials after the game.
Nottingham Forest full-back Williams claimed in an interview that the “top six teams” clubs in the Premier League would all have been given the penalties – and added that his side continues to be on the wrong end of decisions.
Williams, who used to play for one of the so-called ‘big six’ in Liverpool, said: “Listen, it is three clear, blatant penalties. Everyone watching that game knew they were all penalties. They are clear.
“Every single week, this happens now. We are getting decisions against us, and I don’t know why. Is it because we are a lower-bottom half team?
“Because I guarantee all of the top-six teams are getting every single one of them, and I know every single person watching that game today knew all three of them were clear blatant penalties.
“It is ridiculous, and it is week after week now. We are getting these decisions against us. I am not here to make excuses; I am not that type of person, but every week it is something.
“I don’t know what it is, but it needs to stop now. It is three clear, blatant penalties.”
Williams then added: “Every single one of them. Gio Reyna, he has kicked him, clear pen. The handball, we have tried playing it back across, and he has handballed it.
“Callum (Hudson-Odoi), when he is clear on goal, they are all three clear penalties, and like I say, I am not here to make excuses, but it changes the game massively.
“At the end of the day, we are down there and fighting to stay in this league. We are having absolutely zero help from the Premier League and everyone up in the rooms.
“The referee has got to see that as well. He can’t just rely on VAR. I can’t make it anymore clear that they were all three penalties.
“To be honest, it is ridiculous now. Absolutely ridiculous, and I have got nothing to say on it.”
Nuno said, per Liverpool Echo: “Yes I share the view because I saw the images. When we go back to the dressing room, we have access to the images and you can see it so clearly and you don’t understand why the decisions were against us.
“I think the situation with Gio Reyna in the first half is a clear one, the handball we can ask if it’s not but the ball goes to Chris Wood and there is another incident with Ashley Young. I share the feeling of the club because it’s not only this game, it’s been a while that we’ve had poor decisions against us. It’s not an excuse but we are not comfortable with the work of the referees.”
When asked to clarify over if he believed his side should have been given three penalties, Nuno added: “Yes, because I saw it. The handball to Wood, touches the hand of Ashley (Young) but yes.”
On the statement claiming that VAR official Stuart Attwell is supposedly a fan of Luton, Nuno said: “I’m aware of the complaint, that the club was not comfortable with the VAR. It is not important if he is a fan of another club or not, that’s not important.
“The VAR referees are sitting down in a chair, they have time to assess the images. We would like to understand why we are always on the end of bad decisions.”
Nuno was questioned about if he’d spoken to on-the-field official Anthony Taylor: “Not yet but what’s the point? You go and speak to them but it’s a feeling of disappointment that we’re always getting punished.
“It’s difficult to control, especially with the players, with all this feeling. They felt they worked hard but didn’t get what they deserved, especially with the referees.”
On the game and performance, Nuno said: “I thought we started the game well. In the first moments, we were in control and dominant.
“We had chances and didn’t allow Everton to reach our box. Before the goal, I didn’t think they had one touch in the box so we were playing well and in control.
“It was direct play from Everton, set-pieces and we were able to control it and allow shots from outside the box. But then it became difficult and the second half was not so good.
“We had a chance for Morgan (Gibbs-White), a clear one, that could have got us level, but I felt that we didn’t play well enough to create problems. With the low block of Everton, it’s not about crossing because they are strong on that aspect… it was a tough, tough game.”
SEE MORE: Mark Clattenburg fumes over Nottingham Forest VAR ‘joke’ after Gary Neville tells him to resign
SEE MORE: Jamie Carragher slams Nottingham Forest’s explosive statement claiming “VAR is a Luton fan”
Fans reacted as Neco Williams rages that “top six teams get them penalties” over the treatment shown towards Nottingham Forest…
@JGNFFC_: and he’s absolutely bang on. i’d put my life savings on liverpool, Chelsea, united, etc etc getting AT LEAST 2 of the 3, if not all 3. it’s disgraceful
@agbnufc_: Everyone is finally turning against the Sky 6 it’s unreal. There has been an awakening.
@GingerPirlo_: 100000000% right. Absolutely spot on. If you even tried to not give one of those pens to a dirty 6 the media would go on about it for weeks. So fair play to Forest and hope this means it isn’t forgotten about. No objective person is saying not a pen to any of those. Nobody.
@grritzz: I love how we aren’t just letting this happen anymore, it’s happening week after week, about time a team stopped being so scared and spoke about it
@BigBearKentlaar: The fact is that he’ll be fined for this interview and that’s the only punishment. Won’t take back the fact Forest have been cheated. The league is falling apart.
@Redfellas_: You’re spot Neco mate, the corrupt Prem is desperate to keep the cheating blooshites up at any cost
@larterlia1874: He’s right. Sky and the football elite don’t even try and hide their top 6 bias now
@Coyley54: Well done Neco Williams for calling it out 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 the irony is he will get banned yet the referees continue to go unpunished. Takes one player to speak up could have happened in loads of games this season.
@Only1Carlton: We didn’t deserve anything out of the game BUT we, like all clubs, deserve @FA_PGMOL to officiate all games fairly & the fact that an official body have left themselves wide open to an accusation of bias officiating is unbelievable #NFFC
@finjohnson18: Forest, Wolves, Burnley have all had some horrendous decisions against them this season, yet the discourse is only really loud when it’s a top 6. I make him absolutely right!
@JaackB95: “Say what you like in your interview Neco, we’ll cover the fine with the season ticket price rise along with the fine for the tweet”
@TheSpursWatch: “I guarantee every single top 6 team gets all of those decisions” – We’ve had 1 penalty all season 😂
@eleezah1017: He will probably get in trouble for saying that but it’s about time someone did. Sick of players and clubs not speaking about this more as it happens every week to multiple teams, not saying anything won’t change anything.
@paul976431: He’s right re them not getting decisions, but he can add Spurs to the list of not getting blatant pens…others including Chelsea have a ludicrous amount of spot kicks this season.
@graybforest: Agree with Neco 💯 %. Blatant blatant pens not given today – in a crucial game. Yet again, really poor ref & VAR.
@s17pur: Love how people keep rolling out the ‘if it was the top 6’ line, conveniently ignoring that Spurs have had the fewest penalties (1) in the league all season, despite being the most fouled team in the division.
@JayDavisx: We’ve had one penalty all season, countless not given. This thing that it’s always the “ top 6 “ is ridiculous. #thfc
@ltjrichards: Have a lot of sympathy for forest and wolves. Totally screwed. But spurs have had one pen all season. We have paid the price for that game against Liverpool. Its not just the ‘big six’ it’s just that the refs are shite.
@OwenWebbORourke: 100% penalties but Neco why fuel the conspiracy bollocks. You’ve seen the decisions given against each of the top 6 teams this year. That narrative is completely false. It’s simply the refereeing is incompetent
@THFC_Kaj: Feel your pain lad but maybe do a bit of fact checking and see where the top 6 are on the table of penalties given this season
You must be logged in to post a comment Login