Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo joined the clubs social media in hitting out at referees and VAR decisions after their 2-0 loss to Everton left them deep in relegation trouble
Goodison Park, Liverpool, UK
Goodison Park, Liverpool, UK
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00:00 strong on that aspect. So, tough game to take.
00:06 The club have put a very strong statement out on the social media channels
00:14 about the standard of the referee, or the bar in particular.
00:19 Do you share the view that you were hard done to today in terms of the decisions?
00:25 Yes, I share because I saw the images. When we go back to the dressing room
00:31 and we have access to the images and we see it so clearly,
00:34 you don't understand why the decision was against us.
00:40 Because I honestly think the situation with Gio Reyna on the first half,
00:45 it's a clear one. The end ball, we can ask if it's not, but the ball goes to wood.
00:52 There's another incident with Calum and also with Ashley Young.
00:56 So, I share, of course I share the feeling of the club.
01:01 Because it's not only this game, it's been a while that we have poor decisions against us.
01:08 It's not an excuse, but we are not comfortable with the work of the referees.
01:16 So, it was said in the tweet that concerns were raised before the game
01:26 about the VAR being a looting plan. Are you aware of this?
01:30 I'm aware of the complaint, of the formal complaint to the club,
01:34 that was not comfortable with the VAR, PGM or the CD, decided the other way.
01:40 But it's not important if he's a fan of another club or not, that's not important.
01:44 The referee, especially the VAR, they are sitting down in a chair,
01:49 they have time to assess the images.
01:51 I just would like to understand why, the why,
01:55 why we've always been at the end of bad decisions.
02:00 Have you been able to try and speak to the referee?
02:04 Not yet, but what's the point?
02:08 You go and speak before and you look back, it's a feeling of disappointment
02:18 that we are always being punished.
02:21 It's difficult to control, especially the players, with all this feeling,
02:28 because they felt they worked hard and not given what they deserve,
02:33 especially on the referees.
02:36 Nuno, is it appropriate that a club is complaining about the choice of an official
02:42 even before the game?
02:44 I cannot answer that, if it's appropriate or not, but it's a feeling,
02:50 it's trying to avoid what happened today and not raise any more suspicions
02:57 or thoughts that nobody wants.
03:01 So, it's about preventing.
03:04 Nuno, can I ask, just to be clear, do you think all three incidents
03:07 should have been penalties?
03:09 Yes, because I saw it.
03:12 The end ball, but the ball goes to Wood, the ball touches the end of Ashley,
03:18 but yes, yes.
03:21 I don't know if you saw the images, if you share the same opinion or not,
03:25 it's not important, but it should be the other way.
03:30 How much do decisions like that impact on players' mentality and concentration?
03:37 Of course it affects, and it's been affecting us for a while now.
03:42 We just go back, now we still have four games to go, we should try to ignore,
03:47 but it's there, it's there, so it's over and over again.
03:51 I think it was some time ago that we've been also in the same situation,
03:57 so it's hard, to answer your question, it's hard for the players to ignore.
04:03 It's hard, it's hard.
04:05 Do you have any chances that Chris Wood can get away?
04:09 No, no, we are talking about it here, but the game we should blame ourselves,
04:18 of course, because we have clear chances we should have done better.
04:23 That's why I look at the game, then I look at the referee,
04:28 it's part of the same thing, but we are to blame also,
04:31 not taking the good chances, not finishing well,
04:34 because the team played good to build those chances.
04:39 Sorry?
04:41 You won points. How worried are you when you go out there?
04:45 We don't know exactly, that's why we live in this atmosphere of uncertainty.
04:50 Do we have 30 points, do we have 26 points, do we have more points?
04:56 All this, what we want is hopefully this week comes the decision,
05:00 we appeal because we felt we were right, let's wait,
05:05 and play the four games with reality.
05:08 And reality now is what you say, we have one point in front of Luton,
05:13 that says it's in our hands, it's in our hands.
05:16 So this is what we must try now, try to ignore, regroup,
05:21 and play game by game, put points on the table.
05:24 - Thank you very much. - Thank you.
05:26 (Applause)
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