Another day, another devastating charge against Stuart Attwell, but this one is the most aggravating for Nottingham Forest supporters.
It is now Wednesday, and the three penalty decisions that the Reds did not receive on Sunday continue to bite.
Unlike Forest’s assertion, Attwell did not cheat, but he is officially outing himself as being terribly incompetent.
Forest went all out with the appointment of a reputed Luton fan for such an important game in the relegation battle.
Alan Shearer and Micah Richards both criticized Forest’s initial comments following the final.
At this point, however, the entire situation is a farce, right down to UEFA’s announcement yesterday that Attwell will work on VAR at Euro 2024.
Another assertion has been made that will undoubtedly make some Forest fans lose their minds about Attwell.
New report exposes Stuart Attwell detail from Forest clash
To be fair, we did grant Attwell some sympathy on Sunday, as the PGMOL should never have placed him in the game.
However, this was a shambolic performance that raised numerous issues about the entire VAR system.
The first two rulings against Forest were highly subjective, but the third was simply ludicrous.
According to the Daily Mail, Attwell decided not to investigate the suspected foul on Callum Hudson-Odoi.
It’s unclear why Anthony Taylor motions at the ball on the field of play, implying that Ashley Young had played it instead of the player.
It only took a fast look to confirm that the referee was accurate, and a replay would have revealed that he wasn’t.
This type of behavior undermines the Premier League, and Attwell, along with the PGMOL, bears a great deal of responsibility.
Forest have to adopt siege mentality against Manchester City
To say the least, this news is quite frustrating. Forest fans will be furious about this, and they have every reason to be.
It merely emphasizes the idea that if you’re not in the top six, the checks for minor infractions will be few and far between.
Forest must eventually move on from this, and they will face the champions at home on Sunday afternoon.
Are we shocked that Attwell has not faced any consequences for his poor performance? and will take charge of a Premier League match this weekend.
The club will not take this lying down, and they must immediately delegate responsibility for dealing with the PGMOL to those in power.
Forest fans should be right on top of the players on Sunday, and maybe the Reds can stun the champions.
To not even look at this judgment is incompetent at its finest form, and it’s simply crazy that Attwell chose not to give it a once-over.
If he had, he would have noticed Young’s failure to play the ball, and Taylor would almost certainly have been advised to review the situation.
If this had happened to one of the Premier League’s major six, Attwell would have investigated it without hesitation.
That alone is enough to make even the most composed Forest supporters furious with the entire system, and only Attwell understands why he made such a terrible decision.
