Richard Keys has associated himself with Nottingham Forest in a rant over the “disgrace” of their 2-0 defeat to Everton over the weekend.
On 22 April, the beIN Sports host took no prisoners on his blog, blasting Howard Webb and the PGMOL for appointing Stuart Attwell as the VAR for the contentious fixture, while dismissing Simon Jordan, Graeme Souness, and Gary Neville for criticizing Forest’s furious post-game statement.
Ashley Young was on the verge of conceding three penalties at Goodison Park on Sunday (21 April), all of which Keys claims should have been given, but Anthony Taylor waved them off and Attwell did not recommend reviews for any of them, causing widespread outrage after Forest claimed it was because he supports relegation rivals Luton.
Keys tweeted, “I have nothing but sorrow for the Forest fans today. I know we haven’t always agreed, but I support you now. What a travesty it was at Goodison. And I do not agree with Mssrs Jordan, Souness, or Neville (oh, what selective recollections some people have) that the club had no right to publish the statement following the game. “Yes, they did.”
He said Forest had made more terrible mistakes than anyone else this season, but a few clubs are not far behind, before adding: “Let’s be generous – one of the decisions was debatable.” But in reality, all three were pens. And I have nothing against Everton supporters, who are both knowledgeable and honest. They understand that, like [Manchester] United [vs. Coventry in the FA Cup semi-final], they got away with it.
“The reason I don’t have an issue with Forest’s statement is because I know they warned Howard Webb (showbiz showbiz showbiz) on Friday that naming Stuart Attwell to VAR was a recipe for disaster. Attwell is a Luton supporter.
After outlining his own concerns regarding Anthony Taylor appointments, he stated, “It’s foolish. It is also arrogant and stubborn of the PGMOL to maintain this practice. It has bitten them badly with Attwell. I feel for the guy. I really do. It’s not his fault, but you could say that he should have recused himself.”
The fallout from Everton’s victory shows no signs of easing.
Keys has adopted the unusual stance of being outraged about the entire incident while also defending Attwell, something the official does not receive much of on the whole.
Forest hasn’t backed down in the face of criticism for their attitude, whereas Everton was fortunate to obtain the win they needed and can move on this time.
Officiating is frequently criticized by all clubs, and previous to this season, the Toffees might have made a good case for being one of the worst affected.
This season, they may have been exceeded for that undesired crown, but they continue to lead the Premier League in the much more undesirable stakes of point deductions for expenditure breaches.
Forest are the only other team in the top division to have been penalized in this manner, and while they appeared to get off lightly with four points, Everton appealed despite having to reduce a 10-point sentence to six and having two more deducted for a second infraction.
That choice may be viewed in a new light as a result of their willingness to cause a stir about refereeing, but it also explains why the stakes are so high for them, as they will be for the Toffees if the three points are backed up in the remaining games.
