Andre Marriner, Nottingham Forest, Reds, City Ground, Premier League
Journalist John Percy has revealed that Nottingham Forest were twice wrongly undone by VAR against Brentford, which could be ‘pivotal’ by the end of the season.
The Lowdown: Forest robbed against Brentford
Steve Cooper’s side are battling for Premier League survival this season, with a poor start to the campaign putting them in early danger of a swift return to the Championship.
Last weekend, Forest drew 2-2 at home to Brentford, scoring a last-gasp equaliser, but there was a feeling that big decisions didn’t go their way.
VAR intervened to give the Bees a penalty, while Morgan Gibbs-White was denied a spot-kick for what looked like a foul.
The Latest: Forest wronged by VAR
Taking to Twitter, Percy confirmed an independent panel’s admission that Forest were wronged in both incidents, claiming that the findings will only add to the Garibaldi’s “frustration” from last Saturday.
He tweeted:
“More #nffc frustration following Brentford game last Sat – independent panel concluded Var shouldn’t have intervened on Brentford pen & Gibbs-White should have been awarded pen after Mee challenge. Var still far from perfect, and these decisions may prove pivotal at end of season.”
The Verdict: Simply not good enough
VAR was brought into football to iron out refereeing mistakes but it is unacceptable how often it continues to cause controversy, with the Brentford game proving as such.
As Percy mentioned, this could ultimately go some way to deciding whether Forest stay up or get relegated this season, and the money at Premier League level means that their top-flight fate could genuinely be pivotal to the club’s future.
Would Pinamonti be a good signing for Forest?
Yes
No
The current situation simply has to improve – you cannot have a scenario where two pivotal decisions are incorrect when VAR is meant to be a huge help for officials.
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