Dyche 'stunned' by 'bizarre' VAR calls in 'easy' game to officiate
Dyche described it as a 'bad day at the office' for the officials
Nottingham Forest manager Sean Dyche was critical of the officials over several "perplexing" decisions in his side's narrow last-gasp 2-1 loss by Manchester City.
Dyche felt Rayan Cherki's late winner at the City Ground deserved to be ruled out for a infringement on Morgan Gibbs-White prior to the shot.
He further contended that referee Rob Jones should have shown City defender Ruben Dias a second yellow card in the second half.
"It was, to my mind, an incredibly easy match to ref and a clear-cut decision for the video assistant," Dyche said.
"When you played so well, to come in and have to talk about officials affecting the game - but they clearly did.
"Every supporter in the ground and every viewer at home witnessed it."
Ought the late winner have been disallowed?
The Forest boss has claimed four wins in his nine top-flight games at the helm
Sitting just outside the bottom three, a point against an high-flying City side would have moved Forest six points clear from the relegation places.
But Cherki dashed their dreams as he drilled in a half-volley, striking the ball from the edge of the box beyond Gibbs-White.
Forest players were quick to complain to referee Jones, contending that Gibbs-White had been knocked over by Nico O'Reilly and stopped from blocking Cherki's strike.
"Morgan Gibbs-White is obviously shoved to the ground, and that very player then impedes the shot," Dyche explained.
"But he can't block it because as he jumps up, it goes through the bit of his body which he would have blocked it with. Whichever way you look at it it's a foul."
The VAR checked the goal, but in the end upheld Jones' on-field decision to stand.
Dyche continued: "They'll say, 'Yeah, the ball wasn't there'. And you go, 'OK, so if the ball's not near the keeper and you push the keeper to the floor, is that going to be a foul then?'.
"Everyone knows it would be. I am baffled. And then they go and score from the situation, which compounds the error.
"I fully endorse VAR technology - I am at a loss to explain how such a clear error was made."
Gibbs-White remonstrated with official Jones, claiming a foul before the decisive goal
Should Dias have seen red?
Dyche was also unhappy about Jones' decision not to send Dias off.
The experienced defender received a booking for dissent in the first half, complaining about a decision against him following his challenge on Igor Jesus.
Early in the second period, Dias brought down Igor Jesus again as the Forest forward was breaking upfield.
"They say it's an accident. If that's an accident when he's running through on goal we all know what happens. You get a red card. So why is it an accident and he isn't yellow carded then?" Dyche questioned.
"I find it utterly strange, truly. These are simple decisions. Show the second yellow, job done. 'You're off'. I am completely astonished."
Jones awarded Forest a free-kick but ignored calls by Igor Jesus and other Forest players to show Dias a dismissal.
