The FA have confirmed the launch of an investigation into Nottingham Forest after the club  posted on X following their match with Everton.

The club have announced “NFFC will now consider its options” following VAR controversy.

The game at Goodison Park was a pivotal match in the relegation battle and ended 2-0 to the hosts.

The result took Everton five points clear of the drop and left Forest only one point above the relegation zone with four games to play.

Three key moments of controversy have become the main talking point after the visitors were denied three potential penalties.

Ashley Young was involved in all three claims and has posted on X this morning:

The first penalty shout saw Young clear the ball from behind Giovanni Reyna, catching his ankle simultaneously.

The second incident saw the ball strike Young’s arm inside the box just before half time, in what could be considered an unnatural position.

The final claim saw Young challenge Callum Hudson-Odoi from behind, with referee Anthony Taylor signalling he believed the Everton defender had won the ball.

Replays showed that Young in fact got none of the ball, despite VAR Stuart Attwell finding no clear and obvious error with the decision in the VAR room.

Jamie Carragher said on Sky Sports:

“That is awful from Stuart Attwell who’s in charge of VAR.”

Nottingham Forest have claimed on X that Attwell is a fan of their relegation rivals Luton Town in a tweet which has shocked the English football community.

The tweet posted was as follows:

Reaction to VAR controversy

Forest defender Neco Williams said to Sky Sports:

“Listen, it’s three clear blatant penalties, everyone watching that game knew they were penalties.

“Every single week this happens now, we’re getting decisions against us, I don’t know why.

“Is it because we’re a lower bottom half of the table team? Because I guarantee all of the top six teams are getting every single one of them (penalties).

“I know every single person watching that game knew all three of them were clear, blatant penalties. It’s ridiculous, it’s week after week now we’re getting these decisions against us.”

Carragher commented on the tweet:

“It tells you where we are with the Premier League now and the clubs. Stuart Attwell and Anthony Taylor have had a horrific day today, awful, and they should be rightly criticised for that.

“I get the frustration, but what I’ve just read there is like a fan in a pub. That is embarrassing from Nottingham Forest.

“That rubbish about the VAR being a Luton fan, you can’t get involved in that. You’ve got to show a little bit of class if you’re a football club.

“The officials have had an awful day, terrible, but you can’t get involved in that. That’s nonsense.”

Mark Clattenburg appointed as ‘Referee Analyst’ by Nottingham Forest

Ex-referee Mark Clattenburg has recently been appointed as a referee analyst at Forest to advise manager Nuno Espirito Santo on any issues he has with officiating.

Gary Neville has spoken on the appointment on Sky Sports:

“Mark Clattenburg must resign tonight. He must resign from his job at Nottingham Forest.

“If he sees those words go out which question the integrity and essentially call a VAR official a cheat because he supports a certain club, then he is supporting what is being said.

“He would basically lose all credibility I think with referees in the game. He should stand down tonight and distance himself from that statement in my opinion.”

In an exclusive article released this morning on Mail Online, Clattenburg said:

“These situations were precisely why video technology was brought into the Premier League and yet, Attwell did not send Taylor to his monitor.

“It was a hat-trick of howlers from the refereeing team and, unfortunately for Forest, a continuation of an unjust trend that has hampered their survival fight.

“Referees do not make mistakes deliberately but this was mind-boggling to watch. Why Attwell did not send Taylor to his screen, only he will know.”

No further information on the investigation has been released so far but further comments from Nottingham Forest, the FA and the PGMOL can be expected in the coming days, as this is a conversation expected to continue for some time.

Featured image used under agreed Alamy license.

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