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David Moyes has claimed that the Professional Game Match Officials is reluctant to engage with managers because a high number of refereeing decisions this season have been difficult to explain. The Everton manager said he was left speechless when Fulham were awarded what proved to be a decisive penalty against Nottingham Forest on Monday.

Inconsistency in Spot-Kick Decisions Brought to Light

Everton were denied a penalty on Saturday for a similar offence during their home defeat by Arsenal. The manager initially held his tongue on the decision at the time but, in light of Fulham’s penalty, feels the inconsistency of referees must be addressed.

“I was half choking last night when I saw the decision given and ours wasn’t,” Moyes commented. “It feels as though certain clubs get those decisions and other clubs don’t. It appears we are on the latter side of that.”

Past Incidents and Growing Frustration

Moyes also referenced an earlier incident in the season at Brentford involving Virgil van Dijk which was very comparable. “I think eventually it was given. We are disappointed it wasn’t given on the night and we are looking at others which have been missed,” he added.

Communication Breakdown with Referee Chiefs

Questioned on whether he intended to raise the issue with the officiating body, Moyes expressed additional concern. “I don’t really know,” he said. “They don’t make it easy whatever you want. They are unwilling to have a conversation about it really. They will have, but they don’t want to because they’re likely discovering it is very difficult to explain things.”

This stance from the officials highlights a wider issue of openness and accountability in the game’s officiating, according to the experienced manager.