New manager Nuno Espirito Santo has said Nottingham Forest “deserve more respect” after Willy Boly was shown a controversial red card on Saturday.
Boly was sent off after just 23 minutes of Forest’s 3-2 defeat by Bournemouth.
Despite winning the ball, referee Rob Jones showed the Ivory Coast defender a second yellow card for his tackle on Adam Smith.
“I have seen it over and over again and I still cannot understand it,” Nuno said.
“It’s a mistake. I think he should have taken more time for VAR [the video assistant referee] to advise him. We and our fans deserve more respect – it’s not fair.”
It was another afternoon of controversial decisions in the Premier League, with Everton manager Sean Dyche angry after Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s goal was disallowed by VAR in the 2-1 defeat at Tottenham.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp was also frustrated that his side were not awarded a penalty for handball by Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard during the 1-1 draw at Anfield.
Nuno, who took over at Nottingham Forest after Steve Cooper was sacked on Tuesday, said he wants to see a change to football’s laws which currently state VAR cannot intervene to downgrade yellow cards.
“It is more the frustration of knowing the approach of the referee is a bad one and the law says you cannot reverse the decision because it is two yellow cards,” Nuno said.
“It is something they have to look at because it doesn’t make sense.”
Boly was shown a first yellow card in the fifth minute after he took out Dominic Solanke, who completed a hat-trick in injury time to seal Bournemouth’s win.
“Boly has a first yellow card, which is fair, but then for the second the foot of Boly is under the foot of the Bournemouth player so the approach [from the referee] should be more cautious,” Nuno said.
“Wait a little bit for the help of an assistant or the help of VAR, hold your decision and they will tell you. But after that he cannot reverse the decision. It’s a bad decision for us as a club and especially our fans – they deserve more respect.”
The result – Forest’s sixth defeat in seven games – leaves the club just two points clear of the relegation zone above Luton Town, who have a game in hand.
Former Man City defender Micah Richards told BBC Match of the Day: “The referee has made a massive mistake. Boly clearly wins the ball. He gets there first and Smith stands on him I don’t understand how that can be given.”
‘You can’t take away the referee’s instinct’ – Dyche
Dyche meanwhile was unhappy with the decision of VAR to disallow Calvert-Lewin’s goal in Everton’s defeat at Spurs.
The Blues, who were trailing 2-0 in the 51st minute, looked to have pulled a goal back when Calvert-Lewin fired past Guglielmo Vicario after being put through by Andre Gomes who had dispossessed Emerson Royal just outside the area.
But replays showed Gomes had caught Royal’s leg, and VAR Michael Oliver told on-field referee Stuart Atwell to overturn his decision to allow the goal.
Gomes pulled one back for Everton with eight minutes remaining but they could not find an equaliser – leaving Dyche frustrated.
“The referee’s decision was what was missing today,” he told Premier League Productions. “We were outstanding after their second goal. We did everything we could to win the game, but today a massive decision goes against us.
“The referee has a great view, linesman has a great view, then VAR re-referees the game. For me, the game is in a terrible state for fouls and the VAR is finding a way to give fouls. I’m not in there to have a go at refs, but you can’t take away the referee’s instinct.”
Asked if VAR had helped out his side, Spurs head coach Ange Postecoglou told his post-match media conference: “Why would it help us out? It was a foul.
“It didn’t help us out. I don’t like VAR. That’s part of the problem, people use that kind of terminology, that it helps or it goes against.
“It’s a tool, it’s used, I still don’t like it. Did it help us? I don’t know if it helped us. If that goal stood, we might have scored a third. That’s the beauty of football.”
‘I’m not sure how you can say it’s not a penalty’
The check for a handball against Odegaard came when Liverpool were 1-0 down at Anfield after a fourth-minute Gabriel header put Arsenal ahead.
The incident came after a free-kick was blocked and Mohamed Salah tried to flick the ball round the corner to run on to but Odegaard’s outstretched arm stopped the path of the ball.
VAR opted not to recommend an on-field review because they thought the Arsenal captain was withdrawing his arm, and bringing it closer to his body, rather than extending it.
“The penalty situation is a weird situation, I don’t know if the ref can see it, but you look at it and I’m not sure how you can say it’s not a penalty,” Klopp told BBC’s Match of the Day.
Speaking to Sky Sports he added: “I am pretty sure someone will come to explain it to me why it was not a handball, but I don’t know how?
“How can a guy in an office see that and not come to the conclusion that maybe, possibly it could be worth the referee having another look?”
Ex-England striker Alan Shearer added on BBC Match of the Day: “Arsenal got very, very fortunate. That is handball when you consider some of the decisions we have seen. I know he slips but he touches it twice. He didn’t fall, he didn’t land on the ground, they get away with that.”