Yahoo News Nuno sends referee message as Nottingham Forest boss makes 'immune' point
Head coach Nuno Espirito Santo is confident Nottingham Forest being in the spotlight over refereeing decisions will not count against them in their remaining games.
The Reds have four matches remaining to secure Premier League survival, starting with Sunday’s clash at home to reigning champions Manchester City. But the build-up to this weekend’s fixture has been dominated by Forest’s angry reaction to their 2-0 defeat at Everton.
The club have been in the spotlight for their angry tweet at full-time after they had three penalty appeals waved away at Goodison Park. Their statement effectively questioned the integrity of VAR Stuart Attwell as Forest said they had “warned” the Professional Game Match Officials Board that he “is a Luton fan” prior to the game.
READ MORE: Forest press conference notes featuring Nuno's 'frustration'
READ MORE: Nuno makes VAR point in angry rant after refereeing storm
However, Nuno has stressed any criticism of officials is not personal. And he is certain referees will not be swayed by the furore or any preconceptions of the Reds when they oversee their games.
“They are professionals. They should be immune,” Nuno said. “I know it is not easy, but try to be immune to all these things and do their own jobs. Come to the match and prepare themselves, focus and do their jobs properly.
“Our team will go into matches hoping for the best. Our communication and message is clear - forget about everything and focus on what you have ahead of you. This is our spirit, it is a goodwill spirit. We go and play football. What happens after, should be the responsibility of other people.”
Nuno backed the club’s right to express themselves on social media, admitting emotions can run high after games. But he insisted there was never any intention to put Attwell in the crosshairs.
“It was never our intention as a club, for sure, to overcome the limits,” he added. “There is a limit for everything and becoming abusive is not the point and that should stop.
“But at the same time, please understand, after a game of football that we are fighting for our own lives and you see so many things and then you see it back and you start putting together all those things, how can you control yourself and say 'OK, nothing has happened?' But we don’t want to overcome the limits, that’s not correct.
“The only thing that has changed is that now (the) VAR has a name. There were games (before) with mistakes where we didn’t have the name of VAR. But it’s nothing personal.
“It’s the VAR by himself and the referees and PGMOL who should feel responsible for their mistakes because they are affecting a lot of things and a lot of people, especially the fans. The fans should be respected, they go miles and miles to watch and then they see it. They have phones, they see replays – how can you control that? Don’t blame it on the statement, blame it on the mistake.”
