Dyche 'stunned' by 'bizarre' VAR calls in 'easy' game to officiate
Dyche described it as a 'bad day at the office' for the officials
Forest's manager Sean Dyche expressed frustration with the officials over several "strange" decisions in his side's narrow last-gasp 2-1 loss by Manchester City.
The manager believed Rayan Cherki's 83rd-minute winner at the City Ground deserved to be ruled out for a push on Morgan Gibbs-White during the attacking phase.
He also thought that referee Rob Jones ought to have shown City defender Ruben Dias a second caution 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 stated.
"When you played so well, to come in and have to talk about officials affecting the game - but they clearly did.
"Everyone in the stadium and everyone watching at home could see that."
Was Cherki's winning goal legitimate?
Sean Dyche has won four of his nine Premier League games in charge of Nottingham Forest
Sitting just outside the bottom three, a point against an dominant City side would have moved Forest six points clear from the relegation places.
But Cherki crushed their hopes as he fired in a half-volley, striking the ball from the edge of the box through the legs of Gibbs-White.
Forest players were quick to complain to referee Jones, claiming that Gibbs-White had been fouled by Nico O'Reilly and prevented from blocking Cherki's strike.
"Morgan Gibbs-White quite clearly gets pushed to the floor and the same player is involved in blocking the ball," Dyche commented.
"However, he's unable to make the block because the ball travels through the space his body would have occupied. From any angle, it's a foul."
The VAR checked the goal, but decided to stick with Jones' on-field decision to stand.
Dyche added: "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?'.
"We all know it is. I can't work it out. And then they score from it, which is the double whammy.
"I'm a big fan of VAR - I can't work out how you can't get that right."
Gibbs-White remonstrated with official Jones, claiming a foul before the decisive goal
Ought Dias have been sent off?
Dyche was also unhappy about Jones' decision not to send Dias off.
The Portugal defender received a initial caution for dissent in the first half, protesting about a decision against him following his challenge on Igor Jesus.
Immediately after halftime, Dias fouled Igor Jesus again as the Forest forward was advancing with the ball.
"It's deemed unintentional. Yet an accidental foul denying a clear chance is a red. So why is this different and not a second yellow?" Dyche questioned.
"It's absolutely perplexing to me. These are straightforward calls. Issue the second caution, that's all. 'Leave the pitch'. I am totally dumbfounded."
Jones awarded Forest a free-kick but ignored calls by Igor Jesus and other Forest players to show Dias a dismissal.
