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David Moyes has claimed that the Professional Game Match Officials is reluctant to engage with managers because so many 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 match-winning penalty against Nottingham Forest on Monday.

Lack of Uniformity in Penalty Calls Highlighted

Everton were denied a penalty on Saturday for a similar offence during their home defeat by Arsenal. Moyes did not criticise the decision at the time but, in light of Fulham’s penalty, feels the inconsistency of referees can not be ignored.

“It took my breath away last night when I saw the decision given and ours wasn’t,” Moyes commented. “There is a sense that certain clubs get those decisions and other clubs don’t. It appears we are on the latter side of that.”

Previous Cases 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.

Lack of Dialogue with Officiating Authorities

When asked whether he intended to raise the issue with the officiating body, Moyes expressed additional concern. “It’s unclear,” he said. “They don’t make it easy whatever you want. They don’t want to have a conversation about it really. They might engage, but they don’t want to because they’re finding it probably 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.