Gary Neville has slammed Nottingham Forest for their furious reaction to Liverpool’s late winner on Saturday and admitted: “I can’t have that.”
Jurgen Klopp’s side secured a dramatic 1-0 victory at the City Ground thanks to a 99th minute header from Darwin Nunez. However, Forest felt Liverpool should not have been given the ball from a restart one minute and 50 seconds earlier.
When Paul Tierney paused the game in the 96th minute after Ibrahima Konate went down with a head injury following a clash with Ryan Yates, Callum Hudson-Odoi was in possession of the ball on the left-hand side. Play then restarted with an uncontested drop ball at the feet of goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, despite the fact Forest were in control of the ball when the game was stopped.
One minute and 50 seconds later, Liverpool were up at the other end and scored as Nunez headed home Alexis Mac Allister’s inch perfect cross. That sparked anger and fury from the Forest players, staff and even owner Evangelos Marinakis, who confronted Tierney after the full-time whistle.
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Nunez strikes last gasp winner to give Liverpool crucial victory at Forest
And Neville has since criticised the way Forest handled themselves after falling foul of an error “you might see quite regularly in a season”. The former Manchester United full-back also hit out at their decision to appoint ex-Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg as a referee analyst.
He told The Gary Neville Podcast: “I get the feeling now that we are making a run-of-the-mill error, something you might see quite regularly in a season, as being described as a massive, massive thing.
“The owner on the side of the pitch and the Clattenburg nonsense, I can’t have that. I can’t buy into it is what I mean. I feel we are pushing the boundaries towards inciting more anger and hate towards referees and I do feel at some point it will become quite dangerous.
![Nottingham Forest were furious following Liverpool's winner at the City Ground](https://www.footymercato.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/gary-neville-slams-nottingham-forest-for-reaction-to-late-liverpool-winner-1.webp)
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“You can’t complain about a refereeing decision that was one minute 50 before you concede a goal. One minute 50? Fair enough, five or 10 seconds, I think you would be fuming, if they came up the other end of the pitch and scored.
“Yes, it’s an error and there’s no doubt it’s a mistake and Forest should have had the ball and then the game would change but there’s no saying Liverpool wouldn’t have scored in a different way. Liverpool have got that something about them at the moment which you that is a likely thing to happen.”
Clattenburg, who was appointed at Forest by owner Marinakis last month, delivered his verdict on the incident in the immediate aftermath of the match. The East Midlands side have felt aggrieved over a string of decisions this season and this is the latest one they are annoyed with.
![Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis pitchside at the end of Nottingham Forest's stormy defeat to Liverpool](https://www.footymercato.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/gary-neville-slams-nottingham-forest-for-reaction-to-late-liverpool-winner-2.jpg)
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He said: “As a club, Forest feel there have been one or two decisions that have gone against them – Newcastle United, West Ham – decisions that the PGMOL have accepted that there has been a mistake.
“If the referee is to stop the game for a head injury if he feels there is one. He’s rightly allowed to stop it. However, the ball has to go back to the team that has possession. And Nottingham Forest clearly had that possession.
“He did exactly the same in the first half however it was a different situation. The ball was closer to the penalty area and the Nottingham Forest was towards the corner flag. Nottingham Forest should have had the ball back. Instead, Liverpool have gone upfield and scored from it.”
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