Steve Cooper, manager of Nottingham Forest, believes his side were denied a “definite penalty” during their 2-0 defeat to Manchester United. The incident in question occurred when Harry Maguire brought down Forest’s Brennan Johnson in the box, but the referee chose not to award a spot-kick. Cooper believes that the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) should have intervened and given Maguire a second yellow card.
Cooper said: “It was a definite penalty, and if the VAR had been used correctly, it would have resulted in a second yellow card for Harry Maguire. It’s frustrating that we didn’t get the decision we deserved.”
The defeat leaves Nottingham Forest in 15th place in the Championship table, with Manchester United maintaining their lead at the top of the Premier League. Despite the result, Cooper was pleased with his team’s performance and believes they could have taken something from the game had the penalty been awarded.
He said: “I’m proud of the players for their effort and commitment. We created some good chances and could have got something out of the game if we had been given the penalty. Unfortunately, that wasn’t to be.”
The incident has sparked debate over the use of VAR and whether it is being used correctly. Cooper believes that the technology should be used more effectively to ensure that all decisions are made correctly.
He said: “VAR is there to help referees make the right decisions, and it’s important that it is used correctly. We need to make sure that all teams get the decisions they deserve.”
The result leaves Nottingham Forest in a difficult position in the Championship table, but Cooper remains optimistic about their chances of survival this season. He said: “We have some tough games coming up, but I’m confident that we can stay up this season if we keep playing like we did against Manchester United.”
Steve Cooper, manager of Nottingham Forest, has expressed his frustration at his team’s 2-0 defeat to Manchester United, claiming that they were denied a “definite penalty” which should have resulted in a second yellow card for Harry Maguire. Cooper believes that the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) should have intervened and awarded the penalty, which could have seen his side take something from the game. The incident has sparked debate over the use of VAR and whether it is being used correctly, with Cooper insisting that it should be used more effectively to ensure that all teams get the decisions they deserve. Despite the result, Cooper remains optimistic about Nottingham Forest’s chances of survival this season and is confident that they can stay up if they continue to play as they did against Manchester United.