Credit: Imago / France Football Federation YouTube
Credit: Imago / France Football Federation YouTube

Nottingham Forest vs Midtjylland ref watch: Three decisions Willy Delajod got wrong

Harri Burton

Senior Correspondent AUTHORITY Senior football journalist specialising in refereeing and officiating; former contributor to The Football League Paper, Late Tackle, and the Premier League; University of Derby graduate. FOCUS Refereeing controversies, football finance and governance, PGMOL decisions, and officiating analysis across the Premier League, EFL, and SPFL. THE INSIGHT Harri utilises a network of officiating and industry contacts to deliver verified, expert analysis of refereeing decisions and PGMOL policy. He provides the regulatory clarity behind the controversy to ensure fans get the full picture.

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Ange Postecoglou suffered yet more frustration at the City Ground in a 3-2 Europa League defeat against Midtjylland.

Postecoglou is already under pressure at Forest after a poor start to his tenure, with the Reds going without a win in six matches across all competitions, including a 1-0 defeat to Sunderland.

Nuno Espirito Santo was relieved of his duties due to disagreements over summer transfers, and the change in leadership in the dugout appears to have backfired extremely for Evangelos Marinakis.

Midtjylland took advantage of a major weakness, with Dan Ndoye's strike sandwiched between goals from Ousmane Diao and Mads Bech. Valdemar Byskov added a third, so Chris Wood's late penalty was nothing more than a consolation goal.

Referee Willy Delajod made a few questionable decisions throughout the 90 minutes, however, and they may have played an important role in the result at the City Ground on Thursday, 2 October.

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou
Ange Postecoglou faced defeat yet again at the City Ground. (Credit Imago)

Morato goes into the referee's notebook almost instantly

After just one minute on the clock, one of Forest's centre-backs had been cautioned, and all because he had stepped backwards onto his opposition's foot.

With just a few seconds gone, Delajod could have been far more lenient, but because of his actions, Morato had to be so much more careful while walking a tightrope for the rest of the game.

Murillo was forced off with an injury during the first half, replaced by Nicolo Savona, so it was even more of an important decision than first felt, with very few capable options available on the bench.

Willy Delajod extremely inconsistent in the early stages

Only a few minutes after Morato's yellow card, Elliot Anderson found himself on the deck following a challenge from Denil Castillo, who made his feelings known about the free-kick going against him.

Nottingham Forest
Elliot Anderson was continuously involved in challenges at the City Ground. (Credit: Imago)

After shouting in Anderson's ear, fans expected the midfielder to be sanctioned, especially after being called over by the referee, but he kept his cards in his pocket, surprisingly.

If Morato had avoided an early punishment at the City Ground, supporters might not have been so upset by the decision, but loud groans were heard around the stadium due to the inconsistency.

Nottingham Forest vs Midtjylland not allowed to flow

One of the biggest flaws in the referee's performance was his inability to let the game flow, which is ultimately one of the reasons that the Reds failed to get going at the City Ground.

A total of 29 fouls were awarded between the two teams, and while the yellow cards were stacking up for free-kicks, it would have been just as easy to play advantage before coming back to sanction.

It is extremely frustrating for supporters to see referees stop the players from getting into a groove while in possession, letting them probe continuously before finally breaking down the defence.

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