Sean Dyche Calls for VAR Reform After Nottingham Forest Concede Controversial Goal Against Manchester United at City Ground

After another frustrating week in the Premier League, Nottingham Forest boss Sean Dyche has called for a rethink of how Video Assistant Referee (VAR) decisions are handled.

The Forest manager was left exasperated after Manchester United’s opening goal at the City Ground stood despite doubts over whether the ball had gone out of play.

Controversial Opening Goal Sparks Frustration

Manchester United took the lead when Casemiro scored from a corner following a situation involving Nicolo Savona.

VAR did not intervene, even though replays showed the ball may have been on the line.

For Dyche, this marked the second consecutive week that Forest had been hard done by what he considered a tight and incorrect decision.

Dyche Demands Quicker VAR Decisions

Speaking after the 2-2 draw against Manchester United, Dyche insisted the current system needs fixing.

“It’s got to change,” he said. “You don’t need three minutes to look at that. It’s a very simple moment.

Last week was incredibly simple and factually wrong. That should take five seconds, end of. Surely? There is a lot at stake in these games.

Just get it right—we all want it right, every fan wants it right.”

Dyche admitted his frustration with constantly discussing referees and decisions rather than his team.

“The worst thing is, back in the game for three games and two weeks on the trot, I’m talking about referees.

That is really frustrating. I don’t want to be talking about this, I want to be talking about my team.”

Late Goal Cannot Hide Early Irritation

Although a late Amad Diallo strike secured a 2-2 draw, Dyche remained focused on the opening goal that had caused so much frustration.

“I just can’t understand it,” he said. “You’re the assistant referee, 70-odd yards away, with a goal and a net in the way, and apparently you can see?

I’ve got a better view and I’m not in the right position! That has to be wrong.

VAR should be able to overrule these decisions quickly—five seconds. Just say ‘that’s in play.’ Instead, it’s deemed out, and Manchester United score. Two weeks running.”

Dyche Questions VAR Efficiency

The Forest manager argued that even small errors, like a ball barely on the line, could easily be corrected.

“Imagine a goal is scored and the ref gets a beep from the watch—what do you do?

You’ve all seen it, it’s like one millimeter. How can you see that from 70-80 yards away? Five seconds of VAR would clear it up instantly.

The ref is walking around, talking, wasting time—big decisions like that should be sorted in seconds.”

Dyche acknowledged that the situation is unusual but stressed the stakes for his team.

“It’s really frustrating, especially with all the technology we have and what’s at stake for Nottingham Forest after the start the club has had. That could be a big moment, and it goes against you when it could be cleared up so easily.”