David Moyes has revealed details of what the ref said to him after West Ham’s draw with Spurs and fans will be livid.
West Ham probably thought the club’s luck with Premier League officials and VAR could not get any worse after the Newcastle debacle.
Think again because it very nearly did.
The officiating and decisions in that 4-3 defeat followed a consistent theme against the Hammers this season.
John Brooks was the referee for West Ham’s 1-1 draw with rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
West Ham count cost of big Antonio miss against Spurs
The official angered West Ham fans throughout the game as he appeared to be giving Tottenham every 50-50 decision.
West Ham levelled Brennan Johnson’s early goal through Kurt Zouma.
The Hammers could and should have won it when Michail Antonio went through on goal only to fire a poor effort straight at Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.
But it is perhaps fortunate Antonio did miss.
Fans will be livid about what ref told Moyes
Because what would have happened next may have been the final straw for many supporters fed up with the standard of officiating in the Premier League.
David Moyes has lifted the lid on what the ref said to him after West Ham’s draw with Spurs and fans will be livid.
Speaking on TNT Sports after the game, the manager has revealed that Brooks has told him he would have cancelled out the goal had Antonio scored that chance.
“He (Antonio) should have scored,” Moyes said.
“But I think the referee would have given a free-kick anyway.
“I think he’d decided he was giving a free-kick. That’s the understanding we’ve got now.”
Not that anyone should be particularly surprised of course. Brooks gave Spurs fifty-fifty decisions all night.
Chalking off goal would have been the final straw for many
Antonio does slide in but there is not clear contact which would have caused Micky van de Ven to fall the way he did.
The Spurs defender got his legs in a tangle as he desperately tried to stop Antonio scoring.
Had Antonio netted and Brooks chalked the goal off it would have been ridiculously harsh in the extreme.
The only person at West Ham who might be happy to hear that Brooks was going to cancel the goal is Antonio himself.
It was a shocking finish. But he can perhaps sleep a little bit easier knowing it would have been ruled out regardless.