Nottingham Forest head coach Oliver Glasner was left raging at refereeing officials following a controversial VAR decision during Forest’s hard-fought 1-1 draw against Ipswich Town at Portman Road on Friday night.
Despite Forest snapping a three-match losing streak thanks to a stunning opener from wing-back Neco Williams, the Reds were ultimately denied all three points when Julio Enciso capitalized on a defensive blunder by Nikola Milenković to equalize for the hosts.
However, the game’s defining flashpoint occurred early in the second half when Ipswich defender Issa Diop brought down Forest midfielder James McAtee as he surged through on goal.
Referee Thomas Bramall originally waved play on, but was called to the pitchside monitor by VAR for a potential red card review for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity (DOGSO).
To Glasner’s absolute disbelief, Bramall overturned his on-field call only to issue a soft yellow card—leaving Ipswich with 11 men on the pitch.
”I Think It Was a Red Card”: Glasner Takes Aim at Officiating
Speaking after the final whistle, Glasner made no attempt to hide his frustration with the decision, insisting that McAtee’s touch was deliberately executed to create a better shooting angle past the goalkeeper:
“I think it was a red card. On the other side, I think we couldn’t have played a more dominant second half than we did. But I think it was a red card, yes.
“When you run straight to the goal and you have the ball between your legs, it’s very difficult to get a finish. We’re telling our players that sometimes you need to create an angle… Macca prepared the finish already because on the left side it was Diop. That’s why he needed to go there.”
In a scathing follow-up interview with Sky Sports, the Austrian coach sarcastically quipped about the video assistant referee’s location during the incident:
“It looks like the VAR was not from the East Midlands today. It felt like it was a red card… I don’t know if the referee was a former football player. He won’t change it anymore, so we accept it.”
Dominant Second Half Offers Hope Despite Relegation Threat
Despite the controversy and missing out on two crucial points, Glasner praised his team’s relentless intensity during a second-half performance that saw Forest completely pin Ipswich inside their own half.
While Forest remain locked in a tight bottom-half survival battle with just six points from eight matches, Glasner stressed that his squad is steadily adapting to his 3-4-2-1 tactical system:
- Dominant Transition Play: Forest controlled possession and transition breaks throughout the final 45 minutes.
- Respecting Away Points: Glasner emphasized the importance of earning points on the road in the Premier League.
- Positive Trajectory: The Austrian confirmed the squad feels they are “on the right track” ahead of next week’s fixtures.
Moving Forward: Building Momentum
With an encouraging away display in the books and key performers like Morgan Gibbs-White and Milenković gaining fitness, Forest look primed to build momentum and climb out of the relegation zone as Autumn fixtures intensify.
