“I’ve never seen such in all my time of playing football”- Nottingham Forest star Neco Williams fumes at something he’s “never seen” before vs Sunderland

Nottingham Forest Endure Frustrating Start Under Postecoglou After Controversial Sunderland Loss

Nottingham Forest’s early days under Ange Postecoglou have been anything but smooth, with their winless run stretching to five games following a contentious 1-0 defeat to Sunderland at the City Ground on Saturday evening.

Juggling domestic fixtures alongside their Europa League commitments, Forest fell to a narrow loss courtesy of Omar Alderete’s first-half strike.

Despite controlling much of the game and creating the better chances, Forest once again came away empty-handed — leaving Postecoglou with plenty to think about.

Currently hovering just above the Premier League relegation zone, the Australian manager remains optimistic. Speaking to BBC Sport, Postecoglou reflected on the performance, saying:

“It was one of those evenings where we should’ve got the outcome we wanted. We had enough chances to certainly win the game.

“We conceded a really poor goal, albeit from a poor decision from the official, but after that, we had enough chances to win the game. We are in a cycle at the moment where we are getting every outcome out of the game except the win – and that is the most important thing.”

While there are signs of progress in Forest’s overall play, results remain the most pressing concern.

Encouraging performances are only worth so much, and fans will understandably prioritise points over potential — even if there’s a belief that Postecoglou’s long-term vision is promising.

The match wasn’t without controversy, and many within the Forest camp pointed fingers at the officials for influencing the result.

Neco Williams Slams Refereeing Decisions in Sunderland Defeat

Speaking to Sky Sports, defender Neco Williams expressed his frustration at the officiating, arguing that Sunderland’s winning goal should have been disallowed for two key reasons.

First, he believes the free-kick awarded to Sunderland was undeserved. Second, he claims he was fouled in the build-up to Alderete’s goal.

The Welsh international, reportedly earning £65,000 per week, didn’t hold back:

“It’s a tough one to take. It was a game where we just didn’t finish off our chances. We created many chances but just couldn’t put it to bed.

“We should have defended the free-kick better but, at the same time, I’ve never seen a referee give one of those free-kicks before in all my time playing football.

“There was contact, so he got it wrong. For the goal, I was held back – he had two arms around my waist – and that played a key factor. Two poor decisions, especially by the referee and then the people on VAR.”

Replays did show Williams being tugged as he attempted to recover the ball, though it remains unclear whether he could have prevented the goal even without the foul.

Regardless of the refereeing drama, Forest were ultimately undone by their own wastefulness in front of goal — something they’ll be eager to address ahead of their upcoming Europa League clash against FC Midtjylland on Thursday.