Former Everton defender Michael Ball can "wholeheartedly understand" why Nottingham Forest head coach Steve Cooper questioned decisions made against the Reds at the City Ground this past weekend.
Forest were unhappy with the quality of refereeing against relegation-threatened Everton, are are reportedly preparing an official complaint about the standard of officiating across the current Premier League season to date.
Writing in his regular Liverpool Echo column, Ball - who also played for Man City and Leicester during his playing career - understood Cooper's protests but also found it "baffling" that "everything seems to be going against" Everton, who sit four places and four points below Forest in Premier League table.
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"We should be focusing on whether Everton did enough to win at Nottingham Forest but like both managers after the game, I can’t help but mention the referee’s display at the City Ground," Ball wrote.
"There are certain things that go on week in, week out, that I haven’t mentioned because it’s football but it’s starting to become irritating and that’s the standard of refereeing.
"It’s happened against us many times but even the Forest manager Steve Cooper has come out questioning the decisions on his behalf which I wholeheartedly understand, but it’s baffling how everything seems to be going against us."
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