Southampton star accused of 'cheating' vs Nottingham Forest - ex-PGMOL chief
Yesterday at 01:47 AM
Southampton midfielder Mateus Fernandes was criticised for his actions against Nottingham Forest in a 3-2 loss which were branded as “cheating”, Keith Hackett has said.
The former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA official exclusively told Football Insider that this is an example of "modern day players" appearing "happy to cheat."
Southampton faced a 3-0 deficit within 41 minutes against Forest but managed to fight back with goals from Jan Bednarek and Paul Onuachu, firing a potential comeback.
However, their late efforts proved insufficient, and they ultimately left with no points.
Hackett also directed sharp criticism at Fernandes' midfield teammate Flynn Downes, as Southampton remain rooted to the bottom of the table in 20th position.
Southampton need improvements all over the pitch and Mateus Fernandes’ actions aren’t helping
Despite a commanding lead, Forest fans were relieved to take all three points, feeling referee Anthony Taylor's inconsistent decisions could have jeopardised their win.
One contentious moment involved Fernandes, who fell to the ground clutching his ankle after being lightly barged off the ball by Elliot Anderson.
Initially, Taylor allowed play to continue but awarded a foul and a free-kick to Southampton after Fernandes rolled around on the floor,
Former PGMOL chief Hackett was unimpressed with Fernandes and told Football Insider that these sorts of actions need to end. He said:
“This kind of cheating by player in yellow has to be stopped
.”It is sad that a lot of modern day players appear happy to cheat.
“Here is an example of a player simulating happy to get his opponent sanctioned.
“Really poor.”
Meanwhile, Ivan Juric's side remain at the bottom of the Premier League, having lost eight of their last nine league matches. They face a daunting challenge against Newcastle on 25 January.
In other news, Southampton fans were left furious with Aaron Ramsdale.
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The post Southampton star accused of 'cheating' vs Nottingham Forest - ex-PGMOL chief appeared first on Football Insider.
