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Nottingham Forest news: Ex-Fifa official can't believe Brennan Johnson - 'he's tarnishing the game'
Keith Hackett can’t believe Nottingham Forest forward Brennan Johnson didn’t recieve a yellow card for his first-half “dive” during the 1-1 draw against Chelsea.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the ex-Fifa and Premier League referee suggested players like the 21-year-old are “tarnishing the image” of the top-flight with their antics.
As seen in footage from Twitter (1 January), Johnson went down writhing in pain despite Mason Mount failing to connect with the winger after his challenge on the sideline.
The tackle went unpunished by both the linesman and referee Peter Bankes – but the Wales international was not booked for an act of simulation.
Chelsea led 1-0 at the time but Nottingham Forest fought back in the second half to claim a hard-earned point and to within one point of safety.
They face bottom club Southampton on Wednesday with the chance to move clear of the drop zone and into 14th.
Hackett told Football Insider’s Ewan Kingsbury: “I think when a player tries to deceive the referee through an act of simulation, as Johnson has done here, it should be a yellow card.
“I’m quite clear on that. It shouldn’t matter where on the pitch it takes place, and the referees are quite inconsistent in that area.
“These kinds of incidents are tarnishing the image of the Premier League and the image of the sport.
“You might smile when it’s your player who does it, but I think most fans don’t want to see this diving.”
In other news, Football Insider updates as Premier League side make move to sign Anthony Elanga this month.