Andoni Iraola argued that Nottingham Forest’s penalty, which gave them a 2-2 draw at Anfield on Saturday, would not have happened if the fourth‑official’s electronic board had functioned properly. The Spanish manager was visibly irritated during the post‑match conference, insisting that a technical glitch disrupted Liverpool’s substitution process and ultimately contributed to the decisive spot‑kick.
The turning point arrived in the 70th minute when Morgan Gibbs‑White stepped up and calmly slotted home from the penalty spot after Alisson’s challenge on Neco Williams inside the box. That goal put Forest ahead for the second time in the encounter. However, the circumstances leading up to the penalty were far from ordinary. Liverpool had been attempting to make a triple substitution for more than two minutes, and during that interval the ball went out of play on three separate occasions.
Both substitute Ryan Gravenberch and Iraola could be seen gesturing toward fourth‑official Tim Robinson, who was crouched beside two electronic boards that are meant to display substitution information. According to the Premier League’s official protocol, a club must fill out a substitution card, prepare a board showing the numbers of the players involved, and hand that board to the fourth official, who then holds it up for the referee and the crowd. Any failure in that chain can stall the process. "He was definitely having a problem with the board or something," Iraola said after the game.
He questioned what would have occurred if the board had been operational: "We would have stopped the play because I wanted the sub. Instead we kept waiting for the throw‑in, and the penalty situation developed while we were still stuck." The sequence of events was unusual. Liam Delap, who had just entered the match as a substitute himself, launched a quick throw‑in that found Williams sprinting into the Liverpool penalty area. That rapid ball movement forced the referee, Samuel Barrott, to pause the game repeatedly, judging that Liverpool were not yet ready to make their changes.
Each time play resumed, the ball was quickly taken out for a Forest throw‑in, further delaying the substitution. In total, the ball went out of play three times after Liverpool’s three prepared substitutes—Gravenberch, Rio Ngumoha and Kostas Tzimikas—had taken their positions on the touchline. The referee allowed the game to continue each time, interpreting the situation as Liverpool not being prepared, even though the manager and his staff were visibly frustrated by the malfunctioning board. Eventually, after Gibbs‑White’s successful penalty, Liverpool managed to introduce their three substitutes.
Victor Muñoz then equalised in the 82nd minute, but the damage had already been done. Forest’s penalty had already shifted the momentum, and Iraola’s side was left to grapple with a draw that kept the manager winless after two Premier League matches. Iraola’s comments highlighted a broader issue about the reliance on technology in modern football.
The electronic substitution board is intended to streamline communication between the coaching staff, the fourth official, and the referee. When it fails, the entire substitution process can become a bottleneck, as demonstrated in this match.
The manager’s repeated gestures toward the fourth official underscored his frustration: arms outstretched, pointing, and even questioning the official directly about the delay. Commentators noted that Iraola even altered his substitution plan mid‑game, opting to keep Jeremie Frimpong on the field while deciding to replace Alexis Mac Allister instead.
This last‑minute tactical shift added another layer of complexity to an already tangled situation. The incident sparked a lively debate among pundits and fans about whether the penalty should have stood. Some argued that the foul on Williams was clear, while others felt the chaotic circumstances surrounding the substitution delay might have influenced the referee’s decision.
Iraola left the judgment to the audience, stating, "I leave you to decide if it was a penalty or not." Beyond the immediate match, the episode serves as a reminder that even the most sophisticated technological tools can fail, and when they do, they can have tangible effects on the outcome of high‑stakes games. Teams and officials will likely review the incident to ensure that protocols are reinforced and that backup procedures are in place should an electronic board malfunction again. In summary, Andoni Iraola’s post‑match remarks painted a picture of a manager caught in a frustrating technical snafu that delayed his intended substitutions, contributed to a pivotal penalty, and ultimately left his side with a hard‑earned draw. The incident underscores the importance of reliable match‑day technology and the need for clear communication channels between coaches, officials, and the governing bodies that oversee the sport.