James Milton: Clattenburg's new role at Forest raises more questions than answers

There are two colossal Premier League fixtures on Sunday as Champions League hopefuls Aston Villa and Tottenham meet at Villa Park before title-chasing Liverpool host champions Manchester City.

Looking forward to watching actual football matches seems a trifle old-fashioned in a sporting universe in which YouTube personality Jake Paul boxing a 57-year-old Mike Tyson is apparently a thing.

Hopefully, then, Villa-Spurs and Liverpool-City won't overshadow the real highlight of the top-flight weekend: another chance to enjoy Nottingham Forest's new signing Mark Clattenburg (County Durham).

Leicester's title-winning goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel once declared that Clattenburg was his favourite ref because, if a player stepped out of line, "he'd tell you to f*** off".

There was a similar reaction to last month's news that Forest had appointed the former Premier League arbiter as their inaugural 'referee analyst'.

Any new role at a football club is bound to be derided by old-school pundits and Liverpool, for example, were widely mocked for employing a specialist throw-in coach a couple of years ago.

Thankfully, we now live in more enlightened times so I no longer feel ashamed about the intricate tattoo on my back which depicts Arsenal's set-piece coach shouting instructions to centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes.

These niche coaching roles are designed to provide clubs with marginal gains. They are clearly part of the general objective of getting better at football but Clattenburg's gig at the City Ground feels different.

It is hard to quibble with either his refereeing pedigree or his willingness to take on new challenges. In 2016 he took charge of both the Champions League and European Championship finals and he is, to the best of my knowledge, the only man to have held the posts of president of the Egyptian Referees Committee and lead referee on the TV programme 'Gladiators'.

Given the levels of mistrust between Premier League clubs and referees, though, I was immediately suspicious about Clattenburg's new job.

Were Forest just attempting to put dissent on a more formal footing, like a betting-shop punter employing a PA to slag off the jockey aboard a beaten favourite?

It certainly felt that way last weekend, when Clattenburg criticised a decision made by referee Paul Tierney that may, tenuously, have led to Liverpool scoring a 99th-minute winner at the City Ground. 

In his post-match interview, Forest's referee analyst didn't quite seem to know what tone to adopt. First, Clattenburg rationally explained the law by which the ball should be returned to the team in possession after the game has been stopped for a head injury.

Then, though, he switched to under-fire manager mode, bemoaning the fact that "things seem to be going against Nottingham Forest Football Club".

His admission that he tried to discuss the decision with Tierney but was barred entry to the officials' dressing-room hinted at further confusion over his role.

Perhaps the key question is: how deep does Clattenburg's reverence for the laws of football go? If, say, Forest's Ryan Yates or Danilo get away with a nasty tackle at Brighton, will he be banging on the ref's door demanding that their yellow card is retrospectively upgraded to a red?

That may be a fanciful example but his role has the potential to be a force for good in the game. Will he be a useful liaison officer between the club and officials, also providing clarity for fans when contentious decisions are made? Or is he simply expected to become a mouthpiece for irascible Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis?

Whatever happens, I'll be keeping a close eye on Clattenburg's performances for the rest of the season. In fact, if any Premier League clubs are in the market for an analyst of referee analysts, please get in touch – this could be a game-changer. 

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