I’m sorry about the long article but I have a lot to say. Let me start of with the negatives. I think Yaya Toure’s attitude and demeanor to opposition players and team mates need to stop. I hate players who throw their hands at other players. I used to despise Rooney always berating Nani and Yaya has been doing it to Mario for weeks now even though Mario was justified in complaining that the midfielders were taking to long to release the ball.
His attitude to Mata as well is sickening. You only have to look at graceful players like Aguero to realize what a sad sod he is.
Good player though and is actually more important to City than Silva in my opinion.
David Silva, my word how awful was he. How many misplaced passes, corners not beating the 1st man, and hiding all game, slowing the game down and passing the ball back. A pitiful performance. I was saying to a mate it’s almost like watching Nasri at the beginning of the season. He has to be dropped for whatever reason and time for Milner to get a run!
City haven’t played well for over 3 weeks now but they need 3 points and that’s all that matters. they still play with a lack of directness and thats what’s costing them points.I said Tevez should have been brought in against Swansea. They still could have beaten Chelsea without him but god they need his hustling and directness for away games.
Now to the positives, Samir Nasri my word what a game. Even before he scored he was by far my man of the match. He is effective when he runs into the central channels once Aguero or Mario vacates them and it frustrates me no end when he always goes wide. he was busting his gut, tracking back and running for everything giving Clichy who also had a great game support.
Bobby Mancini- Since City got the 3 points the joke is now a city Manager who can never win no matter what decision he makes. Now by recalling Tevez he has made Tevez bigger than the club but how is that possible. tevez is still a city player and doesn’t matter what Mancini said it’s a good management decision. Isnt rooney bigger than Man utd? Didn’t Ferguson once say he would never sell Real Madrid a virus.
City are not direct enough to score goals and need a hustler like Tevez. most of their creativity this season has come through a player who is badly out of form. It’s a no brainer for me and Tevez must have been introduced at Swansea. Its funny people forget that the reason that Tevez refused to warm up in Munich is because he believed he should have been playing instead of dzeko. Mancini really can never win and it says a lot about the man that he is willing to forgo his pride for the good of the team. At this stage of the season all players want to play and he has to manage the egos.
David Luiz - how stupid do people who doubted him all season look. That guy can easily be the best CB in the premiership. we had all sort of pundits saying he should be a CM or full back but he just oozes classes in that CB position. Tells you how little pundits know about football. Another who is making pundits eat humble pie is Laurent Kolcienley.
I actually thought Chelsea played well, and were decent on the counter attack. The pen was harsgh but so was the one given against Richards at the bridge.If Roman who I think is one of the few club owners that understand football wants to take his club forward then his friendship with lampard and Terry must stop blinding him to the obvious. I would be disappointed as an English fan if lampard was to start any Euro game this summer.
Squeeky bum Time
posted on 22/3/12
Let's face it, deliberate handball is actually very rare, Ade's for Spurs vs us is a good example.
posted on 22/3/12
As a fan, I'd rather pens were given if players have their arms outstretched in the penalty area, but only if they are outstretched.
Fastforward this to 1.18, which for me is as bad a desicion as you will see this season.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIDgkNPI9dM
posted on 22/3/12
MancityMan
Well as you are so familiar with the laws of the game you will also be fully aware that the referee and the assistant referees make the decisions in a game based on their interpretation of incidents in relation to the rules of the game. Fortunately, your view means nothing at all so the fact that you think the handball was not deliberate is irrelevant.
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Lets hope you have this view if Man Utd are awarded a decision that you don't agree with.. Stones and glass houses and all that...
posted on 22/3/12
This ball-to-hand argument is nonsense.
You'd get outfield players with their arms outstretched like an advancing goalkeeper; but as long as they didn't then move their hand towards the ball it would be considered ball-to-hand?!
Do me a favour! x
posted on 22/3/12
gratedbean (U4885)
posted 6 minutes ago
As a fan, I'd rather pens were given if players have their arms outstretched in the penalty area, but only if they are outstretched
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I'm not disagreeing with you for a second, like I said, I think the law should state if you have an advantage from handling the ball, deliberatley or not, it's a free kick or pen.
It just puts more pressure on officials that they don't need.
posted on 22/3/12
Fair comment, but I think that could be difficult to referee if it read something along the lines of 'non intentional handball which denies the opponent an advantage' - refs don't have the advantage of being able to see for example whether or not a shot was likely to be on target as we do from video replays.
posted on 22/3/12
gratedbean (U4885)
No, but if a shot is blocked so obviously as yesterday, to take the deliberate part out of the equation, you could easily say it worked to Chelsea's advantage in that situation.
posted on 23/3/12
"This discussion has been done to death on numerous occasions, and the outcome is always the same. It's IMPOSSIBLE to say weather a handball was deliberate, only the person involved could tell you, which is why the rule is stupid."
What tosh, firstly, if the only person that knows if it was deliberate is the person involved then please explain why YOU seem to know that it was not deliberate?
Secondly, you seem to have omitted to mention when quoting rules left right and centre that the referee is ultimately the man to decide if it was deliberate and award a penalty. The referee decided that Lecotts arms being raised at the bridge was deliberate enough to award a penalty and the referre on Wednesday did the same so why are you on here raising the issue? It matters not a jot whether you think it was deliberate or not
There are always contentious decisions where fans do not agree with the decisions, like Micah's big toe being offside when the assistant raised her flag for offside and disallowed the goal against Swansea.
posted on 23/3/12
"the referee is ultimately the man to decide if it was deliberate and award a penalty."
Like the referee and his linesman decided Lampards goal in the world cup wasn't over the line?
Prat.
If the rule stated handball is when a player gains advantage by handling the ball, then there would be less contentious decisions, and the rule would be a lot clearer for all involved. Fact.
posted on 23/3/12
P.S, not a single journo or pundit I have listened to said it was a penalty, they all said you play with fire putting your hands up there but said it wasn't a penalty. If you really want to start being pedantic I will get you quotes.