If what you say is true, there should be an immediate FIFA enquiry into this matter, similar to other such offences involving referees in Europe. Until this enquiry is held, no British referee should be allowed to officiate in any matches outside Britain. Will it be the FA match official at the game who will make this decision?
FIFA should call the English FA to account over their lack of control that allowed a manager to have undue control over a match referee and any manager suspected of such misfeasance should be suspended from control of any team until the results of the enquiry are published. Any manager found guilty of such an offence should be banned sine die from football and the club should also be subjected to sanctions for allowing their manager to behave in such a manner, with immediate expulsion from participation from any European competition, as regards FIFA and EUFA, plus an immediate points deduction (to be agreed once the severity of the case has been proved) from the points they have already gained in that season.
I concur yet a transparent and open enquiry won't happen in my lifetime I suspect because Fergie can't have that many years left in him professionally and, more importantly, it suits everyone with power to maintain the status quo.
I'd be interested to see figures for penalties given/conceded or red cards across the clubs. Some can be put down to some teams having better players but I highly doubt what goes around comes around
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I thought City were going to score a couple of times in the last 2 minutes! Brilliant game, really thrilling, but Kompany's red card was never a dismissal. A few minutes later a challenge from behind by Ryan Giggs took out a City player's legs while City were on the break, and Giggs wasn't even booked.
Btw, I think bringing Scholes on was pretty daft. Anderson and Scholes in midfield when you've got 15 minutes to protect a 1-goal lead? Anderson always wants to attack and won't do enough defensive work, and Scholes can't go chasing Nasri and Aguero about the place on the break
I agree, hence my previous comment about the neutrality of refs. Giggs deserved a yellow and as for Kompany I thought it was a fair challenge.
I just wonder what would have happened if Mancini kept Silva and Johnson on at half time
IMO the game has been skewed, with the exception of fouling the keeper, in favour of attackers - you can't tackle anymore and having your hands anywhere is an instant penalty. That's not withstanding the world cup ball
explicitly said to make it easier to score.