Players targeted / Leg breaker hack on Sterling and kdb

[franksinatra]

So you believe that professional players who are infinitely more competitive than you or I (many of whom have short fuses and are known to hold grudges), whose salary and prestige rests upon both their performance and the match outcome that follows from it, have an honour code that prevents them from doing what many other players at the lower levels of football do regularly (and people in other professions also do quite consistently)?

You have a lot of faith in footballers even in the face of quite a bit of evidence to the contrary, but I suppose I cannot fault that generally optimistic perspective, even if it borders on blind religious fervour.

You’re a much better bloke than me.

And of course all that only manifests itself against Manchester City all those traits?

 

[SebastianBlue]

And of course all that only manifests itself against Manchester City all those traits?

Where did I say that?

 

[franksinatra]

Where did I say that?

Are city players being targeted sort of implies it and is the view of some on the thread which is what I am arguing more than anything

 

[SebastianBlue]

Are city players being targeted sort of implies it.

Well, first, that is a question, not a declaration. Second, I made my declaration in the thread. And no where did I make a mutually exclusive assertion.

That is, I believe City players are being targeted as a tactic, but I also think that it happens to other team’s playmakers.

My point is that it is becoming a very regular tactic employed specifically against us because it isn’t punished and has some chance of stopping us (because, even when we aren’t playing well, there’s not much else lesser teams like Newcastle, Stoke, United, and Spurs can do). Whereas, when it is employed against the likes of United, Spurs, Arsenal, and Liverpool, referees seem to be more inclined to punish it (have you seen Mane, Fabregas, Mata, or Alli rotationally fouled out of games without consequence).

 

[cheekybids]

Last season the Rags targeted hazard until s player was sent off & they did that safe in the belief that they'd get away with it. It's been going on with our David for years & although players might not want to intentionally break legs they want to hit them hard enough to make the star player hide "not want to know".
Remember Ball on Ronaldo in the derby years ago.

This used to always hsppen until years ago FIFA realised the best players were missing from world cups & the spectacle was poorer.

It still shocks me that we had 2 sent off in first 3 games, something was said & the refereeing improved but this tackling needs out lawing & forget the bullshit about yellows, cos thatcher was done.

 

[Trevor Morley's Tache]

He certainly didn't go near the ball, knew exactly what he was doing, 4 inches above the ball, and after it had gone, c*nts trick that.

The first tackle on Gundy should have been a straight red, yet not even a yellow from the ref. This meant the same player was free to try exactly the same thing later in the game.

I have no doubt that this was a deliberate ploy, and I wouldn't be surprised if it had been discussed in the dressing room prior to the game. If it allowed to continue unpunished, then a player is going to get seriously injured. Players (and not just ours) need protection against thuggish tactics.

 

[cleavers]

And of course all that only manifests itself against Manchester City all those traits?

The question wasn't about other teams though was it. Are our players being targetted ? Yes, If you want to discuss other teams being targetted, then its a question for the general football forum.

Murphy, last night, deliberately went over the top on one of our players, hard to see it as anything else for me, same as ali against spurs, and these should be red card fouls, and they would be if our players did it, and if not picked up at the time, we would see retrospective action too.

 

[cleavers]

Players (and not just ours) need protection against thuggish tactics.

Correct.

 

[Bluekiwi]

Thats a great vid is that, Craig Burley, Shaka Hislop and Paul Mariner waxed lyrical about us with gusto there, fair play to them. And them talking about teams being negative and sitting back won't last forever. These next 18 games will see teams more open as the games tick down and points become more desperate , in theory we should batter most teams.

Those pundits also discussed the need for the FA to get to grips with the referees and stress the need for more protection for players, especially those skilful players at Manchester City. In the last few games Kane, Alli and Murphy have all tried to inflict "season ending injuries" on our players.All three should have seen red cards waved in their faces.
The FA should have asked Paul Pogba to explain his comments of a few weeks ago when he talked about the way to stop City was for our players to get injured. Some players have taken that on board and are making rash challenges "to get in our players faces" as well as injure them.
To my way of thinking the approach from our club should be a strongly worded document with video examples of the treatment handed out to our players and the "blind eye" that referees have adopted.

 

[franksinatra]

Well, first, that is a question, not a declaration. Second, I made my declaration in the thread. And no where did I make a mutually exclusive assertion.

That is, I believe City players are being targeted as a tactic, but I also think that it happens to other team’s playmakers.

My point is that it is becoming a very regular tactic employed specifically against us because it isn’t punished and has some chance of stopping us (because, even when we aren’t playing well, there’s not much else lesser teams like Newcastle, Stoke, United, and Spurs can do). Whereas, when it is employed against the likes of United, Spurs, Arsenal, and Liverpool, referees seem to be more inclined to punish it (have you seen Mane, Fabregas, Mata, or Alli rotationally fouled out of games without consequence).

That just sounds paranoid to me and I cannot think of why referees would officiate differently or players from the opposition would be more inclined to commit these fouls against us. I cannot see any evidence it is more likely to work against us, as were on a record points total, to support your argument. It just smacks of more conspiracies and City as a victim.