Players targeted / Leg breaker hack on Sterling and kdb

[foggy1974]

Targeting individual players is a universal tactic in football; from kid's football, through Sunday League all the way up to the highest levels of professional football. It even happens in the World Cup.

Our creative players are naturally going to be targeted, and whilst I don't always believe the opposition deliberately set out to injure them, I do wonder when I see tackles such as Ali and Kane. It would certainly help the Spuds if we dropped a few points because most of our regular midfield players were on the treatment table.

I do agree with you there that they don't deliberately go out but when they are dangerous and /or nasty like Puncteon, Murphy, Kane and Ali then there should be able to do a Thatcher and retrospectively ban them whether a yellow card as been issued. The F.A. hide behind the fact that the ref has issued a yellow. I think that Puncteon was genuinely trying to win the ball, but was late and using excessive force.

 

[kiam06]

Pretty shocking now if the FA aren't going to do anything then the club and their lawyers should be saying something.

As well as being young lads on the pitch they are million pound assets and opponents are being allowed to put in potential career ending tackles week in week out.

 

[grifter]

I’d understand a foul at that time in that area but the manner of the challenge was disgusting. Puncheon is a disgrace as are the referees who’s negligence has allowed this shithousery to continue to occur recently.

 

[himalayan_blues]

pep should talk about these challenges in media more. why hasnt he? if he talks more than refrees will take notice.

 

[Bengali Blue]

It's not even just these horrible tackles, their penalty was a dive. The ref is against us completely and half of our first team is out injured. Sadly it looks like a defeat is very near. At least Paul Pogba is having an excellent new year's eve.

 

[mat]

pep should talk about these challenges in media more. why hasnt he? if he talks more than refrees will take notice.

The club do the talking behind the scenes. If it gets too much expect a 2012 Viera style outburst from someone in the club the FA can't touch.

 

[Paladin]

Two things need to happen. Firstly the refs actually doing their fucking job and protecting the players. And secondly this stupid rule that if a player is booked there can be no retrospective action needs to to be binned. Start suspending a few players for this kind of shit and it would stop. Of course that would require the FA to get off their arses and actually do something.

This concept of referees protecting the players. How does this actually work? What could the referee have done to prevent Kane, Alli, Murphy and Puncheon from fouling our players? Nothing! Are those that want protection actually advocating retrospective punishment when the referee is deemed to have applied an insufficient punishment at the time?

 

[Ohrodneyrodney]

This concept of referees protecting the players. How does this actually work? What could the referee have done to prevent Kane, Alli, Murphy and Puncheon from fouling our players? Nothing! Are those that want protection actually advocating retrospective punishment when the referee is deemed to have applied an insufficient punishment at the time?

Yes.

 

[silvasankle]

This concept of referees protecting the players. How does this actually work? What could the referee have done to prevent Kane, Alli, Murphy and Puncheon from fouling our players? Nothing! Are those that want protection actually advocating retrospective punishment when the referee is deemed to have applied an insufficient punishment at the time?

A red card on Kane or Alli would possibly prevent players in future matches from being twats

 

[RandomJ]

This concept of referees protecting the players. How does this actually work? What could the referee have done to prevent Kane, Alli, Murphy and Puncheon from fouling our players? Nothing! Are those that want protection actually advocating retrospective punishment when the referee is deemed to have applied an insufficient punishment at the time?

It works by stamping it out early in the game. The ref notices they're going in hard on our players he starts dishing out the yellow cards and gets them to ease off. What we are seeing recently is the refs just waving play on after one of our players has been crunched or giving a yellow for what should be a red. If they booked early and sent off when appropriate this new strategy of kicking City's best players would have died out weeks ago.