so this agenda thing.

[gordondaviesmoustache]

This may be too early to tell but for me one to keep a close eye on is the special attention i get the feeling we have been receiving from referees. I for one am concerned that we are getting unnecessarily carded by the match officials especially in the last couple of games against Arsenal by Clattenburg and against Chelsea by Dean. The stats show that our last 2 games have received more cards than in any other game that weekend, accepted that both teams have been carded but us more than our opponents.

Is this an attempt to punish our strong, physical style of play that has been universally appreciated and applauded by ex playing pundits? As a one off game you can suffer a card happy referee but if this is special treatment the cards will quickly mount up and bans will come into play. After 5 games we currently have 5 players on 2 yellows and 2 players on 3 yellow cards, if this continues at present rate we will be looking at 5 players with a 1 match ban and 2 players with 1+2 match ban by 31 December.

One to watch out for ?

I'm still adamant this started immediately after the 6-1. No-one thought a team went to the swamp and twatted them 6-1; We shook fuck out of the establishment that day and I think we've been paying for it in some form or another ever since. We consistently pick up an abnormal amount of cards for both the amount of possession we frequently have and how we actually play the game. I don't think this is a necessarily a directive, but I do think there was a lot of worry that we were on the cusp of turning this into a one team league.

Some of the decisions that season, especially in united's favour in the late winter/early spiring were utterly scandalous and highly suspicious.

 

[Sir peace frog]

we try to win the ball back as quick and as high as possible,hence the high foul rate and card rate imo.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

we try to win the ball back as quick and as high as possible,hence the high foul rate and card rate imo.

Yep, that's about it.

We won't keep getting all the bad decisions. It will even out over the year, more or less. It isn't long since Mourinho was complaining that we get all the decisions, and when he said that we were.

 

[Pingu the Penguin]

Last year we were:
- 7th in discipline (total yellows and red, with reds getting a higher multiplier applied)
- 5th in total tackles/game
- 15th in total fouls/game

Liverpool wereL
-19th in discipline
- Top in tackles/game
- 10th in fouls/game

Inexact science (esp in terms of relative tackle technique), but a bit of an anomaly?

http://www.whoscored.com/Regions/25...amStatistics/England-Premier-League-2013-2014

 

[stony]

It is pretty obvious the reasons why we are receiving a number of bookings of late. Like the beginning of last season we are being very aggressive in attempting to win possession back high up the pitch to enable us to dominate possession of the football.

The risk of attempting to get the ball back early, rather than stand off is the risk of mistimed challenges or if by committing yourself you get turned and in dangerous areas end up dragging the opponent back.

Still its easy to blame the worldwide conspiracy.

I'd believe that if Fabregas hadn't ruthlessly brought down three City players during the game in order to stop a quick attack developing and wasn't spoken to once, never mind booked

Not to mention John Terry wiping out Aguero early on, which again didn't even merit a ticking off.

 

[tonea2003]

It is pretty obvious the reasons why we are receiving a number of bookings of late. Like the beginning of last season we are being very aggressive in attempting to win possession back high up the pitch to enable us to dominate possession of the football.

The risk of attempting to get the ball back early, rather than stand off is the risk of mistimed challenges or if by committing yourself you get turned and in dangerous areas end up dragging the opponent back.

Still its easy to blame the worldwide conspiracy.

I'd believe that if Fabregas hadn't ruthlessly brought down three City players during the game in order to stop a quick attack developing and wasn't spoken to once, never mind booked

4 players from each team booked(plus the silly sending off of zabba) and according to the bbc 16 fouls to 12 so fairly even in that respect.

not as one sided as you think

it was a tough aggressive skillful game

yes fabregas should have been carded but agenda dont think so

 

[daztrueblue91]

It is pretty obvious the reasons why we are receiving a number of bookings of late. Like the beginning of last season we are being very aggressive in attempting to win possession back high up the pitch to enable us to dominate possession of the football.

The risk of attempting to get the ball back early, rather than stand off is the risk of mistimed challenges or if by committing yourself you get turned and in dangerous areas end up dragging the opponent back.

Still its easy to blame the worldwide conspiracy.

I'd believe that if Fabregas hadn't ruthlessly brought down three City players during the game in order to stop a quick attack developing and wasn't spoken to once, never mind booked

4 players from each team booked(plus the silly sending off of zabba) and according to the bbc 16 fouls to 12 so fairly even in that respect.

not as one sided as you think

it was a tough aggressive skillful game

yes fabregas should have been carded but agenda dont think so

I agree but it was at the very least an incompetent refereeing dos

 

[City1974]

Slightly worried about the no. of cards we are picking up, at some point some key players may end up with 2 or 3 game bans and be missing from key games, which is unnecessary when we have some players somehow injury prone into the bargain.

 

[daztrueblue91]

It is pretty obvious the reasons why we are receiving a number of bookings of late. Like the beginning of last season we are being very aggressive in attempting to win possession back high up the pitch to enable us to dominate possession of the football.

The risk of attempting to get the ball back early, rather than stand off is the risk of mistimed challenges or if by committing yourself you get turned and in dangerous areas end up dragging the opponent back.

Still its easy to blame the worldwide conspiracy.

I'd believe that if Fabregas hadn't ruthlessly brought down three City players during the game in order to stop a quick attack developing and wasn't spoken to once, never mind booked

4 players from each team booked(plus the silly sending off of zabba) and according to the bbc 16 fouls to 12 so fairly even in that respect.

not as one sided as you think

it was a tough aggressive skillful game

yes fabregas should have been carded but agenda dont think so

I agree but it was at the very least an incompetent refereeing display.

When a ref is willing to send a player off for two soft fouls then it is borderline bent that he lets other players get away scott free for more cynical and aggressive fouls.

Mike Dean made a rod for his own back with all the soft yellow cards he give. However, I have a gripe with him choosing when to be be strict. If he is going to change the dynamic of the game by sending someone off then he must apply that decision fairy and across the pitch. Like someone else said Fabregas got away with 3 or 4 fouls cynical fouls and doesn't even get booked but Zabba makes 2 slightly mistimed challenges and gets sent off.

 

[tonea2003]

I'd believe that if Fabregas hadn't ruthlessly brought down three City players during the game in order to stop a quick attack developing and wasn't spoken to once, never mind booked

4 players from each team booked(plus the silly sending off of zabba) and according to the bbc 16 fouls to 12 so fairly even in that respect.

not as one sided as you think

it was a tough aggressive skillful game

yes fabregas should have been carded but agenda dont think so

I agree but it was at the very least an incompetent refereeing dos

don't doubt that for a second, dean got in early with a soft booking foul and that set the tone for the rest of the game
he then has to either book everyone in sight or as he did let a few dubious ones go.

so yeah a fairly incompetent display from the usually good dean