Today's referee

[Hamann Pineapple]

Pope 1 Ref 0

The Manchester City manager made the unusual move of beginning his post-match news conference on Sunday after a 2-0 victory over Chelsea by thanking outgoing Pope Benedict XVI for his eight years of service.

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[Dethred]

How is that a penalty? They had to run it in slow motion replay to see any contact at all.

Or have I forgotten that for us, "contact" isn't enough (as debated by the commentators for the penalty against Leeds) to justify a penalty for us, but against our opponents (when we're still a title threat at least) tapping a player on the leg with your bloody finger while he's mid-dive is a penalty.

What has this game come to? How about Rodwell going into the book and even the commentator admitted he made no contact and it was a dive? I'll agree we were more aggressive, but a dozen to one foul ratio by half time is corruption pure and simple.

 

[SamTheGuru]

Zabba also kicked the ball away deliberately which is a yellow.
Don't think it was a pen but understand it being given, for a cheating ref its a surprise he didn't even book him...or would that make his cheating too obvious?
There was a phase where we just got too niggly, took the stats to a disproportionate level

1) Zab and Rodwell were basically booked for consistent fouling of which most of the fouls weren't even fouls.

2) Definite penalty. Absolutely no question. But how on earth did Hart not get booked?

3) We need to be niggly. We had a fight in us today that I can't even remember the last time I saw.

 

[MSP]

Can't blame him for calling the penalty but there was barely any contact at all and that tiny one was Ba trying his best to touch Hart to earn it.

Hard for ref to see that at best like we do in replays but that was never a stonewaller.

 

[BlueHalli]

Zabba also kicked the ball away deliberately which is a yellow.
Don't think it was a pen but understand it being given, for a cheating ref its a surprise he didn't even book him...or would that make his cheating too obvious?
There was a phase where we just got too niggly, took the stats to a disproportionate level

Wasn't Zab on a yellow already ? Prob like ya say , would have made it look a bit too obviuos but Zab was silly for kickin the ball away like that but I think this was actually due to the players gettin fooked off with the refs .

 

[laserblue]

Marriner is a fucking cheat, end of. Apart from the 13-1 foul count and the blatant foul on Aguero that as waved on, his first half performance was an utter disgrace. The yellow for Rodwell was ridiculous. From where I was sitting it wasn't even a foul. He wasn't quite as bad in the 2nd half but it seemed to me that he couldn't wait to blow for the penalty.

By some distance it was the worst refereeing performance in a City game since Mason and Walton last reffed us.

 

[Sky Blue]

Can't blame him for calling the penalty but there was barely any contact at all and that tiny one was Ba trying his best to touch Hart to earn it.

Hard for ref to see that at best like we do in replays but that was never a stonewaller.

Agreed, Ba was very crafty there. Minimal contact.

 

[mr t]

I thought it was a penalty.

Gave a few other strange decisions though. Thought he was wearing a Chelsea shirt at one point.

Just glad both goals were clear cut and there was nothing with either of them that he could find fault with.

 

[blueyorkie]

If anyone had any doubt over refereeing integrity surely today just confirmed what a few of us have said for a few years on this forum. That wasn't bad refereeing, that was cheating. Bad refereeing occurs both ways, not just in one teams favour. At half time each team had 50% possession and we had created the most chances and were without doubt the one providing the attacking intent, yet the foul count was 13-1. No doubt Pidge, The cookie monster and SJK will have their excuses lined up and say he couldn't have been cheating because we still won but anyone who was at that game today surely has to have suspicions over the integrity of that performance.

Excuses? How about the notion that they actually were fouls, and our tackling was mostly shit today? Is that so absurd to consider? Zabaleta's yellow was deserved, as was Kolo's, Rodwell's was for persistent fouling. The only problem was that he didn't give us as many free kicks as we should have done, he let a lot of their stuff go.

If he was so bent, why didn't he send Joe off?[/quot

Worst foul today was on Sergio in first half Marrinet waved play on. Beggars belief<br /><br />-- Sun Feb 24, 2013 7:44 pm --<br /><br />

I thought it was a penalty.

Gave a few other strange decisions though. Thought he was wearing a Chelsea shirt at one point.

Just glad both goals were clear cut and there was nothing with either of them that he could find fault with.

Anyone sitting in the East stand could see a clear foul by BA on Kolo in build up.

 

[sonicboomboy]

Absolutely dire. He had the right colour shirt on, all that was missing was "Fergies No.1" on the back.
City were awesome today and made a 12 man Chelsea look ordinary.