From the Sunday Times:
Brian Marwood, Manchester City’s director of football, has written to referees’ chief Mike Riley over what his club perceive to have been a string of “inconsistent” decisions, working to City’s detriment this season.
Marwood acted after City’s Carling Cup semi-final second leg at Anfield on Wednesday when a contentious penalty awarded by Phil Dowd against Micah Richards for handball allowed Liverpool to open the scoring in a 2-2 draw.
The result saw City go out of the competition and the club are unhappy that so many decisions have gone against them in big games. Earlier this month, Vincent Kompany’s controversial red card for a tackle on Nani contributed to a Manchester United victory in their FA Cup third round tie and last week Mario Balotelli was banned for four matches, having been adjudged to have tried to stamp on Tottenham’s Scott Parker in an incident that Howard Webb, the match referee, did not see.
City are displeased that while stiff action is being taken against their players, those from rival clubs have escaped sanction on a number of recent occasions. Both Chelsea’s Frank Lampard and Liverpool’s Glen Johnson committed two-footed tackles in recent Premier League games that City officials, and manager Roberto Mancini, believe were more serious than Kompany’s offence yet neither received red cards.
While Balotelli was punished after a review of video evidence from the Tottenham game, the FA ruled there was no case to answer against Peter Crouch after looking at footage which appeared to show the striker gouging Jonas Olsson’s eye in Stoke City’s 2-1 home defeat by West Bromwich Albion last Saturday.
Marwood has asked Riley, head of the Professional Game Match Officials Ltd, the organisation which oversees Premier League refereeing, for an explanation of recent decisions. Depending on the response, Marwood may consider face-to-face discussions with Riley. City are not accusing referees of bias but there are fears that the club’s raised profile and the reputation of certain players could be conspiring against them.
Earlier this season Kenny Dalglish, the Liverpool manager, held talks with Riley after being aggrieved by decisions against his team. In the past, Riley or his assistants have visited clubs, at their request, to talk through certain issues with players. Everton did this when their Belgian recruit Marouanne Fellaini was booked several times during his first season in the Premier League.
City could also decide this would be a useful exercise for Balotelli, who continues to protest his innocence in the Parker incident, although his club elected not to appeal against their striker’s four-match ban — perhaps influenced by the fact he is carrying a minor injury.
