Manchester City seek meeting with PL refereeing body

[MC Prussian]

This deserves its own topic, because the implications could be huge and also affect other leagues or sports for that matter:

Quote

Manchester City: Premier League leaders want PGMOL refereeing meeting

Manchester City have asked to meet the body responsible for Premier League referees to discuss their concern at tackles being made against them.

The Premier League leaders have cited nine challenges this term which they say have not been suitably sanctioned.

Forward Raheem Sterling has said City are being "butchered", and team-mate Bernardo Silva said they are targeted.

City also want the rules changed so incidents can be reviewed even if they were punished by the match referee.

Although they have not yet canvassed opinion on the matter, they believe they would be backed by most top-flight clubs in that quest.

Manager Pep Guardiola expressed frustration at a number of fouls committed against his side this term, urging referees to protect his players. 

Leroy Sane was ruled out for "six or seven weeks" after being injured in a challenge by Cardiff's Joe Bennett in the FA Cup, with the winger one of seven senior City players currently sidelined.

What is their argument?

After the win over West Brom last month - during which Brahim Diaz was caught with a high tackle by Matt Phillips - City chief executive Ferran Soriano and director of football Txiki Begiristain met.

They decided to write to the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), who are responsible for refereeing appointments in English leagues, to express their displeasure and request a meeting.

Their grievance surrounds the fact that, in seven of the nine instances, a yellow card was shown. Football Association rules dictate that, if the referee has taken action at the time, the incident is regarded as having been dealt with and cannot be reviewed.

The FA's stance is that they do not want to re-referee games. However, City argue that "the Pandora's Box has been opened" by the decision to allow instances of diving to be reviewed this season.

Do the stats support them?

City have won 22 of their 26 Premier League games to open up a 13-point lead over second-placed Manchester United.

But Sterling says some teams have resorted to kicking the league leaders once they go in front.

"Some tackles have been awful," said the 23-year-old. "It's not what I expect in a top-flight match, especially when teams are losing and go out to kick players."

• Are City being 'butchered'?

Sterling has been the Manchester City player fouled the most times in the league this season, but the England international ranks only eighth for the whole division.

The winger has drawn 44 fouls in 24 appearances in 2017-18, making him the only City player to feature in the league's top 25.

Watford striker Richarlison leads the way after being fouled 77 times so far, with Tottenham's Dele Alli and Swansea's Jordan Ayew among those winning more free-kicks than Sterling.

Why do only Manchester City come forward - and that now? What about the other teams, shouldn't they moan about their players being tackled, too?

The stats show that there are way more players from other teams that are the target of (bad) tackles, yet I don't hear them moan about it.

I thought tackling was part of the sport and that bad tackles are the exception, not the rule.

This procedure could potentially lead to a special treatment for Manchester City and could set a precedent for other teams or leagues, especially league leaders that then become "untouchable".

Even more reason for players from "bigger" teams to go for the dive, trying to provoke yellow or even red cards.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/43010230

[Fox92]

Should be laughed off. 

 

At the end of the day it's a contact sport, simple as that. Nobody wants to see players injured but we all love crunching tackles.

 

 

[Sharpe's Fox]

Peps a lil bitch

[joachim1965]

Let's give the twats reason to complain later today.

[Ted Maul]

Suck it up Pep, you whiny ballbag.

[NorthfieldsFox]

I really dislike Jose but this Pep creature is a shocker and a really really dislikable human , bullying little twirp he wouldn’t last a week on my manor 

[NorthfieldsFox]

51 minutes ago, joachim1965 said:

Let's give the twats reason to complain later today.

Get into ‘em , fcuk em up .....

[Finnegan]

It's weird, in the space of a couple of weeks they're doing their best to destroy any and all good will they had. 

 

Everyone raving about how impressive they are, one of the best premier league teams to be put together. 

 

Now they're moaning they don't have enough money and people are tackling them too hard. What the ****? 

 

Pep leaving a gap on the subs bench just to try and make a point when they've spent billions and could have brought in some kid for the experience pissed me off. 

 

But this is just absurd. 

 

Entitlement culture at its worst. 

[foxy boxing]

He's getting as bad as Wenger, criticizing other teams on how they play against his own team. teams are not as good as Man city and they need to find ways to compete against them and rough tackiling them is one of those ways Managers should just concentrate on their own teams and not have a go at others on how they choose to play the game.

[TheUltimateWinner]

I don't see this anything more than mind games to try and influence the referees. They'll have seen the article and it would be at the back of their mind next time a challenge goes in due to the media attention that has been brought about.

 

Will be interesting in our game later today to see if we get punished more severely... 

[Nalis]

Didnt see him complaining when David Silva tried to break someone's ankle with his studs vs West Brom. Escaped a red card but it only got overlooked by the media because he went off injured.

[AKCJ]

1 hour ago, Nalis said:

Didnt see him complaining when David Silva tried to break someone's ankle with his studs vs West Brom. Escaped a red card but it only got overlooked by the media because he went off injured.

De Bruyne, Aguero and Fernandinho all know how to leave 6 studs on someones ankle.

 

 

[Wymsey]

2 hours ago, Finnegan said:

It's weird, in the space of a couple of weeks they're doing their best to destroy any and all good will they had. 

 

Everyone raving about how impressive they are, one of the best premier league teams to be put together. 

 

Now they're moaning they don't have enough money and people are tackling them too hard. What the ****? 

 

Pep leaving a gap on the subs bench just to try and make a point when they've spent billions and could have brought in some kid for the experience pissed me off. 

 

But this is just absurd. 

 

Entitlement culture at its worst. 

Won't happen, but would be funny if their form slipped and Man Utd won the title instead..

Guardiola and Man City appear more arrogant by thd day imo.

[Swarles Barkley]

This just screams we’ll have a player sent off for a nothing challenge today

[Tom17LCFC]

Like they don’t already have every advantage they could possibly need. Embarrassing. 

[CosbehFox]

Pep, could we have a clamp down on some of your player’s diving antics too? Might explain why the odd rash tackle occurs when you have Sterling trying to con the ref and leaving his leg trailing it to defenders.