#531

City had 70% of the ball and 20 shots.

I’m not saying they deserved to win, but they tried to win. They just don’t have enough attacking quality at the minute, Sané and Sterling have dipped a bit the last few weeks, and City are never the same side without Silva.

United’s only real quality is in their back five, even bearing the injuries in mind. I was a bit disappointed in them last night really. Thought the pace of that front three would cause a defence with a combined age of over 150 real problems.

I guess if one side set their stall out for a draw right from the off and got it you’d have to say it’s a better point for them, and as much as people might snigger at such a big-spending club with such a rich attacking history doing that it really could come down to one point, or even goal difference, so i don’t know if anyone can blame him.

I think everyone would’ve taken the draw beforehand, really, but my overbearing thought on both clubs this sesson is that they might have broke thr bank for managers who simply aren’t a very good fit. United probably need less…pragmatism, and City conversely much more.

1 Like
#532

Swap you?

#533

Hearing a weird number of people saying Fellaini didn’t deserve a red card for headbutting an opponent…?

#534

In Thai? Might be missing some of the linguistic subtleties perhaps? He absolutely deserved a red card for headbutting an opponent.

#535

That’s what Mourinho was saying on the radio this morning seemingly based on the fact that Aguero’s nose hadn’t been splayed across his face.

#536

Just to add a bit of spark to an otherwise lifeless thread though, I think Atkinson was about to give him a second yellow anyway which would have been absolute nonsense given the way he’d officiated up to that point, poor old Marouane was just pre-emptively angry about the impending bad decision or something.

#537

I don’t think he was. Obviously no way of knowing now but I think after the two fouls in 20 seconds he was calling him over to basically tell him to keep his wig on or he’d be off for the next foul. The ref was calling him over but hadn’t reached for his pocket

#538

He does it on purpose, to keep the wheels of the nonsense narrative that United are hard done by off officials turning.

Which would probably not be so ridiculous if they weren’t constantly on the right end of decisions to a much greater extent than any other side in the country.

Even Neville in play seemed to be suggesting Aguero had stitched Fellaini up, which is of course nonsense. Fellaini should have had a red card in the last four derbies he’s played in.

#539

Mate, it’s the narrative I’ve settled on and that’s final.

#540

this is probably the best angle for it

doesn’t look like he’s about to book him

#541

El Shitico morelike, eh lads!

5 Likes
#542

I’d be genuinely interested to see some sort of data backing this up and what constitutes being on the right end of decisions.

#543

By that, I mean it’s a common complaint from managers - not just Mourinho - about decisions always going against them… Would really like to see the numbers (as my boss would say).

#544

There isn’t any

#545

Offside goals being incorrectly awarded for, or ruled out for opponents, or red cards not being given for clearly dangerous fouls are the main ones Mourinho’s United particularly seem to benefit from regularly. Not sure van Gaal or Moyes sides did particularly.

I’ve seen stats that back this up, then counter evidence that says otherwise. Without going through every game it’s pretty hard to say. There are probably more interesting things to talk about, eh.

#546

Yeah, there probably are.

I just find it amusing when managers and fans get so hung up on things like this through purely anecdotal / biased opinion rather than any hard evidence.

1 Like
#547

There used to be quite a good site actually, but it closed. I think i’d sooner take the bad decisions than be obsessive to the point that you have to log and rewatch every decision.

It’d be a good idea, though, in theory anyway, if you could get ten neutral fans who each watch one PL game every weekend, to generate data over a season to see if these things really do ‘even themselves out’, particularly in terms of top v smaller sides, home v away decisions, ref v ref, etc.

1 Like
#548

yes, Fulham can secure a playoff spot tomorrow

#549

It’s a thing with a perception bias that is impossible to ignore from either side as well which makes it’s discussion all the more pointless. Genuinely think I could provide a counter example to every decision that’s gone our way this season.

The importance of the decision within the context of the game is the thing that distorts the issue the most though innit, it’s why people always go on about the big teams getting all the decisions because it has (historically at least with Utd) always been way more way more noticeable if a smaller team gets denied a pen or has a goal ruled out or whatever against them because it’s more likely to cost them a result, a big team getting an equivalent decision against them when they’re already two-nil up and cruising (CWBAFT) goes under the radar.

tl;dr, generally poor state of officiating

3 Likes
#550

Yeah, there used to be that thing that adjusted the league table for refereeing errors and it rarely, if ever, had any kind of definitive affect on anything iirc