Newsletter #1794

Half time on Sunday represents the most bizarre set of football-related emotions I think a lot of us have ever experienced.

For me, 3 down, man down against that lot, should have been hell on earth. Yet I couldn’t ignore the nagging feeling that this game wasn’t over and… well… the feeling that we are simply better than them.

The boys did us proud in that second half and hopefully can continue tomorrow night against Liverpool. Though it did take a lot out of us.

Much debate about young Mr Foy tonight and more opinion on the Suarez affair. A great ‘And finally’ and a couple of tickets available for the Liverpool game.

Enjoy the read…

MATCHVIEW: WE ONLY HAVE 10 2 IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN 10 3

Vincent Kompany was unjustly sent off by referee Chris Foy at a critical stage of this game, as City exited the FA Cup this season with a brave fight back.

City started brightly against opponents who have been having a rough time in the League (if two straight defeats and three points behind City at the top can be called “rough”). With Aleksandar Kolarov selected to play left back instead of Clichy, there were pre-match concerns that he would suffer against Valencia’s pace. Those fears, sadly, were well founded. Only 9 minutes had passed when Kolarov stood well off the advancing Valencia, giving him at least 10 yards to cross the ball which Rooney headed high into the net with the back of his head.

To compound this, Chris Foy made the wrong, game-changing decision to send Kompany off, just three minutes later.

A ball was played forward with Nani running on to it. Kompany made a superb sliding tackle with his right foot. His left foot followed but was neither aimed at Nani, nor did it catch Nani. Judging by Nani’s reaction, he was happy to continue, and bearing in mind Nani is known for play acting, that is what should have happened.

The disgraceful Rooney, in particular, and Welbeck encouraged the referee to send Kompany off, and Foy wrongly and unjustly issued a red card to the City captain, and ruined the game in the process. Advantage United. Will it be advantage United in the League now that we would miss Vinnie for 2 League games, and advantage Liverpool as we would lose him for both legs of the League Cup Semi (as Vincent was dismissed for two bookings vs. Wolves earlier in the season)?

There is no way that Kompany could make that sliding tackle without bringing his left leg with him. Neither of his legs are detachable! No contact whatsoever was made with Nani with either leg, nor was it a dangerous tackle. The only contact was with the ball. It was not even a high tackle. The decision was a total disgrace and City should appeal the red card.

Whether that appeal will succeed is anyone’s guess. Many media figures believe that it was harsh, but if the disciplinary panel buy the “two-footed” line we may not be successful. They may even make it a five game ban if they think it is a frivolous appeal. Given the controversial nature of the decision, and especially Nani’s reaction, this is a just appeal, and one that should be upheld, with the suspension thrown out.

Vincent was punished with a red card tackle when the ball was won, yet Giggs’ scissor tackle through the back of Agüero earned no card. Giggs wrapped his legs round Agüero’s right ankle and could have caused serious ligament damage or worse. Worse still, Evra also escaped a red card for his early forearm smash on Richards in the first half and then a cuff on Agüero in the second as the striker tried to run past him. Where is the fairness?

The admirable Agüero tried to hit back and his spectacular goal-bound shot was tipped around the post by Lindegaard, but City were seriously compromised by Kompany’s dismissal and went into a serious tailspin after this. With Barry suspended, and Yaya away we were too easily got at.

Welbeck beat de Jong to a bouncing ball to double the visitors’ lead, then Kolarov, who was having a nightmare, gave away a penalty. Pantilimon (strangely in for Hart) saved the spot kick but the ball flew to Rooney who nodded in. It could have been four if an unmarked Welbeck had made better contact with a Valencia cross.

We feared the worst at the break. Would it be 6-0? Surely the second half would have to be a damage limitation exercise? Roberto Mancini and his boys had other ideas. It is a testament to Roberto Mancini’s managerial skill and the team spirit and character of the players that we bounced back to give United a torrid second half. Franz Beckenbauer… I mean Phil Jones, in particular was really struggling.

James Milner and Sergio Agüero epitomised our spirit and quality as City dominated the visitors. Indeed it was difficult to tell who had ten men, given our tenacity and the quality of City’s passing and movement.

With Liverpool in mind, Silva and Johnson were rested for the second half, with Zabaleta coming on the right hand side of midfield and Savic into central defence. We were much more compact as a team due to these changes and we took the game to United.

Within three minutes we were back in the game with Kolarov’s free kick arrowing inside the right hand post. Game on! The United fans fell silent.

City harried and pressed, attacking as a team and looking far more secure at the back. Led by the admirable Milner, we dominated play, and the force was with us. Agüero’s persistence earned him a goal after he swept home the rebound from Lindegaard’s save from his own close-range snap shot. We went delirious with joy. Could we pull off a remarkable comeback, reminiscent of that fantastic 4-3 win at Tottenham, just a few short years ago?

United, who had run out of ideas, were rocking as brave City threatened.

“We’ll stay to the end… we’re Man. City… we’ll stay to the end” went the taunt towards the away end: many of whom had deserted their team to leave a vast desert of red seats when trailing 6-1 to City. This certainly wasn’t the case at City as we remained glued to our seats.

On City pressed. Kolarov’s late free kick was not gathered cleanly by Lindegaard and it had to be scrambled clear by United players with the ball pinballing in the box. A cross hit Phil Jones in the box, but it all happened so fast, and Foy gave him the benefit of the doubt. United were rattled, but sadly, held on.

City certainly left the field with heads held high to cheers and chants of “We love you, City!” The applause between player and fan was mutual.

When all he bravado has died down, in the cold light of day, it is clear that our season is under threat. Yaya is missing and Vinny Kompany will be out for 4 games if his red card is upheld. Without wanting to pile on the bad news, there is a suggestion that Silva needs treatment for injury and may miss the home tie with Liverpool. Hopefully Vinnie and Silva will be available to us.

Whoever does make it for Wednesday, the players in the Blue shirts need to be focused and ready. We need to take at least a two goal lead with us to Merseyside. The League Championship is, though, the most important thing and this remains the main focus of Roberto Mancini and the City players.

Att: 46,808
Ratings:
Pantilimon: A surprise choice he certainly was but couldn’t be faultedfor any of the goals. Unlucky not to prevent a goal with his penalty save: 7
Richards: Fought all afternoon with pride and passion that you could almosttouch. Can be proud: 7
Kompany: Wrongly dismissed, and not enough time to mark, sadly: n/a
Lescott: Stood up well enough: 7
Kolarov: A liability, and always vulnerable to pace. His two free kickswere his only truly positive contributions to this game: 5
Johnson: Anonymous, and inevitably replaced: 5
de Jong: Uncharacteristically hesitated for United’s second goal, and neededmore of a forward gear. Linked it well enough though as we fought back: 6
Milner: City’s best performer. His tenacity, intelligence and skill werekey to City’s fight back and will be very important for the rest of theseason: 8 (Man of the Match)
Nasri: Too many under hit or misplaced passes and not enough urgency: 4
Silva: Not really his day, but he tried to create: 6
Agüero: Never stopped running, and his intelligence was rewarded withanother goal: 8
Subs:
Savic (for Silva 45): Not really tested but fitted in well: 6
Zabaleta (for Johnson 45): stiffened right hand side, worked hard: 6
Hargreaves (for Nasri 82): n/a

Chant of the Day: “Giggs… tearing families apart again” (ED – Closely followed by “Dig up Georgie Best!”)

Best oppo: Chris Foy. Enough said.

Refwatch: Chris Foy: A very partial refereeing performance.

The charge sheet reads:

• Unjust dismissal of Kompany for a superb, fair tackle.
• Failed to send Giggs off for a tackle from behind that caught Agüero andcould have injured him seriously.
• Failed to red card Evra for his forearm smashes.
• Failed to even book Jones for his sly challenge on Kolarov.
• Failed to book Carrick for continuous fouls.

Overall, Foy’s performance was a total disgrace, and brought widespread condemnation (not just by City fans). I am unable to score him.

Footnote:

So, as we are not going to retain the FA Cup, so for what it’s worth, I’m going to wish Stoke all the best in this year’s trophy, for their grace in defeat on that wonderful Wembley day in May.

MATCH REACTION I: CALL THAT A REF

This game was ruined in the tenth minute by referee Chris Foy when he sent the City skipper Kompany off for a clean tackle that took the ball away from the United player. MCFC must appeal this decision of a red card.

A great fightback from City playing 10 men against 12 to get two goals back!

The referee Chris Foy is not good enough to referee a lower League game! I am totally disgusted with bad referees.

Thank you Roberto Mancini and the players for your great effort against the odds!

Come on you Blues! Premier League and League Cup!

MATCH REACTION II: GETTING MY RETALIATION IN FIRST

I dare to predict there may be one or two City fans who have left the Chris Foy fan club by the end of the FA Cup tie against United.

The sending off of Vincent Kompany seems to have generated quite a debate even amongst neutrals, but I won’t be expecting anything from an appeal. A referee has to make a quick decision in games and if he believes that during a two footed tackle the player’s legs left the ground then he should send that player off. So what does the analysis show (I don’t know because I haven’t seen the footage yet)?

Perhaps it will show that Kompany didn’t actually perform the evil two footed lunge but sorry, that will mean nothing. As well as the referee having to decide whether to punish a player, the player has to decide how to tackle. Any player sliding in on a greasy surface risks the tackle going wrong and him injuring an opposition player. He also risks the referee making an instant decision that may be wrong.

It is Vincent Kompany who made the decision to tackle in this way and he reaped the reward. Not only should he not do the two footed lunge but he shouldn’t look as though he’s doing one either. I hope his ban will be reduced or overturned but I suspect it won’t because he did slide in with feet up.

If there is a fault it doesn’t lie with Chris Foy but with the ever dependable Mike Riley who is in charge of the referees and their training at this level. It is his duty to find a way to ensure a greater consistency of interpretation, so that fans don’t see Frank Lampard getting away with an absolute certain red in one match and Vincent Kompany treated much more harshly in another.

In both cases though the player has a part to play and like the defender who puts his hands high in the air when the ball strikes them at close range in the penalty area, he risks the ref making an adverse decision. How Mike Riley might accomplish a greater consistency I don’t know – more simulations perhaps? More meetings of the refs to see TV footage and discuss incidents maybe.

Whatever the solution may be, Mike Riley certainly hasn’t found it and so we go to matches not knowing what the lottery has drawn for us in refereeing interpretation. Will it be a waver-on like Mike Halsey? Will it be a yellow card collector like Clattenburg or just one of those not quite fit refs who makes decisions from 20 metres way?

If the ban isn’t overturned we lose Kompany for January and a very considerable risk of being knocked out by Liverpool and falling behind in the competition that matters most: the Premier League. However gloomy our prospects might turn out to be, I hope we don’t resort to the desperate United tactic of bring back retired players? Who next, Bobby Charlton? Please no. Tony Book would probably still be quicker than Paul Scholes and tackle properly too, but it’s so undignified isn’t it? And what of the actual game?

It was a cracker with City’s 10 men and Mancini’s unpredictable half time changes working to make a real spectacle. It’s no wonder that overseas they want to see English football. Whether it was Sergio up front on his own after the sending off, or Milner’s non-stop performance, or that tremendous gallop from Micah my mood changed from half time gloom to delight by the end.

We will miss some key players in January and February but the sheer determination of the squad can’t be questioned. Will we miss Yaya or might it be that he can’t get back into the team when he comes back?

January will be intriguing and possibly the month that determines whether we look back on this season with both pride and silverware but even if it ended now I’ve already seen some of the best, most entertaining set of games since Kevin Keegan’s Championship promotion side and before that the 1968 championship season.

Gloomy? Not a bit of it. Roll on the next City game.

MATCH REACTION III: CHRIS FOY VOODOO DOLL

Before we start sticking pins into our Chris Foy voodoo doll, we have to realise that these decisions happen all the time. Look at the Wolves’ sending off, the missed call on Lampard, the rescinded red card on Wigan, it seems every major game is affected by at least one controversial call.

The current plight of refereeing in this country is so shockingly bad that you have to win despite them rather than lose because of them. Was Kompany’s offence a red card? Of course not. Did Barry deserve two yellows against Liverpool? Of course not. Did Lescott intentionally handball against Chelsea? Of course not.

Yet the key is to win in such a convincing fashion that the referee can’t possibly affect the outcome. Personally, I was proud of how City fought back against United. Despite Fergie’s post-game mumbling, he knows he was in a game and that City didn’t cave in like Arsenal, Fulham and Wigan did.

Let’s face it, the key game this week is at home to Liverpool in the Carling Cup semi final, and we have Hart, Balotelli, Barry and Dzeko fresh for that game. F.A. Cup… been there, won that. City need to concentrate on winning the League and the Carling Cup.

To finish on top of the league at the end of the season sends the ultimate message to the Rags about their noisy neighbours. It’s going to take more than a few horrendous refereeing decisions to disrupt City. Let’s stuff the Scousers (ED: Watch out Keith, not sure you are allowed to say ‘Scousers’ these days)!

MATCH REACTION IV: PSYCHOLOGICALLY WE WON

Sunday, what an incredible game.

I, my brother, son, nephew, friends and everyone I spoke too came away from the match on a high, feeling elated as though we had won, not lost!

All very strange. Don’t want to do that too often, but psychologically I think we won by a mile and I’m now convinced we will win the Premier League and I’m looking forward to celebrations at the derby in April.

Well done Mancini et al.

C’mon you Blues.

ARTICLE: SUAREZ I

It’s quite some time since I contributed to MCIVTA but, having been to and enjoyed the City Liverpool match last week I wanted to add a thought to the Suarez controversy.

Whether or not Suarez thought his comments were racist, the major blame possibly lies with Liverpool FC. In my opinion they have a duty to educate foreign players as to what is and what is not acceptable to be said in the UK.

If they did not do that, then they must accept the consequences of their lack of action. If they did do that properly, then the fault clearly lies with Suarez. Either way, what appears to have happened is unforgivable.

I just hope that City are taking seriously their responsibility to educate foreign players (and perhaps those home grown also) as to what is acceptable in the UK and also overseas on their travels for away matches.

ARTICLE: SUAREZ II

Like Phil I have lost a lot of respect for Dalglish on the Suarez issue. I wonder where these people have been for the last 30 years?

Most responsible employers have had to look carefully at their internal standards of behaviour and make clear to staff what is and is not acceptable. In sunny Droylsden where I was brought up it was commonplace to call people by inappropriate national/racial characteristics – “Jewish” “Scottish” etc. Following Liverpool and Daglish’s logic is it ok for me to carry it on if I were so minded, 30/40 years after it became unacceptable just because it might still be ok in my ex-locale? Of course not.

I also fail to see why clubs don’t get a significant fine if their players misbehave in this way. If it were a case of racially offensive behaviour in other organisations, an Employment Tribunal for example could levy a substantial award against the employer for not training their staff and doing all they can to ensure we can carry on our lives without the blight of racism. Liverpool have made themselves look like idiotic dinosaurs.

SPARE TICKET

I have a spare ticket in the South Stand level 2 for the home semi-final this Wednesday. Any offers considered! Can meet outside ground.

AND FINALLY… CHRIS FOY ENTERPRISES LTD

I have been receiving MCIVTA for a very long time but have sadly never contributed. This is a simple piece but I thought it worth advertising the fact that the idiot that turned up to referee the ‘derby’ FA Cup tie was an imposter!

He is actually a ‘Motivational Speaker’. No wonder he hadn’t a clue about the rules of the game or any idea about what was going on around him. I feel sorry for him really as he must have been recruited at the last minute as Howard Webb wasn’t available. I wonder who the red-faced ‘plonker’ will select for the 4th Round tie.

City will win the Premier League now after that fantastic 2nd half performance. We could not expect to sustain 4 competitions and City have got all the good publicity from this game despite the loss.

Director Summary
Mr Christopher Foy has 1 company director or secretary appointments
Short name: Christopher Foy
Director ID: 915965226
Month/Year of Birth: 11/1962
Company Name: Chris Foy Enterprises
Appointment Date: 27/04/2011
Position: Director
Occupation: Motivational Speaker
Company Status: Active

RESULTS AND TABLE

League table to 08 January 2012 inclusive

                          HOME             AWAY          OVERALL
                    P  W  D  L  F  A  W  D  L  F  A  W  D  L  F  A  GD Pts
 1 Manchester City 20 10  0  0 31  4  5  3  2 25 12 15  3  2 56 16  40 48
 2 Manchester Utd  20  7  1  2 30 14  7  2  1 19  6 14  3  3 49 20  29 45
 3 Tottenham H.    19  7  1  1 18  8  6  2  2 18 12 13  3  3 36 20  16 42
 4 Chelsea         20  6  1  3 23 16  5  3  2 16  9 11  4  5 39 25  14 37
 5 Arsenal         20  7  2  1 16  6  4  1  5 20 22 11  3  6 36 28   8 36
 6 Liverpool       20  4  6  0 14  8  5  1  4 10 10  9  7  4 24 18   6 34
 7 Newcastle Utd   20  5  3  2 15 11  4  3  3 14 14  9  6  5 29 25   4 33
 8 Stoke City      20  4  4  2 14 11  4  1  5  8 20  8  5  7 22 31  -9 29
 9 Norwich City    20  4  3  3 17 15  2  4  4 13 20  6  7  7 30 35  -5 25
10 Sunderland      20  3  4  3 14 11  3  2  5 13 12  6  6  8 27 23   4 24
11 Everton         19  3  2  5 10 12  4  1  4 10 10  7  3  9 20 22  -2 24
12 Swansea City    20  4  5  1 12  4  1  3  6  8 19  5  8  7 20 23  -3 23
13 Aston Villa     20  3  2  5 11 13  2  6  2 11 13  5  8  7 22 26  -4 23
14 Fulham          20  4  3  3 16 15  1  5  4  6 11  5  8  7 22 26  -4 23
15 West Brom A.    20  2  2  6  7 12  4  2  4 12 16  6  4 10 19 28  -9 22
16 Wolves          20  3  2  5 14 17  1  3  6  8 19  4  5 11 22 36 -14 17
17 QPR             20  1  4  5  9 17  3  1  6 10 18  4  5 11 19 35 -16 17
18 Bolton Wndrs    20  1  1  8 11 24  4  0  6 14 19  5  1 14 25 43 -18 16
19 Wigan Athletic  20  1  4  5 10 20  2  2  6  8 21  3  6 11 18 41 -23 15
20 Blackburn R.    20  2  0  8 13 21  1  5  4 16 22  3  5 12 29 43 -14 14

MCIVTA FAQ [v1112.01]

[1] MCIVTA Addresses

Articles (Philip Alcock)         : editor@mcivta.city-fan.org
News/rumour                      : news@mcivta.city-fan.org
Subscriptions (Madeleine Hawkins): subscriptions@mcivta.city-fan.org
Technical problems (Paul)        : paul@city-fan.org
FAQ (David Warburton)            : faq@mcivta.city-fan.org

[2] What are MCIVTA’s publishing deadlines?

Deadlines for issues are nominally 6pm, Monday and Thursday evenings by email. Unfortunately we cannot accept email attachments.

[3] MCIVTA Back Issues and Manchester City Supporters’ home page/Twitter

http://www.mcivta.com/ is the unofficial Manchester City Supporters’ home page. Created in 1994, it is the longest running of the Manchester City related web sites. Back issues of MCIVTA are also hosted on the site. You can also follow on www.twitter.com/mcivta to get the latest updates.

[4] What is the club’s official web site?

The official club web site can be found at http://www.mcfc.co.uk/ and the official club Twitter page at www.twitter.com/mcfc. The club also has a facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/mcfcofficial

[5] What supporters’ clubs are there?

The Official Supporters’ Club and the Centenary Supporters’ Association have merged to become the Manchester City Supporters’ Club (http://www.mcfcsupportersclub.com/). The club also recognise the Manchester City Disabled Supporters’ Association (http://www.mcdsa.co.uk/).

[6] Where can I find out about Points of Blue?

The committee operates as an interface between supporters and the club. Points of Blue appears on the club website under the “Fans” heading (http://www.mcfc.co.uk/Fans).

[7] What match day broadcasts are available on the web?

Live match commentary can be found on the club website. The Radio Manchester pre- and post-match phone-in is available on the web at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/england/manchester/.

[8] Where can I find out if City are live on satellite TV?

http://www.satfootball.com/ provides a listing of Premier League games being shown on UK domestic and foreign satellite channels. A useful site for North American viewers is http://msn.foxsports.com/.

[9] Do we have a Usenet newsgroup?

Yes we do: uk.sport.football.clubs.man-city is our home on usenet. If you are not familiar with Usenet, a basic explanation is available here: http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/definition/Usenet

[10] Do any squad members have their own web pages?

There are a number available and direct links can be found at http://www.mcivta.com/players/

[11] Do any squad members have their own Twitter accounts?

A list of genuine player accounts is maintained at http://twitter.com/#!/MCFC/players

[12] Where can I find match statistics?

Statistics for the current season are available from the club site, but for a more in-depth historical analysis try http://www.mcfcstats.com/.

DISCLAIMER
The views expressed in MCIVTA are entirely those of the subscribersand there is no intention to represent these opinions as being thoseof Manchester City Football Club, nor of any of the companies anduniversities by whom the subscribers are employed. It is not inany way whatsoever connected to the club or any other relatedorganisation and is simply a group of supporters using this mediumas a means of disseminating news and exchanging opinions.

Philip Alcock, editor@mcivta.city-fan.org

Editor: