City's position towards biased decisions

[zuricity]

This isn't exactly scientific, but take a look at the two semi finals that were played this weekend.
- on Saturday in the Chelsea/Spurs game Chelsea had (according to the BBC) 37 percent possession to Spurs' 63 percent, with Chelsea making 19 fouls to Spurs' 11, a significant difference explained by possession stats (Spurs can't be fouling as much if they have the ball a lot more).
- in our semi final on Sunday the possession was 34 percent Arsenal to 66 percent City, and yet the fouls for both teams were 20 each. Are we a dirty team? Because I bet I can pull up a number of matches from this season where we've had the bulk of possession and yet given away more fouls. How many other teams are in the same situation? I would genuinely like to know, and my assumption is not many.

I've raised this a few times before, as it's a statistic that has been repeated over several years now and baffles me as I can't find any other team who enjoys so much possession yet somehow seems to always make more fouls than the opposition.

It's a big fucking red flag for me

It's also particularly disturbing that an Arsenal player goes through the back of KDB and a few seconds later he cards the Otto for no more of a crime .

We don't see City players doing callous , pre determined fouls generally ( kuns lung at sideshow bob is an exception).

[patrickblue]

Owners have made a long term +£billion investment that exceeds football and includes community investment and regeneration.
These are very powerful people with very deep pockets and very powerful connections.
Not a chance they are going to say goodbye to that investment or that they will take what we are currently getting.
As the season has progressed the decisions against us have got worse.
To the point where the authorities don't seem to care how obvious it is.
Today being a prime example, I mean when you start disallowing good goals, you don't care who knows or you are desperate!

So why do they not care about covering it up anymore? or maybe they are desperate - locked in a battle that we do not see.

Has to be that there is a war raging in the background, Club Vs Sky money.

We will know who has won come next season (does not help us for Thursday though).

I would love to see the stats since our last title and until today and how much it affected our league positions in these three seasons.

They really do not care, indeed and happens week in and out. Indeed, we have a lot of powerful people around us, but are they familiar with the league, with the entourage around the FA?

Many of us saw Howard Webb today on BT saying out loud in was not a goal and we did not deserve a penalty. We saw that, while even Camel took our side. Webb was part of the season many years and still is.

You really cannot look away at all those things.

Our owners have spent too much time and money on us to let it continue.
I suspect when they finally go public on it, it's going to be in a big way, and a lot of the establishment will suffer.

BTW, HW didn't say it wasn't a goal (how could he when the replay clearly showed otherwise). He was defending the ref for not giving it.
Still we all know that a rag never changes it's spots.

I doubt that the owners will go public.
That would damage the investment, a bit like throwing the baby out with the bath water.

But it is inconceivable to me that they are not trying to sort this out.
For starters the investment in the community and the regeneration means they have access to the politicians, business leaders, etc...

Next season will tell the tale.

I didn't mean our owners will go public, I probably should have said when it comes out.

[aaron bond]

Yaya has raised it with the media:

http://dailym.ai/2q68K9q

Yaya Toure has complained about refereeing standards following Manchester City's controversial FA Cup semi-final loss to Arsenal.

And the City midfielder has even suggested it would be better to play without an official in Thursday's crucial derby against Manchester United.

Referee Craig Pawson was the main focus of Toure's ire after City had what seemed a good first-half goal disallowed before losing 2-1 after extra-time at Wembley on Sunday.

Sergio Aguero thought he had scored but the effort was chalked off because Leroy Sane's cross was ruled to have drifted out of play before reaching the Argentinian.

Replays indicated the decision was wrong while Aguero, who did later give City the lead, also thought he should have had a penalty early in the game.

Toure said: 'I think the referees have to stop this. I am very disappointed. It is not the first time, there have been a couple of times.

'If we have to talk about referees, people are going to say "we complain" but when we see the highlights, for me it's very disappointing.'

'Maybe on Thursday we are going to have a better referee or maybe play without a referee - I'd prefer that.'

Asked if he thought the ball had stayed in play, Toure said: 'Definitely, and it was a penalty and something more.

'But what can we do? If (we) talk about the referee the FA is going to come in for the punishment if we think like that, but I think I need to sleep and rest and forget this game.'

City's attention now turns to Thursday and a derby which could have a huge bearing on the battle for top-four places in the Premier League.

Pep Guardiola's side currently occupy the fourth of the Champions League positions, with United just a point behind in a tight race.

Toure said: 'It is a very big game, an important game. We have to do that job and we will see what can happen. We hope we are going to have a good referee.'

[ayrshireblue]

I wish they would also point out that our players aren't picking up injuries, they are being kicked off the park. Silva went off yesterday because he got a knee in the hamstring in the first few minutes of the game. Aguero was kneed by Koscielny on the backside/base of spine which is a painful debilitating hit. When these go unpunished it does three things. First, it tells the offending team that they are free to carry on with these tactics. Secondly, our players are injured or don't go in for tackles for fear of injury. Thirdly, our players try to use the same tactics but get punished which results in the moral outrage which saw Aguero and Fernandinho get sent off against Chelsea.
I have said it before and I stand by this statement. We are being racially abused as a club because we have Muslim owners. As a white Scotsman that might sound strange but no other team seems to get the biased decisions against them that we do, both on and off the park. Who did UEFA punish for FFP? That's right, two heavily funded teams with the investment coming from the Middle East.

[City64]

Agree the club really really need to come out fighting over this appalling bent officiating against us this season , all the video footage is there just get it in the public domain and kick off over it !!! FFS what are the club waiting for ???

[Peter Doherty (AGAIG)]

Talking to a season ticket holder this morning. He's never been one for believing in the systematic bias that the refs apply to our players but he has actually stopped going to the matches in the last few weeks as the penny has finally dropped. I have to say, if what happens on Thursday turns out to be as I have envisaged it, it'll be my last game. As it stands I will not be renewing anyhow as I have no enthusiasm for turning up wondering how blatantly we are going to be screwed by the ref. I expected that yesterday and I got it.

[london blue 2]

Agree the club really really need to come out fighting over this appalling bent officiating against us this season , all the video footage is there just get it in the public domain and kick off over it !!! FFS what are the club waiting for ???

Agreed. Well done Toure. Now for Kompany, Pep, Khaldoon etc.

Stop letting them shaft us ffs!

[john68]

City fans have been asking these same questions over and over again since our owners took over and time and time again I have explained.

It is solely about money....£Bns of it, possibly at this time £Tns. It is about a group of clubs who got together with the sole purpose of maximising their profit at the expense of anyone and anything that stood in their way. They succeeded in taking control of UeFA and as I predicted around 2014, it is no coincidence that FiFA's old order has been removed and it is the Europeans who now have control.

They didn't do it alone, There are £Tns profit made each year by sponsors, partners, global TV companies, the global media and gambling organisations (legal or otherwise) all hanging on the global coat tails of that elite. The whole fucking lot of em...Football is rotten to the core, from top to bottom,wherever a profit can be made, there is someone creaming it off. The football institutions know about it, gain from it and are an integral part of it. ROTTEN TO THE CORE.

Domestically, it was the rags and Scouse, they added Arsenal around 2000 and Chelsea were absorbed when it was understood Chelsea were here to stay.

WHOOPS!!!!...Along came City with the resources to upset the apple cart. The resources to break through and threaten everything.
The constant media campaign to lie, twist, misinform and propagate anything negative about City. UeFA, via dodgy draws, the FFPR and the recent redesigning of the coefficients to ensure the failing old elite clubs are bumped back up to ensure they stay near the top and sustain their profits for all.

Around 2014, I predicted a European breakaway league with City excluded. It has only recently been reported in the mainstream sports' media.

During the game yesterday, I received a text asking "Would Arsenal be allowed to lose?" I answered "No" Arsenal are in turmoil, yesterday was a leg up from the authorities.

I am in no doubt that City are fully aware of what is going on, they are not fools. Pep himself said earlier this season "I know what is going on." I believe him.

[Sideshow Bob]

i don't doubt the club is aware of what's going on. im just not sure they can do anything about it, even if they were inclined to do so. we want to compete in their competitions, and they hold all the cards. yes, we have money, but so do they and in any case how much influence can we really buy? i thought bernstein was going to change things for the better from inside the FA but nothing changed. in fact it's gotten worse. i am not sure how much longer i can continue watching.

[john68]

I went through a stage like that Bob.
Now I enjoy the challenge of beating the whole fukking lot of em and succeeding despite their antics.

Building a team that wins against them all is a huge buzz.

[Nick]

It will be another factor in reduced numbers of the hardcore

I don't think city will pipe up, Maureen and taggarts would slag refs off pre games to get decisions

[carl_feedthegoat]

I went through a stage like that Bob.
Now I enjoy the challenge of beating the whole fukking lot of em and succeeding despite their antics.

Building a team that wins against them all is a huge buzz.

Agreed..I couldn't just switch off supporting a team that I've supported since my olds man sperm entered my mother.

A bit crude I know....but truthful.

[Sideshow Bob]

I went through a stage like that Bob.
Now I enjoy the challenge of beating the whole fukking lot of em and succeeding despite their antics.

Building a team that wins against them all is a huge buzz.

part of me wants to see that happen. the part that made me cry - a grown ass man weeping - when we beat the rags in the FA semifinals. the other part of me wonders why i bother when it's so clearly bent AF and will never change.

[john68]

Made me smile Carl......sometimes being a stubborn cunt can be fun.
Just watching their faces when you succeed despite what they do to you.

[carl_feedthegoat]

Made me smile Carl......sometimes being a stubborn cunt can be fun.
Just watching their faces when you succeed despite what they do to you.

They might as well wear a fucking scarf mate but we will come back stronger next year - that's a racing certainty .

[PeterParker]

Yaya has raised it with the media:

http://dailym.ai/2q68K9q

Yaya Toure has complained about refereeing standards following Manchester City's controversial FA Cup semi-final loss to Arsenal.

And the City midfielder has even suggested it would be better to play without an official in Thursday's crucial derby against Manchester United.

Referee Craig Pawson was the main focus of Toure's ire after City had what seemed a good first-half goal disallowed before losing 2-1 after extra-time at Wembley on Sunday.

Sergio Aguero thought he had scored but the effort was chalked off because Leroy Sane's cross was ruled to have drifted out of play before reaching the Argentinian.

Replays indicated the decision was wrong while Aguero, who did later give City the lead, also thought he should have had a penalty early in the game.

Toure said: 'I think the referees have to stop this. I am very disappointed. It is not the first time, there have been a couple of times.

'If we have to talk about referees, people are going to say "we complain" but when we see the highlights, for me it's very disappointing.'

'Maybe on Thursday we are going to have a better referee or maybe play without a referee - I'd prefer that.'

Asked if he thought the ball had stayed in play, Toure said: 'Definitely, and it was a penalty and something more.

'But what can we do? If (we) talk about the referee the FA is going to come in for the punishment if we think like that, but I think I need to sleep and rest and forget this game.'

City's attention now turns to Thursday and a derby which could have a huge bearing on the battle for top-four places in the Premier League.

Pep Guardiola's side currently occupy the fourth of the Champions League positions, with United just a point behind in a tight race.

Toure said: 'It is a very big game, an important game. We have to do that job and we will see what can happen. We hope we are going to have a good referee.'

The only fella with a pair from our club.

[PeterParker]

Made me smile Carl......sometimes being a stubborn cunt can be fun.
Just watching their faces when you succeed despite what they do to you.

I really agree mate, I am just furious that since our title, our succes was stopped outside the field, which is unfair to say the least. We were mediocre on the field since 2014, but we could had finished on a better position this and last year if there were not those ”influences”.

Talk about a Piovra. Octopus at the highest level.

[Mase]

The main thing for me, and it should worry the club massively, is the season ticket holders that are sick of the past few years treatment by the FA and referees and decide to call it a day.

I was on the fence at the start of the season, I hoped a good campaign would convince me to keep the season ticket. But after 19 years straight of having it I'll be giving it up at the end of the season.

There's a few reasons why - I don't fancy watching teams like Sunderland come to COMS and whack 12 men behind the ball every other week - it just gets boring and predictable. Another reason is the club used to pride itself on the fans. The little touches they'd do that set us apart from other clubs and kept the 30-Odd thousand going during the division 2 days. Now I can't even stay inside the stadium for 2 minutes after the match before I'm asked to leave by a gang of stewards because they "want to get home".

But the main and most important reason for me not renewing next season is the fact we're getting absolutely cheated week in week out, and the club aren't doing enough about it. I say 'aren't doing enough' because I know someone will chirp up with (and quite rightly so) "how do you know the club aren't doing anything?". They're simply not doing enough! For Sagna to have to delete his wording on Instagram (but then still get fined - he might as well have kept it on there), for Pep to start off the season questioning the decisions by referees only to now say "I don't want to talk about the referee" when questioned, someone from the club must have told him not to say anything. And it absolutely stinks.

5 years this has been going on. Very slowly to start with, but 5 years they've been doing this. To the point now where they're not even hiding it.

I've supported City through thick and thin. Some of those 'dark days' were my most enjoyable following City - because I only knew the dark days at that time. I bleed blue. But for it to get to the point where I've been chipped away at for 5 years and now don't want to renew because I don't want to see us be cheated every week, it says a lot.

As people have already mentioned - there's literally nothing we, as fans, can do. Even when it's obvious decisions that go against us they're being papered over by incompetent 'pundits' or ex-referees in the media. It's wrong.

I can see a hell of a lot of people not putting up with it anymore and calling it a day. I'm not talking about calling it a day with City. I'll support the boys in blue until death. But going every home match is starting to feel like going 12 rounds with Mike Tyson, him knocking you out clean, but the ref still letting him batter you whilst you're on the deck.

I hope I'm wrong but I can see season ticket sales dropping and it's 100% down to the club not coming out publicly enough and doing something about the blatant cheating and corruption.

[Original Dub]

Great post mate.

[london blue 2]

Great post mate.

Agreed.

I felt sick to the stomach at wembley on Sunday. I cannot imagine how that feels for a ST holder going through that week after week. I felt truly helpless and sick. Can't blame you mase.