Mario witch hunt on the cards?

[phips]

About time City got a call their way...Balo escaped being sent off imo.

[Trautmann]

From the video clip of the penalty, it looks like Parker has no cut to his head. Could it be that the ref saw it as an another attempt being made to have Balotelli sent off (a la Liverpool)?

[Socrates]

4 Match ban for Balotelli is a given, 3 match ban for Lescott is also a must AND also there should be a 10 match ban for Aguero. Scotty Dreamboat Parker could have been seriously injured when Aguero recklessly moved both himself and the ball out of the way of Scottyboy's attempted flying tackle. You could see the world's best player was clearly in pain after the incident and he could have been killed! Aguero has done shit like this before so they have to make an example of him.

[DoomMerchant]

4 Match ban for Balotelli is a given, 3 match ban for Lescott is also a must AND also there should be a 10 match ban for Aguero. Scotty Dreamboat Parker could have been seriously injured when Aguero recklessly moved both himself and the ball out of the way of Scottyboy's attempted flying tackle. You could see the world's best player was clearly in pain after the incident and he could have been killed! Aguero has done shit like this before so they have to make an example of him.

your Socrasm needs some work. It's a fantastic set of raw clay to work with, but add a subtle edge and you'll turn that into a real work of art my friend.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

It's all down to whether the ref bottles it or not.He saw the incident but will he say he didn't?

The BBC commentator said it was a clear accident until he saw a slow motion replay and that's what virtually everybody else thought and I think that includes the players on the pitch as nothing was made of it.

[Dameerto]

After several replays and something mentioned by Dixon on MoTD I saw Mario land on Parker's hand/arm then hop to try and avoid it at the same time as Modric pushed him - if you watch the foot he's supposed to have kicked him with, he's counter-balancing for his hop with it. Innocent.

[Bluez]

When it first happened I wasn't sure if it was intentional or not. The main problem is it looks unnatural but also its unusual that Parker after going in standing somehow ended up with his head at Ballotelis feet (which happens after Mario has turned away).
After watching
[youtube]mEKSRJybhJ8[/youtube]

I am now pretty sure it wasn't intentional. If you look at Ballotelis left foot at the moment the "stamp" starts, you can still see the studs on his left boot. If he had tried to get his right foot further forward he would have put all his weight on his left and turned his ankle. He had no stability on his left so he put his right down as quickly as possible for balance.

[kinkylola]

the gif that shows modrics' little push on balo just as he is getting ready to set himself after stumbling over parker the first time tells it all for me. That shove doesn't happen and there is no doubt that mario is not trying to stamp on him. The shove comes as he is rebalancing himself and makes mario look a criminal ... but only in super slow motion mind you. A lot of you have been fleeced.

[Avalon]

It shows the "stamp" didn't hit Parker, but the left leg hit him.

It does look bad, but I don't think it was intentional. 'Arry's comments aren't necessary though. Wasn't it Parker who send Richards somersaulting in the first half?

[Kladze]

It's Mario's fault. He has got us the points but he's also left us in the position where we will have to put up with this shit & marred the victory.

He stamped at Parker. Whether he caught him or not I don't know but he's yet again left himself open to the wrath of the referee but this time got away with it. Most refs would send him off so I presume Webb failed to see it. Our only hope is that Webb bottles it like the ref did v Liverpool.

Two games he's come on and put himself in a position of getting a red card. It can't continue.

It's as clear an incident of deliberate stamping as I'll ever see. Balo is a nutter, we all knew that beforehand and yet many are prepared to sacrifice their eyesight to defend him because he's one of ours? beats me.

[Tesl]

the gif that shows modrics' little push on balo just as he is getting ready to set himself after stumbling over parker the first time tells it all for me. That shove doesn't happen and there is no doubt that mario is not trying to stamp on him. The shove comes as he is rebalancing himself and makes mario look a criminal ... but only in super slow motion mind you. A lot of you have been fleeced.

I've been probably leaning to think it was intentional after seeing the replays, but actually this is a really good point and something I missed completely. If you are in the air and get pushed from behind, it seems reasonable to me you would push your leg back to try and stay balanced.

Anyway, the media are doing their best to get him banned so I'd be suprised to see a different outcome. Would rather see him banned than Lescott though

[Mike J]

im obviously one of the few that thinks he was a fucking idiot to do that. it was clearly a kick at him whilst on the floor. no place for it in the game.

i like balo on occasion but here i think he was a bit of a cunt.

[Mase]

It would have been better if he'd waited a few months and done it to Shrek.

[john@staustell]

The fact is that similar incidents are glossed over at other clubs, most notably Scum and the Dippers. When one of our players does it then it's the main talking point for pundits.

[Kladze]

The fact is that similar incidents are glossed over at other clubs, most notably Scum and the Dippers. When one of our players does it then it's the main talking point for pundits.

No, it's because it's Balotelli. The lad courts publicity so can hardly complain when it finds him - the fact that it's bad publicity is neither here not there.

[john@staustell]

Should be back fresh to win the Blackburn game for us!

[Beefymcfc]

I now do not think it was an intentional stamp, more of a slight of foot in order not to actually stand on Parker. Why would he try to miss Parker's hand and then try to stamp on his head, it just doesn't add up. And once you realise that he didn't even catch Parker then it's quite reasonable to suggest that it was a good move by Mario, a bit ballerina'esque.

Yes, Redknapp can say he had a cut (which nobody else saw, not even the physio who would've been all over it with a Butcher'esque type bandage) and the likes of Irani can pontificate all they want but if Mario had actually touched Parker then Parker would've surely moved/recoiled in a way to suggest contact. There is no movement whatsoever which would state that there was no actual contact and that Mario played a blinder by not actually hurting him.

The case for the defence rests 'mi Lord'.

[Mase]

If a player is lying on the floor and another player is in mid-air then there is a chance he's going to get hit. Whether Balo meant to do it or not, no one will ever know (unless he does a Ke*ne). It is impossible for anyone to say "he meant to do that".

[Lev Bronstein]

I watched the game with the sound turned down and listened to GMR. When the incident happened, I didn't think much of it and neither did the commenators. It was only after the TV showed the event loads of times, from only one camera angle, and listened to 'Appy 'Arry's comments did I think that there was a problem.

When I went to the pub last night loads of Blues were convinced of Mario's guilt, others weren't. Then someone (not a City fan) showed me a clip from a different angle - not that bad, we both thought.

Had a mooch on the Guardian message board, which was mostly for Mario's guilt, including some City fans. On the other hand, Mario's defenders included lots of neutrals with a couple of Rags and Spuds thrown in.

The point is that it isn't as clear cut as most like to think. A case could be made for lots of scenarios, but I don't think any would be strong enough to change anyone's mind.

One thing I do find curious is that, we all know the opposition try and wind-up and dig at Mario to try and get a reaction: to try and get him sent off. The fact that the Spurs players didn't show any anger, or surround Webb or have a go at mario. Surely that would have been the ideal time to induce a red: but, they didn't so maybe they thought little of it at the time.

[Goaters 103]

Cant defend what Balotelli did, and a 4 game ban is coming for sure.

We need a striker and pronto as we are now down to 2 for the next month. Go to Blackburn for Hoillett, and offern them some of our cast-offs in return like Onouha, and Razak (on loan).