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Mcmanaman’s lack of balance on fouls shines through

Manuel Pellegrini nailed an issue when pointing out that Manchester City aren’t averse to a foul or 13 despite their reputation and ability to play classic football.

And it was evident throughout the game that the Hammers – with the same eye on pure football – were snubbing a side of the game given they recorded just six.

City new boy Rodri was regularly to the fore in the ful making department although the pundits seemed to take a much kinder view of City’s indiscretions than ours.

There was a clear lack of balance in the way City’s fouls and our own were treated by the BT Sport commentary team notably via former Liverpool star Steve Mcmanaman.

His contradictory comments were picked up by ClaretandHugh Facebook Group member Neil Tidd who  said at https://www.facebook.com/groups/363174467150521/:

Rodri goes through the back of Wilshere: Mcmanaman: “There’s nothing wrong with that, there.”

Balbuena clips Jesus: Mcmanaman: “That’s always a yellow card” Good job, @btsport

The big club syndrome appears to be alive and well among the broadcasters.

 

About Hugh5outhon1895

Hugh Southon is a lifelong Iron and the founding editor of ClaretandHugh. He is a national newspaper journalist of many years experience and was Bobby Moore's 'ghost' writer during the great man's lifetime. He describes ClaretandHugh as "the Hammers daily newspaper!" Follow on Twitter @hughsouthon

15 comments on “Mcmanaman’s lack of balance on fouls shines through

  1. The number and severity of fouls are two different things. Yes City had double the fouls but Hammers fouls were doubly severe.

    • Hugh did you watch the game? The number of tactical fouls was ridiculous and you have to ask yourself why Dean the ref did not show one yellow for all of there cheating…yes it is cynical cheating.
      There again Gardiola is non English and resorts to a Spic stereotype.
      At half time Pellegrini should of given orders to the 11 west ham players to systematically make sure they take a yellow card each and make sure it is worth it. I would of targeted three of there players…3 fouls each on each player to make sure they cant continue to play the game and hopefully miss other games. Eye for and eye and more. Maybe then Gardiola will change his cheating spic mind…..rant over

      • Spic? Core blimey gov’nor, make no mistake, us Irons fans don’t like them! Different from us. Hugh, why have allowed this garbage in the site? We haven’t gone back to 1950’s and days of casual racism have we, or are you happy with this? Not in my name. But yes they are systematic cheats.

        • ….
          “There again Gardiola is non English and resorts to a Spic stereotype….
          Maybe then Gardiola will change his cheating spic mind…..rant over”

          Oh, caveman time in east London, is it? I bet you think Farage is a Good ‘Un, too. You dirty racist *******. Ironman has called you right and it’s good to see other Hamners calling you out. Get back to your pit, you disgust me.

    • Disagree although if you can remember the severity or otherwise of 19 fouls well done you

    • City make professional fouls, they have the most athletic team in the league and they defend in threes to reduce the likelihood of cards being given, if you watch any Pep team they are also coached on how to win penalties often straddling players to guarantee them. He is the most unsportsmanlike manager in World football he exploits every avenue, in that he is an expert then when you give him an unlimited bankroll to work with imho its criminal what his teams are allowed to get away with whatever country he has managed in.

  2. Cresswell out

  3. With all those Free-kicks you would have thought we would take advantage of a couple and at least score a couple ., especially with our heralded new signings . I’m afraid to say this is a massive smoke screen put up by Pelligrini to disguise our shortcomings . Hate excuses.
    Especially after such a mauling by the Country’s top side . Another ref would maybe have dished out a few yellows to city but , he obviously didn’t deem them worthy of card .
    4231 was the wrong shape against City anyway , we invited them to win handsomely . Especially with the high press game plan . Seems Pelligrini is just as stubborn as our previous managers once he has an idea in his head . No flexibility .
    COYHAMMERS

  4. One major point I think the Fans and pundits alike are missing.
    A big part of Man City’s game, is when the opposition break or look threatening they immediately bring the player down and commit a foul.
    Don’t get me wrong Man City are one of the best if not the best club team in the world.
    But what does surprise me is how the so called knowledgeable pundits don’t pick up on it or even question it. And even the referee;s don’t punish them with any yellow cards.
    This tactic consistently brakes up flowing play from the opposition. It prevents them from building momentum and creating chances.
    I lost count of the Fouls Rodrigo made. One on Lanzin, when Lanzini turned him and was getting away. Rodrigo instantly brought Lanzini down by pulling his shirt. This is a blatant yellow card. But he consistently got away with it.
    The foul count was 15 by Man City and 5 by us.
    But its not just that its a foul. They only do it when the opposing team are on the break or beginning to get into dangerous area’s moving forward.
    And just like everything else, they are really good at it.
    They are not bad fouls so they don’t pick up yellow cards.
    And referee’s are not picking it up.
    Just amazed how know one notices, or questions it.

    • I absolutely agree! I was amazed that Rodrigo in particular managed to get to half time without a card. He consistently committed niggly professional type fouls when City lost possession which broke up the play & allowed City to regroup & get back behind the ball. None of the fouls seemed particularly heinous in their own right (except perhaps his elbow into Haller’s kidney in the second half), but it was frustrating that neither Dean or the commentators/analysts picked it up. If City & Pep G are so meticulous in their approach to the game, then the only explanation is that this is a cynical tactic rather than a rogue player doing his own thing. Other teams will have seen this & I expect to see them getting in City’s face more than we did (perhaps in the way Gary Teeley proposed above. I’m not suggesting they be kicked around the pitch, but our biggest mistake was trying to match City in purely footballing terms rather than mixing things up a bit by tactically ‘putting our foot in’ a bit more. Obviously not pellegrini’s modus operandi, but City weren’t afraid to do it. In retrospect, perhaps we missed Noble more than I thought we might when I saw the line-ups?
      Also, Anderson’s yellow card?!!!
      Maybe that’s something else they can use VAR to get right. He literally got booked for being kicked 🤷🏼‍♂️

  5. Whilst I am relatively quiet on this forum, Mike Dean is and has been a very poor referee for West Ham, he favours the bigger clubs! West Ham were poor last night but so were City.
    I am concerned that one player can commit so many fouls and not get a warning, he even spear tackled a player with no intention of playing the ball, a clear yellow in anyone but Deans book. It was Rodei’s 5th or 6th foul including the spear tackle before he was spoken too! But damage done and he continued to ‘put himself about’! Balbuenas foul was a booking but not on Deans scale of offending. All supporters ask is consistency. City’s fouls were professional and broke up the play, they spent far to long taking their throw ins and if anyone says that’s not professional then perhaps you had better take your rose tinted specs off. To say that West Ham fouls were doubly severe? All they did was play the game the way City did but were penalised by a consistently poor performing referee, who on this evidence should be doing Sunday league thuggery matches.

  6. The point pele was making was every time city lose the ball, they commit a foul to prevent a counter attack,also giving them time to regroup….

  7. Cresswell would get roasted by a pub team striker let alone premier League,we lost that game from the inclusion of that plank,worst left back I can remember at West ham and I’ve seen a few dodgy ones,to make him captain makes you wonder about the sanity of the manager?truly awful player.

  8. Rodri didn’t go through the back of Wilshete though. Wilshire is a diver and he jumped into Rodri

  9. M M, really????

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