Manchester City: Little consolation for Pellegrini

Manuel Pellegrini won’t be charged by the FA for comments on dismal referee Mark Clattenberg following Manchester City’s loss against Spurs.

Every narrative has a villain. In football that usually falls to either Diego Costa or the referee. Now imagine when Costa finally hangs up his boots for good (studs up, of course) and decides to try his hand at making impartial decisions in games. Who could be better at catching all those divers? At the same time, can you imagine a more detestable figure in the game?

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Either which way, it’s a well known facet of professional sports that the referees/umpires/robots who are tasked with ensuring a fair competition are going to get it wrong and it’s going to happen a lot. One time is one time too many, but it’s probably happening somewhere in the country at least once a week. Yesterday, it happened at least twice.

At the Etihad, Manchester City fell to a second successive defeat in the league to title rivals Spurs thanks to a penalty that never was given by one Mark Clattenburg for a supposed handball by Raheem Sterling in the box. Now, you’ve heard this story before. It was never a penalty, they cry. It happens all the time and it’s part of the game. Only in this case, I’m not sure it fits the mould. See, this actually wasn’t a penalty on multiple levels. It wasn’t in the box, it didn’t hit his arm and he didn’t even know where the ball was (which was clear because he was facing the wrong way).

The only logical explanation for a penalty being given is that Clattenburg didn’t see it and took a flier. An acceptable shortcut, you may think. We all make educated guesses. Only we don’t all do it with millions of pounds and championship titles hanging in the balance, but hey, it’s Mark Clattenburg. You know the guy, he’s been skirting with controversy since his debut in the Premier League in 2004. The last time Manchester City played Spurs even he gave the latter two goals, both of which were offside. He’s a bad referee who makes bad decisions and that shouldn’t come as a surprise. Or should it?

In reality, no mistake that costs a team a game and three points should be acceptable, but even less so at such a high level and in such circumstances. Of course, Harry Kane dutifully accepted his gracious and totally unearned gift, depositing it past Joe Hart to give Spurs their lead. Spurs hardly played sporting football, but in truth it’s difficult to blame them. The fault lands solely on the square shoulders of Clattenburg for possibly his biggest mistake since going to the hairdresser.

Citizens rightfully displayed their rage and following suit was manager Manuel Pellegrini who, in a rare display of emotions other than tranquility, tore into Clattenburg for his incompetence and blamed him for what, at the very least, must be a severe setback to City’s title hopes.

"“‘More important than my view of the penalty is that everyone saw what happened,’ Pellegrini said.‘Unfortunately for us it was the same referee, Clattenburg, as when we lost against Tottenham in the first round with two clear goals offside.For me I don’t think it is a good decision to have the same referee but I don’t want to talk any more about that.It was a penalty that Mark Clattenburg wanted to signal for and he gave the signal.”"

That last line there is key. Pellegrini, as if it isn’t obvious, suggested that Clattenburg isn’t only a numpty, he’s also biased and unafraid to show it on live television. Quite a claim. Honestly I’m not sure I agree with Pellegrini there. It’s true that if brains were dynamite that Clattenburg wouldn’t have enough to blow off his cap, but it’s a bit of a hard sell to suggest he’s openly biased in favor of a Spurs win.

All the same, I can imagine how you’d think that given how outlandish such a decision was. Making such a claim, however, is at best ill-advised, as criticising the referee is usually enough to get a censure from the FA. That said, it seems Pellegrini will avoid having to explain himself in this case and that will be that.

It’s hard to suggest why the FA are drawing a line under the situation, but it’s always possible that given Pellegrini’s lack of previous outspokenness coupled with the bizarre nature of the challenge involved, it was enough to let him off the hook. Either which way, it matters little for Pellegrini and Manchester City. Pellegrini is already making way for Pep Guardiola at the end of the season and City are suddenly looking like they will compete for a Champions League spot and not the title after all.

Now, they may only be six points adrift. That isn’t an unclimbable peak, but they have three teams in front of them now and will have to rely on all three dropping points at some stage. Leicester may fizzle out, but Spurs and Arsenal are no sure thing to drop the ball. Clattenburg’s clanger only adds to his legend, but it could well have cost City much more than just three precious points.

Next: Manchester City 1 - Spurs 2 Match Report

With the League looking less likely, City will have to double down on the three other trophies yet remaining. All this starts next Sunday in the FA Cup against, who else, Chelsea, where Costa will take over the villain mantle once more. For Pellegrini however, just seeing anybody else officiating may come as welcome reprieve.

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