CITY Guardiola dismissive about new initiative to end diving
PEP Guardiola was left completely underwhelmed by the introduction of retrospective bans for diving and would rather give referees help to improve them cut out “a lot of mistakes”.
The FA have voted in favour of issuing two-match suspensions for any players deemed to have ‘deceived’ match officials, taking action after a number of controversial incidents in recent weeks.
Marcus Rashford and Leroy Sane won penalties for their clubs against Swansea and Middlesbrough respectively on the same day a few weeks ago to reignite the debate over appropriate punishment for stamping simulation out of the game.
From next season, a panel of an ex-manager, ex-player and ex-referee will review footage independently to determine each incident but, asked whether it is necessary to the game, Guardiola was dismissive.
“No. Because everybody makes mistakes,” he said.
“Are we going to review the referees? No. It sometimes happens.
“It doesn’t matter. My influence and my opinion don’t count.
“Whatever they decide, we’re going to accept and we’re going to accept the bans and the cases.
“I think diving is not the most important thing to improve. There are many other cases we can improve.
“The referees, they know everything. They are the bosses in those terms. I adapt to the rules, the federation, FIFA, UEFA, they do for football.”
Pressed on what else could be improved, the City manager returned to a familiar topic.
Referees have left him frustrated this season, leading to a couple of icy post-match press conferences and meetings with Mike Riley to try to get to the bottom of the problem.
For Guardiola, it is simple: match officials can no longer keep up with the pace and ferocity of play in the Premier League.
Where once they would always be in the correct position to see all the key events in the game, that has not been the case this season.
As a result, video technology can go a long way to solving that problem.
“Sooner or later that is going to happen,” he said.
“The technology will help the referees to be more fair about what happens in the game to make less mistakes because there are a lot of mistakes.
“Football today is quicker, it’s faster.
“Before referees arrive to see a situation, the players are much, much faster; that’s why they need technology.”
FIFA plan to use video assistant referees at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
The extra help will review “match-changing” situations before conferring their decision to the on-field official. THIRD in the Premier League, as is highly likely, represents a poor season finish for City… but rest assured there was never any danger of boss Pep Guardiola being sacked.
He has patient, understanding owners in Abu Dhabi, who were always going to give him a fair chance to introduce his own managerial ideas, players and tactics.
So Guardiola’s pronouncement that if he’d been at Barcelona or Bayern Munich and ended the season without silverware he would have lost his job, can only be some kind of public relations exercise designed to appease fans – and buy him support.
With the huge across-theboard changes for which his reputation is built, even those two European giants wouldn’t have moved him on after just one season.
Next season, however, will be completely different when significant improvements will be expected by the Blues’ owners.
Guardiola is a master of the smoke and mirrors world and here’s another example: he’s been on about being happy with his keepers after he wrongly sent Joe Hart away on loan, but you can bet on him chasing the best stoppers in the world during the transfer window this summer.
City - away at Watford tomorrow - are clearly in the driving seat for a top four finish at 1/500, while Betfred have Liverpool 1/8 and Arsenal 9/2.
As well as a new world-class keeper, Guardiola will have to resolve the ongoing issues with his 31-goal all-competitions top scorer Sergio Aguero, who as regular readers will know I have been urging Jose Mourinho to sign for United!
The City defence will need strengthening to compete in Europe’s elite competition, especially as one of my favourite Blues of the modern era Pablo Zabaleta is leaving.
Meanwhile, with a vacancy at Watford, it is interesting how many ex-players with a United connection are in with a shout for the job succeeding Walter Mazzarri.
Betfred have Ryan Giggs at 25/1 along with Reading boss Jaap Stam and Gary Neville at 33/1 with Roy Keane, Mike Phelan plus Paul Ince all at 40/1.