I'm sure Jose is acutely aware given his previous statements about our results against Barca - DON'T GO DOWN TO 10 MEN in the CL (notwithstanding the miracle witnessed at Camp Nou in 2012)
And it's so easy to do with those refs !!! Felt a bit for Pellegrini who watched the ref give 3 or 4 frees against the one Barca player then yellow a city player for his first. Thought the ref looked amateurish and bolshy and much as I don't like City,he was more pro Barca. Must be infuriating as a player to see this for an hour and get bugger all for the same offence. Have to say I don't understand Scandanavian refs who week in officiate 2nd rate teams in a 3rd rate League then get City and Barca in the CL. Asking for trouble for mine, and sure enough trouble arrived.
Have to agree. Whilst I was glad it was happening to someone else, we've been on the end of some horrendous decisions and poor refs in the C.L and you wonder how long it can keep going on.
Refereeing a game of this magnitude is their pinnacle, their one shot at being the centre stage. So they take it by making themselves the main talking point. Names like Ovrebo are only remmebered for their terrible refereeing performance. Guys like Collina, who got to manage games such as Juve/Milan and the Rome and Milan derbies, they did not need to make themselves a name for themselves, they already had one. Feel sorry for City, and not so. Really wanted Arsenal to win though as I feel we can beat them more likely than we could Bayern.
The best refs are always the ones you don't see. Collina you couldn't miss, but he was usually smiling !! Think that's part of it as well, he took the angst out of the game. If we set up and play like we did against City in the League, we can beat anyone.
