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A BITTER PELL TO SWALLOW
Manuel Pellegrini is an unusual football manager, in that he doubles up as a decent human being. Pellegrini and Manchester City have been impossible to dislike this season, given his decency and their swaggering football, and that shouldn’t change because of one night of petulance. But it’s fascinating how easily the good-guy mask slips when the smoke stops being blown up your hole.
Pellegrini has consciously or otherwise styled himself as everything José Mourinho is not. So it was disappointing, instructive and highly amusing to see him wear Mourinho’s clothes – specifically his 2005 Matalan coat – by launching into an out-of-order rant about a Scandinavian referee after his side lost the first leg of a last-16 Big Cup tie to Barcelona.
It’s true that Pellegrini has reason to be radged-off about his treatment in Big Cup. His Málaga team were robbed in Dortmund last season, and Barcelona’s first goal last night should not have been given for two reasons. And with Barça down to 11 men after Martín Demichelis’s sending-off, maybe City would have taken advantage at 0-0. Yet the most important thing is that Barcelona are and were the better side. City are the best side in a poor domestic league, and the step up was too great. There’s no shame in that.
“From the beginning I felt the referee was not impartial to both teams,” Pellegrini said. “The referee decided the game. He favoured Barcelona from the beginning to the end. I think it was not a good idea to put a referee from Sweden in charge and a referee who made a mistake against Barcelona in a previous match. I think there is more important football in Europe than Sweden,” concluded the Chilean coach.
Pellegrini is likely to face a Uefa Level One charge of acting the giddy goat. It was a bitter and hopelessly confused interview, although we should cut him a bit of slack given the obvious disappointment that comes with realising you will have to settle for a domestic treble. The usually articulate Vincent Kompany was the same, rambling incoherently before becoming the subject of Roy Keane’s unique brand of hard-faced sympathy: “He’s obviously really tired. I’m not sure he knows what he’s talking about.” The harsh truth is that City fluffed their lines on, and off, the field.
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QUOTE OF THE DAY
“We have taken those facts into account, together with the fact Dennis pleaded guilty in an attempt to minimise the impact on Boston United. He is very upset by his actions and the potential impact on Boston United. He did offer his resignation, he will fully comply with the sentencing requirements and, very importantly, the false claims pre-dated his employment at Boston United. The board of Boston United does not condone Dennis’s actions, but he has been punished already, therefore it was felt that further sanctions by the club would be unwarranted. Dennis has accepted the outcome of the disciplinary procedure and he will remain first-team manager” – Boston United chairman David Newton issues a statement after the Skrill North club’s manager Dennis Greene was found guilty of falsely claiming benefits.
FIVER LETTERS
“Further to the story of Jens Lehmann’s bag getting pinched (yesterday’s Bits and Bobs), I can only add that what goes round comes round” – Ray Carroll.
“Re: the Lee Carsley Effect™ (yesterday’s Fiver). I remember watching Everton on TV once and being impressed with Lee Carsley’s energy. He seemed to be everywhere on the pitch. It was only later pointed out to me that, three-quarters of the time, the player I was watching was Thomas Gravesen” – Paul Power.
“Can I be the first of many herpetological pedants to point out that a bite from a very poisonous snake may or may not be harmful – it’s eating them you need to avoid. A bite from a very venomous snake, on the other hand, is worse than the chalice Lord Ferg handed to David Moyes” – David Hopkins (and 1,056 other herpetological pedants).
“May I be the first ophiological pedant to point out that what I think you meant to say is least venomous, extremely venomous snake, as a poisonous snake would only be dangerous were you to eat it. And, since the departure of Michael Johnson, I think the Barcelona players are safe from actually being chowed down upon” – Mat Owen (and 1,056 ophiological pedants).
“Let me be the first of 1,057 serpentologists to point out that snakes aren’t poisonous – they’re venomous” – Sheridan Smith (and 1,056 apparent serpentologists).
“Long-time reader, first time pedant, and two bites of the cherry in yesterday’s Fiver, no less! Snakes are not poisonous, they are venomous (thanks QI), and Jens Lehmann can’t ask for the return of a bag he had stolen – which sounds a lot like [Snip – Fiver Lawyers] – he could only ask for the return of a bag that was stolen from him. I’ve longed for this moment, so why do I feel less of a person?” – David Plant.
“Re: Steve Bruce’s funk about Hull’s game being brought forward to avoid a clash with Big Cup ties (yesterday’s Bits and Bobs). I think Uefa was spooked a few years back when Jermain Defoe and Neil Mellor (twice) netted for West Ham against Crystal Palace at a 90%-full Upton Park in the league, while on the same night Chelsea were playing Besiktas at a 75%-full Stamford Bridge in Big Cup – hence lots of empty seats on view (actual difference in attendance was a touch over 1,000 in favour of the Big Cup tie). What Uefa might not be taking into account, however, is that there may also have been a clash with a new Midsomer Murders which would have kept the Chelsea gate down that night, proving once again that TV is the death of football” – Ian Sargeant.
• Send your letters to [email protected]. And if you’ve nothing better to do you can also tweet the Fiver. Today’s winner of our prizeless letter o’ the day is: Ray Carroll.
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BITS AND BOBS
Bayer Leverkusen boss Sami Hyppia is clutching at straws after the 4-0 home defeat by PSG in Big Cup last night. “You can’t say that it all went wrong,” he faux-smiled. “It’s a difficult phase. We must be mentally strong like a boxer who has suffered a knockout punch and gets up again.”
Ravel Morrison has completed a 93-day emergency loan to QPR from West Ham. “All I want to do is play football,” he cooed. “I just want to show everyone what I can do week in, week out.”
Dynamo Kiev’s Big Vase game against Valencia tomorrow has been moved to Nicosia in Cyprus because of unrest in the Ukrainian capital.
Crawley Town could compensate Tranmere Rovers fans who travelled south to the League One game yesterday, only for it to be called off at 6.31pm. “The club would like to apologise to all supporters and sponsors for the late postponement of the fixture and the inconvenience caused,” sniffed a Crawley statement.
Darren Fletcher has returned to the Scotland squad for their friendly with Poland next month. Full squad: Gilks (Blackpool), Marshall (Cardiff City), McGregor (Hull City); Bardsley (Sunderland), Berra (Ipswich), Greer (Brighton), Hanley (Blackeye Rovers), Hutton (Aston Villa), Martin (Norwich), Robertson (Dundee United), Whittaker (Norwich); Adam (Stoke), Anya (Watford), McFiver (Fiver Towers), Bannan (Crystal Palace), Brown (Queen’s Celtic), Burke (Birmingham), Fletcher (Manchester United), Forrest (Queen’s Celtic), Morrison (West Brom), Mulgrew (Queen’s Celtic), Snodgrass (Norwich); Fletcher (Sunderland), McCormack (Nasty Leeds), Naismith (Everton).
And Chris Wood, the drummer out of ‘popular beat-combo Bastille’, will be on summariser duty for BBC Radio Devon’s coverage of Dagenham & Redbridge v Plymouth on Saturday. “I have been fortunate enough to have managers and players alongside me, but it will be a first to have someone from the world of entertainment,” cheered commentator Gordon Sparks. “Especially given the popularity of Bastille.”
STILL WANT MORE?
Why on earth are Manchester United offering Wayne Rooney a contract that could see them still coughing up £300,000 a week to him in 2019? Paul Wilson struggles to see how they make the numbers work.
Which day of the year could field the best team of players born on that date? Let the Knowledge take the strain.
Scotland boss Wee Gordon Strachan has an exclusive chat with Ewan Murray.
The very busy Raphael Honigstein explains how boss Thomas Tuchel is helping Mainz compete with Germany’s big spenders.
From the 1988 FAI Cup final to Schumacher v Battiston, 10 of the worst penalty decisions ever.
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YOU AND US BOTH, SAMUEL L
Rob Smyth
theguardian.com