Total Football

Negredo was crap yesterday. If city have Aguero fit and ready for return leg they could have an outside chance other than that this tie is over.

Negredo wasn't crap as such, he just didn't get any support so wasn't able to bully the two defenders like he could have done if City were pressing higher up the park.

Negredo was well marked out of the game, but had the chance fallen to him over silva I feel he would have scored.

We weren't outplayed totally with ten men.

We had our chances but the better team won.

We weren't embarrassed like the pundits are saying "destroyed" was Alan Man united Brazils comment.

Don't listen to talksport Loz, they play to the lowest common denominator. Brazil in particular, I'm amazed he has a job.

Nice read tom

OP, what your comment seems to suggest is that football across Europe ought to accommodate to a certain understanding of the game, which, conveniently or coincidentally, appears to be the one you hold. Do you think it's only the British sides that have reason to complain, or that for some strange reason, everyone else should adapt to Britain's standards. Europe's made up of more than 50 countries and there's no reason for England's or Britain's views to hold more weight than that of a host of other countries.

You also seem to automatically assume that referees don't accommodate to different styles of play, simply because not everything they give is in accordance to what would be given in the PL. Big mistake. The challenge on Navas is a case in hand. Last night, every single pundit on Spanish TV thought Navas had been fouled, because they too are used to the referreing standards in La Liga.

Referees don't pander to the possession game or any game in particular, they apply the rules according to their understanding, which is a mixture of UEFA and FIFA guidelines, their own domestic game and, not least, their own individual criteria.

Refs regularly attend international clinics and meetings to try and reach consensus agreements on the basic principles of how to apply the rules. UEFA also has it's own refereeing and disciplinary committee that reviews refs' performances, rates them, and acts in accordance when they feel a ref has made important mistakes. Pierluigi Collina has an important role in this set up, if I'm not mistaken.

Even so, there will always be different criteria. You can't expect every or even most refs to apply the rules as you'd like them to be applied. You can see this even within a single league. Very recently I read a lot of criticism regarding one of Howard Webb's latest performances, and a number of users felt he allowed way too much contact. Spain themselves felt very hard done by in the World Cup final he officiated.

When you play internationally, you simply have to deal with the officiating that's served up.

Some good points itsonlyagame, and in fairness points I believe in myself, but of course it being a blog there has to be a certain element of being divisive! I stress there is a difference between me the person and me the writer!

Suppose the Howard Webb point in a way though proves the importance of a greater understanding of a collective European game. He would be more au fait with certain physical sides to the game and therefore was naturally (or professionally) less likely to penalise some challenges.

In a way though it has to be a bit of both. British teams must adapt to the footballing cultures in the same way that they should to adapt to Britain's. Perhaps the foreign referees thing would be one way of breaching the gaps between the 50 different footballing cultures, even more so in a World Cup year.

Its a blog so its a bit tongue in cheek and not too serious, just a nice hobby and people seem to be enjoying it! On Negredo, I thought he led the line pretty well all things considered, certainly think he had some unfair treatment in terms of decisions. Think you've gotta go for it at the Nou Camp though!

I ' have to read the article later but the ref effective Lu neutralised Negredo with that early booking and the fact he penalised him every time he made contact with a Barca player. He's at his best when Aguero"s along side him which hopefully will be the case at the Nou Camp.