Suspended Vincent Kompany spells out an impressive case for the Manchester City defence

“I wonder though if we are now going to see an unprecedented wave of red cards on match days because we sanction ‘if’s’ and ‘maybe’s?’

“Are we going to look back at video evidence for every single challenge that goes unnoticed by the officials, look at different scenarios and potential outcomes of what could have been considered a good tackle and then sanction it?

“Players and managers are starting to expect more sending offs from referees and I think it’s for the wrong reasons.”

On that basis, Savic might even have worried about his involvement in the game as referee Lee Mason pointed to the penalty spot following his foul on Agger. There was no malice in the Montenegrin’s challenge, but his boot was so high, Mason might have judged it as serious foul play. It wasn’t, of course, but Kompany’s point is that uncertainty now reigns when it comes to tackling.

He added in his statement: “My understanding is that English football prides itself on the hardness, the fairness and the tradition of its game.

“That is why hundreds of millions of people tune in to watch Premier League football and English referees have always been a key factor to that success in my opinion.

“I don’t agree with people saying that referees in this country aren’t doing well as I think they are the best in the world. Hopefully common sense will prevail again in the future and I for one hope not to see consistency in sending offs and suspensions when the intent of a player is to win the ball.

“If football fans decide I’m wrong in raising these concerns then I will have no problem in accepting the fact that times are changing again for our game.”

Times are certainly changing for City. Without Kompany and Kolo Touré, plus Yaya Touré and the injured David Silva, Mancini’s team are now without some of their most experienced and instrumental players.

Mancini has hinted at frustrations at his inability to add to his squad this month, with the club’s Abu Dhabi hierarchy determined to halt their lavish spending in order to comply with Uefa’s incoming financial fair play regulations.

But while City clearly cannot continue to solve every problem with a flash of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan’s chequebook, sometimes it has to be a case of needs must.

Mancini has the numbers within his squad, but his back four lack experience.

Savic is clearly not ready for the Premier League, while Joleon Lescott appears less certain without Kompany alongside him. Deploying the impressive Micah Richards at centre-half would be a solution, but that would only leave a hole at right-back.

But while Kompany’s statement ensured his message reached its audience, Mancini’s selection of Savic might have just done the trick in terms of unlocking the club’s coffers.

As good a prospect as he may be, his presence at the heart of the defence only highlights the need for a new face.

City's faltering form

Roberto Mancini’s side have lost four and drawn one of their last eight games:

Dec 12 (Premier Lge)
Chelsea 2 Man City 1

Dec 18 (Premier Lge)
Man City 1 Arsenal 0

Dec 21 (Premier Lge)
Man City 3 Stoke 0

Dec 26 (Premier Lge)
West Brom 0 Man City 0

Jan 1 (Premier Lge)
Sunderland 1 Man City 0

Jan 3 (Premier Lge)
Man City 3 Liverpool 0

Jan 8 (FA Cup)
Man City 2 Man Utd 3

Jan 11 (Carling Cup)
Man City 0 Liverpool 1

Blow for Rangers as share trading suspended

Whyte claimed that he was considering removing Rangers’ listing with PLUS on the first anniversary of the takeover, a move which would place the club’s activities under less scrutiny.

“Given the structure of the shareholding in the club, there is very little, if any, tangible benefit for the club to be a listed company,” he said. “The fact that the club has a majority shareholder controlling more than 80 per cent means there is very little trading in shares. In reality, a public listing means more bureaucracy.

“Rangers does not need to remain a listed company in order for people to buy and sell their individual shares and since becoming chairman I have always questioned what is really being achieved with a public listing.

“Whether or not we are a listed company, accounts will still be published and there will still be a shareholders’ AGM. All shareholders would be able to hold the directors to account.”

Due to the club’s unwillingness to hold their AGM, however, shareholders have been unable to do that since the takeover. Rangers, under the ownership of venture capitalist Whyte, have made a habit of missing deadlines. However, the forthcoming Top Tier Tribunal in Edinburgh, due to sit from Jan 16-18, remains the biggest potential threat for a club whose failures in domestic and European cup competitions have not helped their cash-flow problems.

In order to be granted a licence by the Scottish Football Association to compete in Europe next season, clubs must confirm to the ruling body by March 31 that they do not owe monies to their employees or the tax authorities as a result of contractual and legal obligations that arose before Dec 31.

Since the verdict in the tax case may not be made public until March or early April, this would pose problems for both the club and the administrators of the national game.

Former striker Mark Hateley, who still represents for the club in a promotional capacity, believes that Whyte still deserves the benefit of the doubt from fans in spite of the latest ignominy which, incidentally, does not prevent them from selling or signing players during January’s transfer window.

“It’s not been the easiest of take-overs because of all the ongoing debts and uncertainties of the debts,” he said. “You have to dig in there as a supporter and just try to see this storm out.

“It seems to be one storm after the other but we have to believe in the chairman and the way he is taking the club and, at the end of that, that’s where he will be judged. There have been a few eyebrows raised since he’s been at the club with the way he has done things and the way he has upset a few people, shall we say.

“But it’s his club and it’s his club to be run the way he wants it to be run.”