Remember those days about eight or nine years ago when it was the exception rather than the norm for City not be given a penalty in a home game and we used to get a fair few in away matches as well? To use the modern parlance, I think we had a few forwards who were prepared to "go to ground easily", but that didn't wholly explain the huge number we were getting around the 08/09 season.
Gradually, the penalties dried up and it almost seemed at times that referees were paying us back for all the ones we had been given as they ignored what looked like stonewall spot kicks to this unbiased observer!
I've just been looking up how many penalties we were given under Russell Slade's management and all of the four penalties we scored from in 14/15 came in matches where he was in charge, while there was also one that Whitts missed in a 3-2 loss at Norwich. Last season we scored six penalties and, off the top of my head, we didn't miss any, so ten in the eighty one league games Slade took charge of is better than I thought it would be.
This season, I make it that we've been given five penalties, none of which were awarded during Paul Trollope's time in charge, so, under Neil Warnock, we've scored five in eighteen matches. If that ratio was maintained over a forty six match campaign. we'd be talking about something like twelve or thirteen for the season, more than double what we've had in both of our previous seasons.
However, the most interesting thing for me is that four of these penalties have come in our last seven matches, with a surprising three of them coming in away games.
Of course, this surge in penalties coming our way could well be something of a blip and things will return to normal soon, but I've been thinking of possible reasons as to why we are suddenly seeing opponents penalised in their own penalty area against us and have come up with the following;-
1. Teams are willing to run the risk of the ref penalising them for fouls on our most potent attacker from corners, Sean Morrison as they hold, block or obstruct him more - we've been given two penalties recently for fouls on Morrison and should definitely have had one in the dying minutes up at Newcastle as well.
2. Our players are diving more!
3. The Warnock effect - officials are intimidated by our manager's reputation and so we get penalties that we wouldn't under other managers.
4. We have more attacking pace with tricky players like Hoilett and Harris who are encouraged to take people on by this manager.
I'd discount reason 2, but I think there could be something to the other three possible reasons - one thing I do know though is that we seem to be players into the sort of positions where defenders feel most pressurised more now than at any time since our relegation.
Reply With Quote