Which is no defence at all

Firstly, whatever Mascherano did or didn't do is an entirely seperate issue. No, he probably shouldn't have given Aliadiere the "Aww diddums", but that is no excuse for slapping him in return.

"He started it" cuts no ice whatsoever. Niggle is a part of the game and the higher you go, the worse it gets. Reacting to it right in front of the referee will only get you into trouble, something I have had great difficulty in explaining to thick footballers for years!

Posted By: Iwan Husarmi, Feb 26, 19:26:22