I shows who really are the big sides when somebody like Davey has to refer to us. I think it is down to the officials, I don’t know why lower league managers are bringing out the ‘United card’ for.

All the myths about us getting better treatment than everyone else belong in the 90s!

There is another side-issue here: the speed at which the contemporary game is played makes the borderline between a fair and a “reckless” challenge very difficult to adjudicate. Defenders commit themselves – even leaving their feet – in anticipation someone like Ronaldo’s movement but they are very often a split second late in their challenge. He gets clattered and the referee looks the other way, adjudging more rough-house treatment to be fair. However, when in the course of human events we judge it to be self-evident that the slower, weaker opponent should not be allowed the benefit of the doubt then there will be a hue-and-cry that the game is losing its “manliness”. Looking at the video compilation – and it’s just a few minutes long – there can be little doubt that in the meanwhile Ronaldo will continue to get kicked from pillar-to-post.

It’s obvious to anyone who has an ounce of impartiality that targetting a player – any player – for “special attention” should be a matter that is treated seriously. One obvious punishment that could have been assessed is a “team penalty” – the match at Villareal was a perfect example of such an occasion when it was perfectly obvious that Pellegrini had instructed his players to systematically foul Ronaldo and thereby reduce his effectiveness. Yet the refusal of the referee to step in earlier and put a stop to this appalling “strategy” clearly contributed to Villareal’s belief that they could quite literally get away with GBH.

Capdevila’s foul was only the last in long line of “special attention fouls” that – viewed individually or one-by-one – was odious and fully deserving of a red card in the 84th minute. But what about the preceding 84 minutes when Ronaldo was subjected to constant fouls and late tackles ? I would think that it can be reasonably argued that Villareal went into the game with a plan to limit Ronaldo’s effectiveness – and they paid a penalty of six minutes (plus injury-time) for reducing the entertainment value of the game. In that sense, any concept of fair play is meaningless without sensible refereeing that could only come about IF the powers-that-be determine that protecting the game’s great entertainers is essential to maintaining the integrity of the game as a sporting event. Can we expect this to happen – yeah, sure – when chickens have lips !

Isn’t it strange that even a pro like Simon Davey can still trot out such rubbish when week in, week out, there is overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

I read recently that ‘Ronaldo should be more like George Best’ and continue to ignore such muppets, on & off the field. Maybe on the field, he SHOULD copy Bestie, as George was not afraid to deck someone every now and again. Now that would bring into focus just HOW the FA treat United. They would ban him for a year.