Why do you think it is that we praise the likes of Brian Kerr, Didi Hamann, Jamie Carragher, and Damien Duff for their punditry on this site?
Because they don't talk out of their hoop.
That's it. That's all we want from a pundit, someone who will draw on their past experiences in football and give an honest assessment of whatever situation is put in front of them without relying on the increasingly tedious clichés that are overwhelmingly common in post-match analysis.
Jamie Redknapp really does seem like a lovely bloke, but his conclusion over the Aguero elbow "debate" that has been the main talking point of the weekend's action was an absolute joke.
Sergio Aguero looked at Winston Reid, knew he wasn't going to win the ball, threw his arm back and gave him a deck in the throat. It absolutely should be a ban. You can argue that it wasn't an elbow, but it was what is called in MMA, a 'significant strike' and is totally unacceptable.
But no, nobody wants to see a player like Aguero banned...
Erm... Why?
He's never been sent off in 212 games for Man City, is that in his nature?
I would have to say no.
Nobody wants to see a player like Sergio Aguero banned? I want to see any player who takes a swing at another player banned. When Bastian Schweinsteiger did the exact same thing last season, to poor Winston Reid as well I might add, he was retrospectively banned. Schweinsteiger is no bandit going around elbowing people every week, but he was rightly pulled up for a moment of hot-headedness.
Sergio Aguero has done this before, and he has gotten away with it, because nobody wants to see a player like Sergio Aguero banned. He's a magnificent footballer, and the best striker in the Premier League comfortably, but he is being given preferential treatment because he's really good and doesn't elbow people every week. Remember when he literally two-footed David Luiz up the hole and nobody cared?
Redknapp made the point that if this was Diego Costa, there would be outrage. He's right. If that was Costa there would be pitchforks out and the FA would be under pressure to issue a 10 game ban, but we cannot allow those who aren't notorious re-offenders like Costa away for their usual decent behaviour.
And it wasn't just Redknapp. While Jamie was the first, Danny Murphy came on MOTD 2 later on Sunday night and said the same thing, that nobody wants to see a player of the quality of Aguero banned, and Martin Keown too.
Why would you even say that? There's a big game coming up, nobody wants to see him miss it... Ah well sure yeah, City were playing Burnley he should be banned, but not when it's such a juicy game. Aguero should have been thinking about the United game, nobody else.
I'm sorry but it's absolute bollocks. Nobody wants to see players of the quality of Aguero deliberately striking their opponents and causing them to leave the game injured. It doesn't matter how talented a player is, or how nice he is, if you do what Aguero did, you miss three games.
How can it be any other way?
Aguero's reaction right after he planted one on Reid was telling:
He had his arms out and a look on his face that suggested he knew he had messed up... But it didn't matter, the ref had already turned and sprinted in the other direction.
Then look at Winston Reid's reaction as he left the pitch:
If nothing else, it was reckless and very dangerous from Aguero, but really it was just a nasty moment of madness that happens to nearly every player at some stage.
To see it brushed off, to suggest that it would be better for the game if Aguero didn't get banned, is absolutely infuriating.
Sadly this is par for the course with Sky Sports in recent times where you have to wait for Jamie Carragher on Monday night to get anything remotely sensible.
It's double standards, AND IT'S LIVE!
