Pep Guardiola to meet with referees chief to discuss Manchester City discipline issues

A piece in the Mirror revealed that Pep Guardiola and his Manchester City superiors are interested in meeting with the Premier League chief of referees, Mike Riley, in order to discuss what has been seen by the club as unbalanced officiating at points this season.

While the Catalan manager typically avoids condemning referees, interviews after the Burnley match last week revealed a great deal of frustration with the decisions made. With 4 red cards and 40 yellows, the Sky Blues are at the bottom of the "Fair Play League" — something that has never been a facet of Guardiola’s style.

While the City heirarchy’s concern over inconsistent officiating is valid, the team has derailed multiple games this season with frustration.

Guardiola’s admittal that tactical decisions and a slew of team mistakes have slowed their success in the first half of the season surely signals an effort to play with more cool confidence as opposed to the rough and tumble games that took place throughout the autumn of 2016.

A meeting could go a long way to remedy referees’ perspectives. First and foremost, though, the Sky Blues need to keep their composure and manage possession with a clear sense of class.