PHWEEEE!
The sharp sound of the whistle echoed across the stadium.
The referee marched over with purpose, reached into his pocket, and—flash!—brandished a yellow card toward Michael Hughes.
On the sideline, Robertson looked ready to protest, but O'Neill held him back. As an experienced head coach, he knew better than Robertson.
If it had been Old Trafford or Highbury, a tackle like that might've earned a straight red.
In England, status speaks louder than protests. Unless your badge carried real weight—one of the top six clubs, steeped in decades of glory—arguing with officials was a waste of breath. Manchester City wasn't there yet. Not in the eyes of referees, and certainly not in the silent hierarchy of influence that governed English football.
