Season › 2014-15 › News Hackett can't believe Ivanovic escaped punishment for choke on McCarthy , 16 February, 3comments | Jump to most recent Keith Hackett, the former head of the PGMO says the Football Association's decision not to sanction Branislav Ivanovic for his clear choke on James McCarthy sends entirely the wrong message. “I find it almost impossible to understand how that player has got away with that incident. You might be right in asking if that panel has been influenced by comments made by the Chelsea manager. “What they're saying is that it's perfectly okay for a player to grab an opponent and almost throttle him because the Chelsea player got away with it. They're sending the wrong signals out." » Read the full article at Liverpool Echo Reader Comments (3) Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer Paul Dark 1 Posted 17/02/2015 at 12:28:47 Why can't Hackett believe it? It happens in and out of football all the time in this country. Alex Ferguson built a dynasty on cheating and even got himself a knighthood (surely the most ridiculous ever given).The PL is no longer a structure for sport but for theatre – and in a theatre the script is written in advance. Man Utd even call their stadium the 'theatre of dreams' – the irony couldn't be sweeter.Don't be surprised, Keith, just depressed – depressed at what you and the rest of the footballing establishment in this country have helped to create. Stephen Jones 2 Posted 17/02/2015 at 13:40:17 And Man Utd are still receiving favourable treatment from referees as evidenced by their 3 goals against PNE.Rooney offside for first, Fellaini pushes defender for second, and Rooney dives in penalty area for third!Onwards and upwards...! Ajay Gopal 3 Posted 18/02/2015 at 05:39:28 There was a startlingly similar incident that happened on 25 January in the Serie A. Philippe Mexes: Milan defender sent off amid Serie A brawl (http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30974266)If you look at the 2 images of the Mexes and Ivanovic assaults side by side, you would see how similar they are. However, the outcomes were entirely different: "AC Milan defender Philippe Mexes was sent off on Saturday during his team's 3-1 defeat at Lazio after grabbing Lazio captain Stefano Mauri by the throat. The pair were separated but Frenchman Mexes went back for more, first trying to head-butt Mauri before grabbing him from behind."I have to apologise to the club, the coach and my family," Mexes said afterwards. "It was the wrong reaction and I am sorry because I left the team with 10 men and I will be suspended."Unfortunately I made a mistake. In my career I have had these reactions. These things should not happen out on a football pitch. I have children and this is not the sort of example that a father should set." At least in this case, the footballer involved was made to realise his mistake and he will surely think twice before repeating it. And he seems to be repentant.In Ivanovic's case, the guy has got off scot-free and many young children will think "Hey, there is nothing wrong if I grab hold of my opponent's throat".Shameful conduct by the referee and the FA. Add Your Comments In order to post a comment, you need to be logged in as a registered user of the site. » Log in now Or Sign up as a ToffeeWeb Member — it's free, takes just a few minutes and will allow you to post your comments on articles and Talking Points submissions across the site. About these ads © ToffeeWeb