Tell me how did he get a yellow card and yet 6 mins later or something the exact same foul was executed at the other end and even though Mata and maybe RVP, im not sure, brought Dowds attention to it, he waved it off. Either both are yellow or none of them are!! Simple as.
There seems to be this misconception that we got away with stuff for years and its time to take everything we get and shut up about it. This season alone we had at least 5 good penalty claims that we didn't get a look in. It looks like an opposition member needs to take a machete to a United player before we get a pen. However that said... I thought Phil Dowd had a good game that missed yellow aside. I don't get all this penalty claims from the corner. Every corner is a penalty if that's the case. There is no defending team who don't foul at EVERY corner and foul is a foul no matter how blatant or not. Shawcross was just unlucky last week to be the one who it gets called on, so its in fashion for these 2 weeks.
NOW back to Mr De Silva... I thought he was good without setting the world alight. Was solid, defended well, covered well, closed down well and protected that yellow card well. Still more of an attacker than a defender and as such he needs to be drilled as to when to over lap, when to cut in, when to take on a man and when to 1-2 it. To fit into the system he is needed to play.
He has yet to show the level of defending that i would like from a right full but what you gain on the swings you lose on the roundabouts. Can't fault his attitude and his willingness to get up and down the field. Needs to build on this, I'd rather have him than any the others at right back. But maybe its a position that needs adjustment in the windows. There is a certain 26 year old, Irish Toffee that would suit us well, but he wont be cheap. Maybe a swap plus cash?