Anger management: FA charging Man City over confronting referee demonises players' passion

Manchester City have been charged by the English Football Association with failing to control their players during Sunday's nail-biting 3-3 draw against Tottenham Hotspur.

Incensed players surrounded referee Simon Hooper when he awarded a free-kick to City late in stoppage time after initially waving play on for a foul on Erling Haaland, who had played teammate Jack Grealish through on goal for what could have been a potentially match-winning moment.

City were charged under rule E20.1, which mandates that a club must ensure its players do not “behave in a way which is improper, offensive, violent, threatening, abusive, indecent, insulting or provocative”. The club has until Thursday to appeal against the charge.

Granted, no one wants to see players surrounding a referee like screaming hyenas at every contested call, but what looks "improper" or "threatening" or "provocative" through the FA's lens can look completely different through players'.

The idea of asking players to be robotic, disconnected, emotionally numb in high-pressure situations, when so much is at stake, is ludicrous, and worth examining.

Let's for a moment consider what the alternative reality would have looked like at that exact moment at the Etihad Stadium.

Haaland is cynically scythed down by Tottenham defender Emerson Royal just inside City's half. Haaland, being the brute force of nature he is, rides the challenge, turns, looks up, sees an ocean of green for Grealish to run into and plays a ball for his City teammate to bear down on goal. Hooper blows his whistle to signal a foul and a free kick to City.

City players march up the pitch ready for the ball to be hoofed up to them, no questions asked. The ref blows his whistle. Game over. Everyone