COMMENT: Mauricio Pochettino's thin excuse and why I would bet against Yaya Toure

Glenn Moore offers his five-asides

Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure (GETTY IMAGES)

Pochettino’s thin excuse

Mauricio Pochettino’s complaint that Tottenham’s pitch is too small smacks of an under-pressure manager seeking an excuse. While teams are coached to “make the pitch big” when attacking, and vice-versa in defence, a smaller pitch should help Pochettino’s pressing game. And it is only a metre narrower.

Scapegoats come good

In the rolling 24-hour news and blogging cycle, the shift in perception is frighteningly swift. Harry Redknapp, Mario Balotelli and Alan Pardew all found a measure of redemption this week. What price Yaya Touré, executing Manual Pellegini’s tactical masterplan, wins the Manchester derby?

Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure (GETTY IMAGES)

Death becomes them

The only surprise at Brazilian club Corinthians’ plan to open a 70,000-plot graveyard with function rooms and a sliding scale of burial fees is that a Premier League club had not already thought of it. But which English club will be first to follow suit? “United till I die” – and beyond?

Taylor has stomach for fight

Moment of the week? Ryan Taylor of Newcastle’s stomach-block on the line from Edin Dzeko’s shot for Manchester City. Taylor was out injured for 26 months and his performance showed how much simply playing the game can still mean to professional footballers.

A ref’s lot: just one assault

Veteran grassroots referee Jim de Rennes was honoured for 25 years’ service by Howard Webb last week. He “takes pride in the fact he has been assaulted just once in his career” reports the Surrey Comet. What a depressing indictment of our game.