Football Still Remains A Uniting Sport

England and France yesterday went ahead with their international friendly match at Wembley after the deadly Paris terrorists attacks that claimed the lives of 129 people and injured hundreds more last Friday in a show of defiance, unity and respect between both nations.

The game ended 2-0 in favour of England with goals from Dele Alli of Tottenham Hotspur and Wayne Rooney of Manchester United. But it was a game where the score line or the performance was secondary.

It was a show of support by the English for their French rivals who were suffering at this time from the devastation of the attacks. 

England fans joined the French supporters in singing the national anthem. Flowers were laid by Prince William, French Manager Didier Deschamps, and Roy Hodgson.

The stadium was filled to capacity with 70,000 fans turning up to show support for the French. The game was attended by prime minister David Cameron, the Duke of Cambridge, the London Mayor and other dignitaries.

There was of course, the outpouring of emotion by some fans who could not hold back the tears and even the players' resolve would have been tested to the limits by the occasion. A moment's silence was held before kick off with the players and match officials having joint photographs taken in a show of solidarity with the French.

The game in which the French FA turned down a request by the English to be called off turned out to be a spectacle not on the field of play but in the display of unity, love, respect and in its message to the world and the terrorists particularly- Terrorism will not win. Good will always triumph over evil.

Former Chelsea and Arsenal midfielder Lassana Diarra, lost his cousin in the attacks and was given a standing ovation when he came on for Yohan Cabaye. Athletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann was also applauded after his sister narrowly escaped being murdered by the extremists at the Bataclan concert were most of the massacre occurred.

In Germany, the friendly between Germany and the Netherlands was called off an hour before kick off due to bomb threats to the Hannover stadium where the game was supposed to be played. Police searched through the stadium for explosives but none has been found yet. 

The friendly between Belgium and Spain was also called off due to security concerns since some of the suspects were Belgian nationals. 

So far, investigations and raids are ongoing in France, Belgium and Germany with different levels of success. However, it is important to note that what has happened in France occurs on a regular basis in the Middle East, Asia and in Africa. And there has been debates concerning the degree of coverage by the media of the Paris attacks when compared to the attacks in other third world countries which may not get near as much coverage as the one in France.

This post is not meant for taking sides or adding to the debate that is currently raging especially on social media over the  media's failure to report extensively or show sympathy or empathy to other atrocities else where. 

I will however say this, the media should learn to as much as possible, give due and balanced reporting to atrocities done all over the world. As I write, there are reports of a terrorist activity here in Yola, Nigeria were a bomb went off and killed over 30 people at a Tipper Garage. It is not getting any serious coverage as it should on world media.

All in all, football has shown once again that it can unite people of different race, creed, belief and religion no matter the circumstance. It also has the power to send a strong message to those opposed to peace and liberty. The game between France and England last night is a testament to that fact.

Moving On From The Drama In Brussels

The Super Eagles on Sunday defeated arch rivals Cameroun emphatically in Brussels and in some ways, the result will bring some calm and belief to the team after the whole fiasco which erupted between Vincent Enyeama and coach Sunday Oliseh and which in retrospect, may have impacted negatively on the team in their first outing against Congo DRC.

It was an encouraging performance which was aided by the rashness of the Cameroun skipper, Stephane Mbia. There were positives to be taken from the performance on the field of play and there is obviously still room for improvement both on it and off it.

The emergence of Leon Balogun in a central role, the energy and verve of Moses Simon, the assured confidence of John Obi Mikel, the movement of Sylvester Igbonu, and the confidence of Odion Ighalo whose purple patch at Watford continued here are some of the positives to be taken out of the game.

There was without doubt some negatives. The most glaring of which was the handling of the Vincent Enyeama situation. A lot has been said about what transpired in the media and since there has been a lot of unconfirmed statements , I prefer not to draw any conclusions from what has been said.

However, it is clear for all to see that Oliseh showed his managerial inexperience in the handling of the situation and going by what he tweeted recently, there is still a long way to go for him. 

Even though there is nothing wrong with being on social media, I find it extra ordinary that Oliseh is on twitter tweeting statements that could be misconstrued by his followers. I'm not aware of any 'top' manager of any team having a twitter account and tweeting thanks to fans and supporters and insinuating some Nigerians are 'true' while others are 'false' or 'liars'.

I doubt you would find a Mourinho, Wenger, Guardiola, Ancelotti and so on using twitter to thank the fans or passing any remarks about anything concerning their teams. It is what press conferences and post match interviews are meant for. 

Oliseh may seem a modern Nigerian coach, UEFA certified and a former FIFA instructor or something, but a bit of wisdom is always required when using social media.

He might have the full support of the NFF in these early days but he needs to remember that in football, things can change very quickly. If he is in doubt, let him ask Brendan Rodgers or even the 'Special One' himself, Jose Mourinho how swiftly things can change.

No doubt Oliseh is the boss now even though his lack of managerial experience should raise questions about his suitability for the job. And as such, he needs the backing of the NFF and Nigerians so that there will be no excuses if he fails. However, he needs to learn how to manage the egos of himself and the key players in the team.

The harsh reality of football is, when things get ugly, the manager usually gets shown the exit door while the players usually remain or return. Enyeama and John Obi Mikel have survived different Super Eagles coaches in the likes of Festus Onigbinde, Christian Chukwu, Berti Vogts, Amodu Shuaibu, Austin Eguavoen, Lars Lagerback, Samson Siasia and recently Stephen Keshi but they are still key players for the Super Eagles under Oliseh.

The manner in which Oliseh has gone about in stripping Enyeama of the captaincy and the fact that Enyeama was even considered for selection in a friendly not minding his psychological state shows Oliseh needs to brush up in his man management skills. The mere fact that Enyeama might be grieving the loss of a close family member was enough grounds to excuse him from a meaningless friendly in the first place. If he had done that, perhaps, Enyeama's forced retirement might have been averted. 

The NFF chairman, Amaju Pinnick has revealed that the NFF intend to organise a testimonial for Enyeama. As a result, he may have been persuaded to reverse his rather hasty decision to quit the national team. Going forward though, Oliseh needs to show why he is the boss by doing what top managers do in potentially tricky situations and thus, avoid a repeat of the farce that occurred in Belgium. Respect after all begets respect. 

This is not to say Enyeama should not shoulder some of the responsibility for the mess, but the coach is the one in charge and he should be able to handle conflict in a manner that will not affect the unity of the squad. Whether he likes it or not, player power is still very much in the Super Eagles like in many teams all over the world.

The Super Eagles will next month start their World Cup qualifiers campaign against Swaziland or Djibouti. Let's hope the problems in Belgium both on and off the pitch are resolved before they show up in the crucial games which if they do, may spell doom for the nation. Nigeria cannot afford to miss out on the African Cup of Nations back to back and possibly the World Cup all because of pride.

Does Mourinho Actually Suffer From The 'Third Season Syndrome'?

With results in the Premier League going south, Chelsea manager, Jose Mourinho has been under pressure to turn results around quickly and arrest the slump that is Chelsea's worst since 1986. 

The hitherto rock solid defence of Chelsea is leaking goals like a fishing net. Thibaut Courtois could be out for a few months with a knee injury and Cesc Fabregas seems to have continued from where he left off last season with his poor form. This is not forgetting that Diego Costa has not been able to hit a barn door of late with just 1 goal all season.

Even Chelsea's transfer dealings this season have been suspect as unheralded players who are a gamble at best have been signed up to strengthen the squad. Falcao, Rahman, Begovic, Pedro and Papy were signed at the last transfer window but only Pedro and Begovic seem to be quality signings on paper. 

And as Chelsea languishes at the 17th position on the league table, many fans and the media are beginning to speculate whether this is not another case of a 'third season syndrome' that Mourinho is prone to with the teams he has managed in the past.

A journalist with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) was bold enough to suggest to Mourinho if the third season syndrome was the reason for Chelsea's uncharacteristic poor performance this season. The journalist got an angry response but  he also got an answer which for me settles this third season syndrome  argument.

According to Jose, there was no third season at FC Porto and Inter Milan as he didn't stay that long. In his first spell as Chelsea manager, he won the League Cup, the FA Cup and also led Chelsea to 2nd place in the league. At Real Madrid, he won the Spanish Super Cup, lost the Copa Del Rey final and also led Real Madrid to the runners up position.

These achievements are great by any standard. Teams like Man Utd, Liverpool or even Arsenal on current form will consider their season as very successful if they could achieve what Mourinho's teams have achieved in his problematic third seasons.

This is not to say that there are no merits in the argument for the third season syndrome. Mourinho's first spell with Chelsea was not turmoil free in his third season as his falling out with Roman Abramovich led to speculation whether he would remain the manager at the end of that season. 

He did remain the manager though but the seeds had already been sown. It was only a matter of time before Chelsea and Mourinho ended their relationship and after an indifferent start to the following season, Mourinho and Chelsea parted ways by mutual consent.

The Real Madrid experience was even more dramatic. In Mourinho's 3rd and last season at Real Madrid, he demoted Iker Casillas, lost control of the dressing room as a result of it as Madrid players sided with Casillas, and he then became a pariah with sections of Madrid fans for the toxic relationship he was having with iconic players of the club. 

Based on these two case studies, it is clear for even a blind man to see that Mourinho has had stormy third seasons and there is a precedent for what he is experiencing now. He has already fallen out with first team doctor Eva Carneiro after she and the physio ran into the pitch to treat Eden Hazard in Chelsea's opening league fixture with Swansea in the dying moments when Chelsea were hanging on. He publicly accused Dr Eva of not understanding the game.

There have been speculations in the British media that Chelsea players are getting disillusioned with Jose and the handling of the Carneiro saga. Substituting John Terry at half time in the Man City league fixture has also been pointed out as a sign of the cracks already in the squad. So, going by Mourinho's record of having fractious relationships in his third season, this is obviously a good pointer to the existence  of a third season syndrome.

However, when people make references to the third season syndrome, most people look at it from the perspective of Mourinho's results on the pitch and not his problems off it. With this in mind, it is safe to say, based on results which is what really counts, that the third season syndrome is a myth. Therefore, there needs to be an accurate definition of what this third season syndrome is when referring to Mourinho. I believe the answer is apparent.

Oliseh's First Game Is One To Forget

Sunday Oliseh began his reign as Super Eagles manager on a mediocre note as the Super Eagles played out a drab goalless draw with the Taifa Stars of Tanzania in Daresalaam.

It was a game the Super Eagles were clearly second best. Oliseh had debutante, Carl Ikeme, to thank for the score line as he made a couple of excellent saves that stopped Tanzania from getting a victory that could have condemned Oliseh to a defeat in only his first game in charge.

If Oliseh did not realise the enormity of the task he had inherited when he took over from Stephen Keshi, he would now after watching this performance. The Eagles were quite painful to watch. 

The same old problems remain for the Super Eagles. A lack of creative midfielders, bang average forwards and a shaky back line. These areas remain a conundrum for the Nigerian national team managers. The most glaring weakness of the team is the midfield which is key to many a successful team. 

The Super Eagles midfielders who were on the field of play in Dare salaam failed to make a case for their continued inclusion in the national team as their performance was not up to scratch. Obiorah Nwankwo who is a defensive midfielder, failed to provide the protection the defence needed to contain the Taifa Stars who were able to breach the Super Eagles defence easily.

Haruna Lukman who was a surprise call up in the first place, failed woefully to justify his recall to the squad with a performance so dire that Oliseh felt he had seen enough after 35 minutes and quickly hooked him off and replaced him with Sylvester Igboun.

The attack fared slightly better than the midfield with some attempts on goal through Emmanuel Emenike, although, I can't recall Tanzania goal keeper, Ally Mustapha,making any save of note as most of the attempts on goal either went wide or were blocked by a well organised Tanzania defence. A poor midfield didn't help matters as they were unable to unlock a resolute Tanzania defence.

The defence came out of this game unscathed for a second game in a row. This however, cannot be said to be as a result of the excellent performance of the back line but a combination of good fortune, poor marksmanship and world class goalkeeping from our goal keepers. When the Super Eagles lock horns with the Pharaohs of Egypt in their next two games, they should not expect them to be as generous as the Tanzanians.

The midfield failed to provide adequate cover for the defence and so the defence was easily breached. But the Tanzanians ran into an inspired and an in form Ikeme who ensured that the absence of first choice, Vincent Enyeama, who had to be excused due to a family bereavement was not missed.

So what positives can we take out of this game? The one positive that can be taken out of this game is the performance of Carl Ikeme. Ikeme who is currently the goal keeping number 2 at English club Wolverhampton Wanderers, showed that he is more than a capable deputy to Vincent Enyeama and should probably go on to be his successor after Enyeama hangs his gloves after the 2017 African Cup of Nations in Gabon (if Nigeria qualifies of course).

The other positive is that the Super Eagles have not conceded yet. And when you don't concede, you can't lose. But if you don't score, you can't win either...

A draw has to go down as a positive result for Oliseh if the display in Daresalaam is anything to go by because frankly, the Super Eagles deserved to get beat. A repeat of such a show against Egypt especially in Cairo could spell an embarrassing defeat. 

What does Coach Sunday Oliseh have to do to keep the Super Eagles on track? He should be having Ogenyi Onazi back from suspension in the next game. His presence should bring some solidity and threat from the midfield. John Obi Mikel's presence in midfield remains influential until we find another flair player of his calibre or if the likes of Joel Obi become available.

The defence is decent enough. With good protection from the defensive midfield the defenders should be able to cope with the likes of Mohammed Salah and company. The right back position which has been a problematic area for the Super Eagles has not been fully sorted even though the team appears to be gradually reaching a long term solution for that position. Solomon Kwambe had a decent performance but the jury is still out on him after all, he only played because Leon Balogun (a centre back by trade) pulled out because of injury.

As for the forwards, a swift recall for the likes of Victor Moses and Sone Aluko is imperative. Since the attacking/creative midfield jigsaw puzzle defies solution at this point in time, we need the trickery and threat of these two wingers to score goals. Oliseh should also try and test the resolve of Jordan Ibe and Victor Anichebe and see if he can convince them to play for Nigeria. 

If the likes of Lukman Haruna can earn a call up to the Super Eagles, I don't see any reason why these players including players such as Kelechi Iheanacho ( who surely, can't do any worse than Haruna) can't have invitations extended to them.

Manchester United Starting To Shape Up Nicely

Manchester United Striker, Wayne Rooney ended his 10 game goal drought by scoring a hat trick in Manchester United's Champions League second leg play off fixture with Belgian side, Club Brugge in Brussels to send Manchester United to the lucrative Champions League group stages. 

Rooney had prior to this game, come in for intense flak from critics for his poor form in front of goal for both club and country with suggestions that he was past his sell by date and needed to either be pushed into a midfield role or axed from the first team squad. But his performance in Belgium reminded the critics what he is capable of and United will hope that Rooney's season will kick off from here.

In as much as Rooney's performance against Club Brugge was impressive, this game needs to be seen from the perspective of a team practically in tatters. Club Brugge was a team that already knew the game was over even before a ball was kicked. 8 of their first team squad players were out due to injury and Club Brugge manager, Michel Preud'Homme stated earlier that they needed a miracle to scale through to the group phase of the Champions League. This was a team that was just going through the motions.

Be that as it may, you can only beat what is in front of you. Besides, United have struggled to beat inferior opposition already this season, no disrespect to the likes of Newcastle, Aston Villa or Totenham Hotspurs. However, Manchester United manager, Louis Van Gaal can be relieved that his first choice striker is beginning to find his scoring touch again.

Which brings us to the logical question of what happens if Rooney's goal drought returns with a vengeance in the non distant future or if he sustains a serious injury. After back up striker, Javier Hernandez's profligacy in front of goal against Club Brugge, will LVG change his mind about signing another striker? Will he still give Javier Hernandez a chance?

The look LVG gave his assistant, Ryan Giggs after Hernandez missed his penalty smacks of someone who didn't want Hernandez coming on initially but was persuaded by Giggs to give the player a run out to prove himself. It appears that look at Giggs was one of vindication after Hernandez's howler. 

Hernandez didn't cover himself with glory later on after he blasted over the bar from 6 yards with the goal at his mercy when he was fed a low cross by Ashley Young. The wastefulness aside, Hernandez got into good scoring positions. What was lacking was the elusive goal which will come if these opportunities keep presenting themselves and as long as he gets picked.

It is clear that Hernandez is a little short on confidence and LVG needs to assure him that he has a future with United. Looking at Hernandez facial expression, you see a man looking unhappy and lacking confidence. This has to be addressed. Apart from the failure  to score goals, he looked a capable deputy for Wayne Rooney. As LVG has kept faith with Rooney, he needs to have faith in Hernandez.

Inspite of this, LVG needs to make up his mind if he hasn't already, if he needs another dependable striker. Even though it's still early days yet, it appears that the two top strikers United have, will have days when things won't go right in front of goal for them and so there needs to be someone who LVG can count on to deliver the goods.

That person is not James Wilson. In the long term, that person will not be Marouane Fellaini as LVG would want us to believe unless he goes on a scoring run that defies what we've seen from him over the years. Definitely, James  Wilson is one for the future but we've not seen anything that suggests Wilson can do a 'Harry Kane'. LVG needs to be sure he knows what he is doing. 

More sterner tests await Manchester United. They travel to Swansea on Sunday. LVG will probably find out if he has gotten the perfect central defence pairing when they come up against Bafetimbi Gomis and Andre Ayew. Chris Smalling and Daley Blind have been solid at the centre of defence and have only conceded only once in 5 games in all competitions but Swansea is a different prospect. Irrespective of the outcome of that game, one thing is sure, Smalling is a sure starter for the United first team. It appears he has come of age and is starting to fulfill the potential Sir Alex Ferguson saw when he signed him from Fulham.

Midfielder, Ander Herrera should be given a run of games in attacking midfield. He was great in the second half against Brugge when the introduction of Bastian Schweinsteiger gave him the freedom to attack.

If United are to succeed this season, LVG must use this second half performance against Brugge using the  personnel and tactics involved as a template on which to build on.

Has Mourinho Gone Too Far?

There seems to be more trouble for Chelsea first team doctor, Eva Caneiro, as Chelsea manager, Jose Mourinho, has elected to limit Eva Caneiro's influence on the squad after Mourinho publicly criticised her for rushing into the pitch to treat Eden Hazard who went down seemingly injured while Chelsea were hanging on in their premier league game opener against Swansea.

According to reports, Dr Eva's job description will be modified. She will no longer attend training sessions, be in the team's hotel nor be on the bench on match day. She however, will retain her post as first team doctor.

Mourinho was visibly upset with Dr Eva as her treatment of Hazard on the pitch caused Chelsea to be temporarily left with only 8 outfield players as Thibaut Courtois had been sent off earlier for a professional foul on Bafetimbi Gomis. And as the rules state, a player who has to be treated by his team's medical staff has to be taken off the pitch in order to curtail deliberate time wasting by players.

After the game, Mourinho criticised his medical staff for their failure to understand the game and categorically stated that Hazard was not injured but merely exhausted and should have not been treated.

If the reports of the Daily Telegraph, who broke the story about the shake up in the Chelsea medical department, are to be believed then it is a shake up gone too far. Dr Eva's rescue mission firstly, was not the reason Chelsea failed to beat Swansea and her intervention did not lead to Chelsea conceding a third goal.

One can only imagine Mourinho's reaction had Chelsea fallen behind because of the incident. And even if she had not intruded, there is no guarantee  that Hazard in his tired state would have changed the outcome of the match had he remained on the pitch.

Is Mourinho's reform in the Chelsea medical department a coincidence? It has to be said that last season, Mourinho clamoured for improvement from his medical team. But it appears the Swansea fiasco has become the catalyst Mourinho needed to speed up the improvement he wants.

But is Mourinho's handling of the situation okay? Will there be repercussions that could affect the team?  Are Dr Eva Caneiro's days with Chelsea numbered?

The handling of the situation has been far from okay even though Jose Mourinho could be forgiven for losing his cool and showing his frustrations at the manner in which the game was panning out and thus, take his frustrations out on his medical staff. He however, regained his composure quickly and deflected attention from Chelsea's poor showing to Dr Eva's 'mistake'.

It is unclear for now how Mourinho will structure the match day medical staff but it has to be said that his medical staff have been excellent in keeping a large number of his players fit, most especially the key members of the squad. And axing Dr Eva for an action which wasn't totally her fault (Hazard should share some of the blame too for acting like he needed medical attention) is tantamount to looking for a scape goat. 

Dr Eva's primary responsibility is to provide medical attention to the players and that is exactly what she did. The Daily Telegraph also reported that Hazard actually signalled the medical staff to come to his aid. Therefore, Mourinho should have reserved his criticism for Hazard whose attempt at creating an injury break backfired.

Mourinho wants his staff to understand the gamesmanship that go on in a football match but this re-organisation of his medical staff looks more punitive rather than educational.

With Dr Eva's role change taking effect immediately, will she leave the club? Mourinho most likely must have tendered an apology to Dr Eva privately for the public dressing down but will Dr Eva not feel undermined by her boss and as a result leave if not now but in the future? Only time will tell.

Is Man United Right To Let Di Maria Leave?

Argentine winger, Angel Di Maria, has finally gotten his 'dream move' to French champions, Paris Saint Germain, after a difficult season at Old Trafford. PSG announced on twitter his move to the Paris club for a reported £44.4 million pounds. Manchester United as a result, will be making a loss of roughly £15 million pounds after they made him their record signing when they signed him from Real Madrid for £59 million pounds last season.

His move to PSG brings to an end a somewhat embarrassing situation for Louis Van Gaal who has had to face the media and answer questions about Di Maria's whereabouts after he failed to join his team mates in their United States pre-season tour.

Di Maria was expected to join the Manchester United squad after being given an extended break due to his exploits with Argentina at the Copa America in late July but he refused to board a flight to America and went 'AWOL'. His absence was criticised in several quarters as unprofessional and an attempt to engineer the PSG move which has ultimately succeeded.

But should United have let Di Maria go so soon? With his talent, track record and the transfer fee Man United had to pay for his signature from Real Madrid, surely,he is worth another crack of the whip? One could argue that there isn't any point in keeping an unhappy player as his refusal to join up with his team mates show. No doubt, Angel Di Maria is one of the genuine world class players around. His initial promise last season when he scored against Queens Park Rangers and Leicester City shows that he is one who could have been given another chance if his situation was handled better.

Critics will however point out that this potential that we saw early last season and how his performances began to drop is what makes him an expensive flop. 

History shows us that several South Americans have struggled at Manchester United. Sadly, Di Maria has not only joined that list, he has become the biggest flop of them all. Other players who failed to make a solid impression at Old Trafford include Argentine midfielder, Juan Sebastian Veron, Brazil's Kleberson, Uruguay's Diego Forlan, and Brazil's Anderson. However, Di Maria's talent gave the average Manchester United follower belief that he would not end up the same way as his predecessors. Surprisingly, he was the quickest to be shown the exit door.

It is also very likely now that he has finally left for PSG, that many Manchester United supporters will be wondering what might have been had he clicked last season. Or at least, had put more effort on the pitch when he played than what he displayed for United last season in order for LVG to give him another bite at the cherry.

His performances and body language however, is being pointed out by his detractors as the reason why it is the right decision for United to let him go. Certainly, the pre-season no show is a pointer to what has been going through his mind for several months.

Many times last season when he was not injured, he looked disinterested and unmotivated. He ended up being subbed regularly by LVG and at some point lost his place to Ashley Young who seemed motivated to keep Di Maria out of the starting line up.

What could have been the reason for his poor attitude? Many have argued that LVG  switching him in different positions immensely contributed to his poor performances. It has also been argued that the attempted break in by burglars at his home greatly unsettled him and his family and may have also contributed to his loss of form. These explanations, though valid, do not excuse a player for not giving 100%.

True, LVG experimented a lot last season while trying to get the right balance, best formation and first choice line up but Di Maria for all the money he is worth and with the hefty salary he drew, ought to know that more was expected from him than what he was willing to showcase. No matter how difficult a league's playing style may be, it is a player's job to adapt to the rigours of playing in any league. 

Diego Costa and Alexis Sanchez both came from La Liga after having excellent seasons with their clubs and were able to adapt to the intensity of the Premier League and went ahead to flourish. Di Maria also joined United on the back of another excellent season with Madrid but failed to live up to the great expectations fans and neutrals had of him. 

Granted, not all players excel from the out set when they join a new club especially in a different country and culture. But Angel Di Maria is a world class professional and ought to have stayed the course and try to redeem a reputation that was badly damaged last season but it appears he decided to take the easy option.

The easy option being Paris Saint Germain, who as rumours would have us believe was his preferred destination all along. It is being speculated that he would have joined PSG from Madrid and snubbed Manchester United had the Financial Fair Play hammer not been on PSG. 

What is left now for United is to hope that their decision to let a player whose dedication to the United course which was questionable leave, becomes one of the smartest decisions they have taken since the post Ferguson era.