Everyone let out a collective groan when we saw Mathieu Flamini was coming on against Barcelona.
We were already 1-0 but there was time to come back – all was not lost.
Within 47 seconds, the midfielder had given away a penalty and Barcelona had put the clash pretty much out of sight.
00:47 – There were just 47 seconds between Mathieu Flamini coming on to the pitch and him giving away a penalty. D’oh. #UCL #AFCvFCB
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 23, 2016
Flamini is known for his poor decision-making and gung-ho approach but this is getting ridiculous. When he’s not having bizarre shots from areas he’s not even supposed to be in, he’s getting in the way of others who should be scoring. He’s become a liability and, if it wasn’t already, it’s now time to say goodbye to the Frenchman.
Of course I’m not saying that all our problems are down to Flamini. I’m not going to use him as a scapegoat. But his performances are getting increasingly erratic and I highly doubt any of the players feel comfortable with him on the pitch.