A wonderful discussion about the Ramsey incident

Although I had hoped to have a detailed match report of the Stoke win up by now, the truth is that I still haven’t been able to put my thoughts together well enough to come up with something that represents my feelings towards the match.

I feel like I still need one more day to organise my thoughts before I come up with a detailed entry in tomorrow’s post.

In the meantime I highly recommend that you check out the following link of Sky Sports Sunday Supplement discussion featuring among others, Times journalist Patrick Barclay.

LINK HERE

The panel of four produce a superb discussion about the Aaron Ramsey incident and the current state of unacceptable aggression in the English game, with Barclay in particular shining bright with his measured, accurate assessment of who is to blame for the occurrence of these sort of injuries.

The video is a little over 11 minutes long but is essential viewing for anyone who wants a thoughtful approach above the ridiculous frenzy of the English tabloids.

Thoughts?

Have your say on the Aaron Ramsey incident by leaving a comment.

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Comments

  1. I’m happy with the mature response of almost all Arsenal fans and some responses of the neutrals. This should be the moment when this problem becomes well addressed. Players are clearly told to get at Arsenal by roughing them up. They announce that frankly in the media and more importantly they are proud of doing it.

    Margins between hard/fair and hard/dangerous is not small. Chelsea is a very good example, players such as Didier Drogba, Michael Ballack and John Terry, they out-muscled their opponents and, in doing so, out-played them, too. Competing with their athleticism, which then lead to domination in technical areas. This is a part of adequate football.

    The other, more beautiful part, is what Arsenal do; winning by out-passing the opponent. This was the reason to make me a proud fan of Arsenal. I’m an overseas fan, born and raised in baghdad and lives in Holland since 11 years. I was attracted few years ago to the best league in the world and in no time I was a crazy about the fascinating football of arsenal.

    No body should be allowed to compensate for his technical inferiority through rough tackling. The media has created a climate which legitimizes rough tactics as a way of beating us. this gives also explanation to arsenals (always) long injury list. Wenger moaning about that, but was always dismissed.

    As a foreigner I’m very aware what the media can create in the mind of people .. and even I’m coming from iraq, which tells enough about what I had seen, I was very emotional and almost crying for what happened to Ramsey. The media does not kill people now, fortunately. The media kills football. Pure football should be protected … Arsenal should be protected.

  2. It’s just ridiculous all these lower teams go against team like Arsenal with this kind of rough physical approach. Something need to be changed! Can’t just keep saying it’s accident!

  3. i eel arsenal is a challege to other teams thats why they get back..and they make it look like an accident i’m so pissed..first it was eduardo then then ramsey..i think something should b done..!!! !

  4. I have to say although they were all terrific on Saturday, Sol was incredible. Not only did he slot in and put in a great shift, the way he carried everyone and got the team together to grind out that result was great!! Four things really stood out for me:

    1) When Stoke scored I noticed he was the only player to put his hand up and call for offside. I know it wasn’t but every team in the league does this with throw in’s etc to sway the game.

    2) When Rambo got injured his reaction was great. He let the ref and the other players know how furious he was and you could see this having an effect on Fabs and co. I actually thought for one second that he was gonna floor DeLap such was his emotion!

    3) His celebrations when we scored were fabulous. He rallied everyone and let them know how important every point is, something that I think has been missing. Sometimes when we score we don’t show enough emotion and release, something the invincibles did with every goal, and it showed our young ones just how important it is to get every point you can in this league!!

    4) At the end after watching it again, he was the man to start calling playes over to huddle in the middle and get that feeling of togetherness back!!

    I think now we will do it, and I have to say that without Sol playing on Saturday that result could have been very different! I am glad he’s back with us, what a performance!!!

  5. After 3 serious injuries we have had enough. So all you non-Arsenal fans coming on here to defend Shawcross and slag off Wenger, go do one – we are not interested in your opinions anymore. What we see is certain teams using ‘strong arm tactics’ against us as a leveller. Thats ok, they have a job to do as a club and shouldn’t be anyone’s cannon fodder. But its when it crosses the line we have problems. The media and especially SKY TV justify and encourage this kind of thuggery and when we complain we are ‘whingers’. Wenger was right in what he said and to call him blinkered is ignorant. Pullis is the blinkered one. He sent his troops us to upset us and it was inevitable that someone would eventually get badly hurt. And to say Shawcross ‘isn’t that kind of player’ – Well maybe he has a twin as another Stoke playing Shawcross shattered Francis Jeffers ankle in 2007 and went in on Adebayor off-the-ball and off-the-pitch putting him out for 3 weeks last season. As I said – go do one!

  6. @Andrew… as big as the Stoke game was before it even started, would you rather 3 points from Stoke or Aaron back?

  7. The EPL is maybe the best league in the World for now.

    The FA and the PL organization can be proud of that. The best footballers of the world come to England to play games at maybe the highest level in the world. Week in week out you can see teams, like Arsenal, playing breathtaking football and giving shows that all over the world attracts large audiences.

    TV money comes in from all over the world. The teams profit from that money to attract the best players. You could say that your bread is baked for a long time.

    BUT, it won’t last my dear friends of the FA and the EPL. No, it will stop in a few years time. And the reason is that no one wants to see what we saw again yesterday. Another violent attack, this time on a 19 year old young player who was considered one of the greatest talents of the EPL and Welsh football for the next 10 years.

    People all over the world hate the sight of such incidents. People who like watching the EPL all over the world like to see it because of the good football that is played by the better teams. And when we see such an incident we go to the bathroom to throw up our meal and when we come back we switch channels and go to the Spanish La Liga or even the boring Italian league. You know why ?

    Because in those leagues you have refs that act like refs. You have refs who punish thugs who come on the field with the purpose to kick other players off the field. I think it was at the beginning of the previous season when coaches from teams that had to play Barcelona instructed their players to get stuck in with Messi and kick him around as ‘he didn’t like it’.

    And the Spanish Liga told their refs to act and to look at it and punish those players who tried to kick the best players off the field. And with success. Messi felt protected and could show his skills to the world much to the delight of the audiences all over the world. If I can I always look at the games he plays in just because he is such a great player.

    And what does the FA do after the 3rd player in 5 years being kicked to pieces from Arsenal? Have they ever spoken loud about the coaches that openly say they going to kick the players or Arsenal because they don’t like it? Have they said to the refs : you must try to protect the technical players and send those thugs out of the field?

    Even in Belgium, and the Belgium FA is a total mess, they did the only thing that can be done and gave one player a 15 games ban after such an incident this season. And what will the FA do? Just like Martin Taylor give him a 3 games ban? That is just 1 game more than Song will get for a laughable yellow card in that same game. If it wouldn’t be sad I would have a laugh with it, but it is to sad to laugh.

    Even worse, what do the FA do hours after the incident? They call that same player who just might have ended a promising career and give him the 3 lions shirt for the first time. Has the FA any decency left?

    Even in Germany they have an unwritten rule that when a players gets a red card in the Bundesliga and they have an international game they don’t call him up to let the players know they do not tolerate it and to give the player a punishment for bringing disgrace to the German football.

    I can only with great sadness say that the moral standards in Germany are higher than in England. And I feel very sorry to say this because I really love England and the English people.

    I also would like to say that is the FA that is responsible for the refs. And if the refs fail in protecting the players and this is one of the main tasks you have as a ref: protect the players from injury. The refs can’t do this properly as we just have seen once again. I know accidents happen sometimes but not 3 times in 5 years. And certainly not with always the same team as victims.

    So not only the ref who is guilty but also the FA and the EPL organization is guilty for not being able to stop this violent conduct on the field towards a skilful team.

    It maybe Shawcross who broke Ramsey’s leg but he is only the instrument from managers that instruct players to kick the Arsenal players out off the field without the FA doing something about it.

    So I accuse not only Shawcross but also the managers who are proud of their approach of The Arsenal, but also the FA for not doing anything about it.

    You will lose audience and people will go and see to the Spanish league or the Bundesliga or the Italian league. Money will stop coming in and you will end up with a league full of Shawcrosses and Martin Taylors and no one outside England will look after it.

    Why do you think England hasn’t won anything in international football for 40 years? Just look at what you are allowing to happen on your fields and you will see the answer.

    I accuse you – the FA – of being culpable of the breaking of Ramsey’s leg.

  8. You saw that 2-footed tackle that Faye committed to get the ball?

    It was also a 50:50 ball, and CLichy was smart enough to jump and did not tried to play the ball.

    On BRUM, divine justice was done as their team imploded and relegated.

    Pray teh same divine justice and Arsenal Curse strikes Stoek City and relegates ‘em this season of the enxts eason at teh very altest.

    CHelski vs Stoke City next weekend, an FA Cup tie.
    WIll be most interesting as both teams are going to go in hard.
    And if an English international is seriously injured, just watch how the media will bray for “justice”?

    Fabregas leaving?
    I believe that after the BRUM match, Hleb was so shaken that he was never the same player again and was angling for a mvoe away from English football.

    And a few years back, Van Persie warned that flair players are getting very little protection and physicality will drive flair players like him and Fabregas out of the English game.

    We all knew that every team nowadays are targetting Fabregas for a good kicking to keep him quiet. And it is a matter of not if, but when will Fabregas suffer a serious injury on another 50:50 ball incident liek he was injured WHEN ON THE GROUND when ALonso performed that tackled.

    SImilarly, if you recalled a previosu incident against CHelski, Terry 2-footed lunge at Fabregas when he was falling on teh ground. Luckily there was another player between ‘em, else Fabregas will certainly be seriously injured – just a 3-match ban for Terry then.

    Another incident was that of Liverpool ve Everton when Pienaar was fell by a tackle and Gerrars was charging in with a slide tackle and his knees connected with his ribs. Easily, a broken ribs.

    And with this kind of dirty plays, deliberately comitted to intimidate players, and ENglish referees jsut take it as mundane stuff in a typical highly physical and committed English FOotball – adn those pansies and softies crybabies of a Johnny Foreigner, always whingeing, play acting, diving cheats, etc..cannot even play a man’s game without crying…..I wil not blame Fabregas and Van Persie, disenchanted by zero protection form referees and are presently contemplating life elsewhere.

    3 serious injuries within a 5 year period is too much to swallow:
    Once a happenstance;
    Twice is a coincidence;
    Thrice? @#$%^&@#

  9. If we want to hear our voices heard, I will repost a suggestion by Andrew on the usually excellent Goonerholic blog:

    “Every gooner around England and abroad has to make the FA realize that enough is enough

    “Every gooner with a blog has to criticize the FA because its because of their rules that this has happended to us year after year
    use this website to complain to the FA
    http://www.thefa.com/TheFA/WhoWeAre/ContactUs.aspx
    another one for the FA
    http://www.thefa.com/feedback/

    “This is for the premier league
    info@premierleague.com.

    “I know you must be thinking that we can do much but we have a chance to finally stop this there are around 50 million arsenal fans world wide and its only 1% of them do somthing about it then we can atleast make the FA sit up and think about it.”

  10. Here is what I sent to the FA:

    “The FA is in part responsible for the horrendous act committed against Aaron Ramsay today at Stoke City FC.
    The facts are that Stoke City FC have reportedly strategized to affect this fixture by acts of intimidation. This act alone is not necessarily grounds for an investigation but certainly silence by FA on that rumour is troublesome. And, now what do we have? Stoke City FC not only demonstrating these reported acts throughout the match, the FA accepting that, a referee allowing it, and a young Wales International fighting for his career.
    I have seen the FA stand up for absolutely nothing as far as Arsenal are concerned. All that I ask is the FA investigate the rumours. Investigate the manager & player. And, hold them accountable for the act if found guilty.
    Finally, this is the third similar act of hostility portrayed against the Arsenal within 5 years. How do you account for this? The FA should have its own internal investigation and be held accountable for allowing this to occur.
    I have lost a great deal of respect for the FA especially in recent years and in recent weeks.

    Respectfully,

    Chris Geczy

  11. I’m sure that Ryan Shawcross meant no malice or intent with his tackle on poor young Aaron but that’s actually very irrelevant. Today you, like myself and nearly all of our fellow gooners that i’ve read, heard and spoken to, have finally, and rightly so, vented our genuine and deepest feelings at what has been happening and has now happened again to one of our young lads.

    The frequency of these kinds of incidences should be negligible within our modern game by now and have been confined to the dark-ages where they belong; along with some of those pundits and hacks who, unfortunately, used to play in that way and still advocate it. What really confuses me most, however, is how the two-faced, xenophobic, incompetent and irresponsible British footballing media, and authorities, continue to act as supporters of this policy of play which will ultimately (rather naively on their part) conclude with a British national football team NEVER EVER again winning another international tournament as the rest of the footballing world and authorities continue to move on to develop a more civilised game that does not tolerate such physically harmful tactics. I have never felt so angry and despairing after any game of football as I feel today!
    To have to constantly accept the over-exuberant tactic of “in their face” physicality against our players, without anyone ever being held fully accountable when it goes wrong (hiding behind a banner of “no professional footballer ever goes out to intentionally hurt another fellow pro”), is totally irresponsible, and is bordering on criminal in the real world! To keep saying that these incidents have a greater chance of happening to Arsenal because “of the way that they play”, and “anyway – Arsenal used to stick their foot-in when Viera et al were playing for them”, is utter nonsense and has actually given dangerous carte-blanche and license for it to continue as it does. The question one has to ask is, if we were Barcelona or another big European “footballing side”, or if Ramsey had been Xavi or Iniesta, would this type of play be allowed to continue in Britain? I don’t believe so. When any footballer or team play football, as does any employee or employer in their chosen profession, they have to take full responsibility for ALL of their actions and they should accept the consequences with a commensurate punishment should an ill-event occur (for example look at what occurs in the various forms of rugby)! This, for some bizarre reason, never ever seems to happen in football and therefore people never learn and change is never made.

    It is now seriously time for the myopic British footballing world to finally start reflecting properly before it becomes too late and, perish the thought, before one of its “golden-boys” (i.e. Rooney, Gerrard or Lampard) suffer the same career-threatening fate rather than a very talented young lad from Wales who may now never get a chance to go to the world cup. Would they be as dismissive and defensive then?!

    All my best wishes to you Aaron and i’m sure you’ll be back playing again soon after a full recovery; becoming one of the best players that Arsenal and the British Isles have ever produced!

  12. have not commented on this website for a while but today i have too. As much as shawcross is a prick the referee was blatentlty setting that game up. Watch the second half and you will see there was a point where almunia was trying to throw the ball out to sagna and i think it was sidibe who held almunia back. The referee was watching and he didnt blow his whistle and didnt even say f all then tried to pretend that he was waving play on but almunia was thrown to the ground and the play was slowed down. I always said that Arsenal are up against it. They must destroy the PREMIERLEAGUES idealism wih all guns blazing and win this league. No more feeling sorry for our selves time to carry on destroying this league and us as fans need to use this fustrating energy and REAPPLY IT POSITIVELY AND THEN send it to aaron ramsey and the team with love and support because i know this team can do it. From a Mancheter gunner TO ALL GUNNERS ITS WAR. PUT ON YOR FAN WAR BOOTS.WE NEED TO STOP ALL THIS SEGREGATION BULLSHITT AND SUPPORT THE TEAM

  13. It’s time Arsenal got behind the players and took out legal action against individual players making these horrendous tackles.

    In the light of continued Sky anti-Arsenal bias and general newspaper collusion when it comes to anti-Arsenal agendas – and in particular encouraging the kind of over the top disgusting tackling which has seen us lose the third player in four years to the same kind of tackles – it is clearly the only thing that will discourage talentless musclebound athletes like Smith, Taylor and Shawcross from perpetrating their assaults.

    I’m sick of “English” football.

    PS Some fantastic comments on here today

  14. There are so many positives that could be drawn from the game that unravelled so bittersweetly yesterday evening, but with the image of Aaron Ramsey’s agony (and, to be fair, the unfortunate Ryan Shawcross’ very obvious distress at having inflicted the injury) still seared on the inside of my eyelids I’m afraid that the emotions I am feeling are overridingly negative.

  15. There are so many positives that could be drawn from the game that unravelled so bittersweetly yesterday evening, but with the image of Aaron Ramsey’s agony (and, to be fair, the unfortunate Ryan Shawcross’ very obvious distress at having inflicted the injury) still seared on the inside of my eyelids I’m afraid that the emotions I am feeling are overridingly negative.

    It’s not the injury I want to dwell on, but the feeling that this game may have drawn a line under Cesc Fabregas’ career at Arsenal. As he said in the post-match interview, Cesc has seen this happen three times in five years at the club. It would be totally natural, given the physical punishment he receives every game at the hands of cynical or just mistimed challenges, for him to be thinking, ‘there but for the grace of God go I.’ The grass on the continent where the physicality of the game is much more contained – though not, of course, immune to brutal players or challenges – may well be looking considerably greener now, as if the lure of Barcelona were not strong enough.

    Does he have a right to think so? I can’t see a case to the contrary, especially for a player of sublime technical talent, raised among the traditions of Spanish football. The rage will have been at its peak just after full time, but there was a look on his face when he spoke about the lack of protection and the limit of what is acceptable that hinted at a player whose willingness to endure it, to risk it, had run its course.

    I couldn’t blame him, and if he shows the same commitment to the club that he did in driving the team on to victory this evening, and has, to be fair, for his entire Arsenal career, then it may be that he leaves with Arsenal tasting the success we have all longed for.

    It is a doubly cruel blow that the incident that might have convinced Cesc that his future lies elsewhere was an injury to the player that most saw as his natural successor. Ramsey’s career is currently in the balance and much depends on the nature of the break and the speed with which it can be treated. But I think there is still reason to believe he will shine for us. Abou Diaby suffered a similar injury and while his road back has been beset by injury, and subject to the fury of the impatient, there is no denying that he is beginning to establish himself as among the league’s best midfielders. Then there is Ramsey himself. While his craft has won us all over, equally impressive has been his steeliness. He has the look of a winner – almost Scholes-like – and he can overcome.

    So there, some positivity amongst the gloom. Our thoughts are with you Aaron, and Cesc, stay strong and keep it going for just a few games more. I won’t ask anything more.

  16. i think the player must be banned with the same time as ramsey injury … till Ramsey RECOVERS… AND STARTED TO PLAY THEN SHAWCROSSES CAN BE ALLOWED TO PLAY… THIS MUST BE THE NEW ENGLISH FA RULES IF NOT THEY PLAYED LIKE RUBGY.

  17. Funny how the English sports media are a little lazy when it comes to doing their research Ryan Shawcross has previous, and his assaults are not reserved for games against Arsenal.

    Presumably he was driven home by mum after each of these incidents. Butter wouldn’t melt blah, blah, blah, honest lad, etc. Pass me the sick bucket please. Oh and ban this animal from association football while you’re at it…

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1083214/Arsenal-striker-Adebayor-ruled-weeks-Stoke-clash.html

    http://content.thisis.co.uk/sentinel07/homepage/ad_panel/sentinel_backpage.pdf

  18. Arseblog in a passionate,brilliant and balanced blames the culture of ‘they don’t like it up em’ which is encouraged by the media. Andy Gray said on Saturday in relation to this incident ‘you’ve got to do that sometimes’ – he meant ‘go in hard’ but not so hard you break a leg.
    It is the managers who encourage this type of play – Allardyce, Pulis, Phil Brown – and take encouragement from the tabloids/Sky, who are personally and directly responsible for the broken legs.

  19. I still feel absolutely sickened by events at the Britannia Stadium yesterday.

    The image of Aaron Ramsey lying there in agony won’t leave my mind. I feel for the boy so much. I don’t mind admitting that I had tears in my eyes and was on the verge of crying.

    I feel distraught for him. I really do. Nobody wants to see anything like that. The looks on Thomas Vermaelen and Cesc Fabregas’ faces said it all.

    Speaking of tears, don’t fall for Ryan Shawcross’ and his crocodile tears. By all accounts he is ‘deeply upset’ and ‘there was no malice’ in his tackle. His Stoke City team-mate Danny Pugh said that Shawcross is not that kind of player.

    Well, I’m sure that Aaron Ramsey doesn’t agree and I’m also think that ex-Gunner Emmanuel Adebayor may have something to say about it.

    I don’t care what anyone says, idiots like Ryan Shawcross go into these type of tackles with intent. Especially against Arsenal. It’s happened too many times in recent seasons to not be coincidence.

    Sides like Stoke City believe that to level the playing field against Arsenal they have to ‘rough us up’. I understand that football is a physical game but when tackles fly in that borderline on assault then something has to be done.

    How do you deal with it? Le Grove make a good point about introducing foreign refs. Ref’s from overseas will not be influenced by the media and their ‘it’s OK to kick Arsenal’ ways. If xenophobia runs through our media then you can’t tell me that referee’s don’t feel the same. There needs to be more protection and perhaps even season-long bans for players who commit horror challenges like Shawcross did.

    I often wonder how the English media would react if golden boy Wayne Rooney was the victim of such a tackle resulting in him having a career threatening broken-leg. I have no doubt that there would be outrage.

    What we’ve seen is a little Welsh boy hurt by an English man and it’s OK. I’m actually English and I can see that we live in the dark ages in regards to football. Until the day comes when we actually see the light and admit that tackles like this are disgraceful I can’t see any progress made. England will never win the World Cup with this attitude and we will never deserve too.

    This caveman attitude is the reason England will never win a World Cup in my lifetime and I’m not surprised. We’d rather see players kicked than encourage skill and some of the nethanderal Stoke City fans prove this.

    I’m not blaming all the Stoke fans, some were admirable and actually clapped Ramsey as he was stretchered off the pitch but the others; I just hope that someone close to you doesn’t suffer the same way.

    It was sickening to hear some Stoke supporters mocking Aaron. Chants and hand gestures were aimed at this 19 year old who had just suffered a career threatening injury. There are many words for those type of people but I’d think two sum them up; Scummy Cunts.

    Yes, those two words are horrible but I think they are correct.

    I’ll finish by saying that I wish Aaron Ramsey all the luck in the world. I hope that Arsenal win the title for him. Two years ago we were in the same boat when Eduardo suffered from another assault.

    Maybe we didn’t have the mental strength to win the league that season but yesterday we showed the kind of bollocks that Wenger says we have. To win after what happened to Ramsey showed courage.

    Ramsey must show courage now and I’m sure he will because he is a ballsy little character. I’m confident that he will come back stronger and hungrier as a result of his horrible injury.

    My fingers are crossed for you Aaron and I’m looking forward to seeing you bossing the Arsenal midfield for many years.

  20. Just wanted to mention for people who can’t watch on this sites.e.g in iPhone you can get the podcast of it on iTunes. Love the website by the way.

  21. @shottagunner, very well said on Sol for the player is a man mountain. I made comments in ref to this on his first return to the fold. He seems to be so much more assured in going about his defending duties than Verm and Gall. Small shades of Tony Adams. Its such a shame that Wenger let him get away so early. Should be included in the England Squad if he continues in this fashion.
    Finally lets hope with Gods grace that Aaron makes a complete recovery. Mental as well as Physical especially as it was looking as though he might be the next Fabregas.

  22. I have been thinking and talking about this for 4 years. IBRAHIM has put it better than i ever could. I am a Yank, here for 30 years, Arse supporter for 30 years (after a 15 year break) and season ticketer for 10 years. I am ignorant but thoughtful, i hope.
    For 4 years I have been saying to pals at the Triangle pub that our biggest strategic issue is INJURY AVOIDANCE. AW has created a style of football in these pressured times which is (1) beautiful to watch, even for the expert commentators (who watch in awe), and (2) dangerous, at least in England it is.

    The football fan in England must decide what he wants his game to be. AW shows one way — a dance, a ballet, a cut and thrust which is is NEVER BORING to watch. The other way is what happens when Arsenal plays everyone outside the top 6 – hard confrontation within the rules, psychological warfare fueled by the threat of danger, i.e. injury. I, for one, prefer the formal – the beautiful game is called as such because it if beautiful — not SCARY.

    But, because the English fan will not fix this situation, AW MUST FIX IT. His biggest strategic issue is INJURY AVOIDANCE. He may legitimately moan about how the others will come out to ‘kick arsenal’, but that is the current world, mate. He must coach/teach/instruct his players that (1) he has a style of play which will not cease, and (2) that style invites aggression to counteract its potency so the players must PRACTICE INJURY AVOIDANCE.

    It is no coincidence that the 3 players he named as victims of others’ play to overcome Arsenal’s fast paced play (Ramsey, Eduardo, and Diabi) were all young, full of hormones, and probably NOT coached to avoid injurious threats.

    IF WE CANNOT CHANGE THE WORLD, WE MUST CHANGE OURSELVES.

    BILL

  23. Thanks for the video. Its funny that these pundits are all jumping onto the Arsenal bandwagon now that it looks like we might do it…

    And about the tackle. All the talk about 50:50 and no intention is a joke IMO. Obviously he didnt want to break his leg, but IMO he fully knew that he was about to lose the ball and decided in that split second to go as hard as he can through whoever was coming. You simply do not follow through like that, that late and that high, if you havent chosen to do this. For those that dont agree- please let me know where he was trying to play the ball. It surely would have ended up in the upper tier of the stadium had he made contact with that hack. People can feel sorry for Shawcross and I do on the level that his manager has trained him to play this way, but he did it and he has to live with the consequences. Im praying Ramsey can get back to where he was because the promise he was showing was incredible.

    And I like the Eduardo point that guy brought up. Its truly a shame that one of the best football players- real football players- in the EPL may never be the same. “Ryan Shawcross is a great young player”. Id like to know in what way. He is in no way a great footballer. He is big strong and physical but so are rugby players. I think they could do what he does with a bit of training as well… There are way too many players of this standard in England…

  24. About the video, good comments. I don’t know if you can entirely cut it out of the game. It’s an accident, reckless maybe but an accident. Not like the Eduardo incident where Taylor went in studs up and connected half way up his leg. This is purely the speed of the game IMHO. In saying that, there should be some reasonable punishment for this type of reckless tackle. 3 games doesn’t do it for me. It should be 9 or more even. So it sends a message about tackling. I must say, one of the worst tackles this season happened in the Liverpool v Everton game where Fellaini and Kyrgiakos came together resulting in Kyrgiakos getting red carded. Fellaini went off injured and unpunished however his challenge on Kyrgiakos was shocking! Hi, studs up and with intent. I think a trial by video for that kind of challenge should be introduced.

    It’s true that certain teams can’t cope with Arsenal and go into the game with a plan to push us off the ball but how else do teams beat Arsenal? Ok, so we had a harder team 5 years back with Vieira, Adams, Keown, Bergkamp etc who didn’t take any sh*t and in the most part dished it out, but there needs to be protection for smaller players and certainly specific punishment for specific tackles.

  25. Another video of Saint Shawcross maiming a player during his loan spell at Royal Antwerp (Belgium).

  26. Yes, some may argue that Shawcross didn’t intend it, that he isn’t malicious, that he isn’t that type of player. Well, someone who was speeding down the road and then hit a little boy didn’t intend to do that either but he did hit the boy and is responsible. That’s how I see it. This was no accident. And it’s unacceptable that we’ve suffered such horrific career-threatening injuries: Diaby (1 May 2006), Dudú (23 February 2008) and now Ramsey (27 February 2010). Is it any wonder that Wenger cries foul?

    And we were denied at least three penalties. Bloody referee.

  27. I was sick after the incident. I agree Shawcross meant no malice but like so many have mentioned, these tactics against Arsenal are disgusting and I am also pointing a finger at the FA! They are to blame for creating and allowing this type of play that is killing the EPL.

  28. No point in saying trash like Shawcross meant no malice….he is nice guy with no history of such horrendous tackles, etc. etc. The point of the fact is that he has almost ruined a budding player’s footballing career. Even if Ramsey is able to return to the field, I am sure he is going to be plagued by repetitive ankle niggles through out his career. The muscles in around the tibia and the fibula bones will never return to its previous state ever.
    I am really infuriated by the manner in which our players are getting injured by some irresponsible, horrific challenges made by the opponents.
    If this carries on like this, I think we need to field the All Blacks rugby team (or 11 convicts of Colorado jail) against teams like Stoke, Birmingham, Bolton and Sunderland 🙂

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