Our football correspondent LIAM MACKEY is back in top form and full of energy.
He casts his eye over your comments and gives his own critical analysis of the
goings on throughout the world of football. You may agrewith him or then again
you may not.
This week: When will referees offer players protection; Wenger’s
conspiracy theories; Pulis on defending Shawcross; The pot calling the kettle
black; Bridge left himself down; Terry and Cole’s misdemeanours; Tevez shows
that jetlag is no exuse; Capello has a decision to make on Terry’s form;
Credit to Portsmouth fans; Portsmouth have questions to answer; Vidic should have
seen red.
The Letter of the Week goes to Peter Allen, Kildare. Get in touch
with your postal address and our magnificent prize will be winging its way to
you before you know it.
WHEN are referees going to offer players protection
from over zealous opponents? We have now witnessed yet another Arsenal player
horrifically injured due to the myth circulating football that Arsenal don’t
like it put up to them. What rubbish. I’m sick of hearing our players are
too soft. The fact is they win far more games than they lose regardless of these
tactics. Perhaps opponents are under the false impression that the chance of taking
something from the game increases playing like this, when actually what’s
more likely is an Arsenal treatment room as full as the Mercy A&E on Saturday
night. If Arsenal lose this title it will be down to losing players to injury
after injury for trying to play the game the way we all want to watch regardless
of which colours you wear. Paul Hayes, Cork,by email
OUR SHOUT:
Whatever happened to the old complaint that football had become too soft, that
the tackle is dying out and that "soon, you won't be allowed any contact
whatsover"? The injury to Ramsey was simply the result of two players flying
into a challenge to win the ball and one of them coming out of it horribly. Nothing
to do with Arsenal's purity, Stoke's physicality or anything else. Just a moment
in a still physical sport which, sadly, had an awful outcome.
a d v e r t i s e m e n t
This appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Tuesday, March 02, 2010
