EPL needs to clamp down on rough tackling
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By Ben W, 2 Mar 2010 Ben W is a Roar Rookie
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In the wake of Arsenal’s stirring 3-1 win of Stoke at the weekend, two men were left to ponder very different futures. Aaron Ramsey, the most promising Welshman since Ryan Giggs was laid out on a hospital bed with a badly fractured tibia and fibula, and Ryan Shawcross, another promising youngster called into Fabio Cappello’s England squad.
The irony of this situation was that Shawcross put Ramsey in the hospital ward with a horror tackle.
Today there is already mixed opinion on the matter.
Ramsey is typically being showered with well-wishes from the football community; but there is also a lot of support for Shawcross. Stoke manager Tony Pulis has been quite vocal in his admiration for Shawcross, reiterating that there was no malice in the tackle and that Shawcross would never have intended to hurt Ramsey in the manner he did.
Seeing the incident as it happened, it isn’t as visually abhorrent as some of the leg breaking tackles as years gone by, but this should not necessarily be written off as a mere accident.
Shawcross has form.
He also broke former Gunner Francis Jeffers ankle with a tackle and was involved in another unsavoury incident with Emmanuel Adebayor, in that incident the Togo striker fared better than Ramsey and Jeffers.
Shawcross doesn’t intend to break a player’s leg, but he does intend to be aggressive and play on the edge of the rules. This weekend the rules were broken and now Ramsey faces a long journey back to fitness, one which may prove to be unsuccessful.
Shawcross, like most Stoke players are conditioned to be aggressive and use this as a strength to counter more technically superior teams. This tactic has worked a treat against a lot of sides, particularly Arsenal.
But at what point does the coach’s request to be aggressive go too far and players get hurt.
There needs to be a change in emphasis in the way EPL is played. We don’t want to see the tempo, energy and power removed from English football, but those that tackle in a manner that, even if accidental, can lead to such catastrophic consequences, need to be punished severely.
Shawcross will be hurting, but with a chance to cement a place in a World Cup squad, come June this incident will be distant memory for him.
For Ramsey, this June won’t be a chance for a holiday, but likely grueling rehabilitation, as he tries to reassemble his promising career.
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Al said | March 2nd 2010 @ 8:15am | Report comment
It was a horrific injury, probably one of the worst injuries i’ve seen in any sport (yep and the Aussies reckon football is a game for “shielas”). Ramsey’s lower leg was pretty much attached to the rest of his leg by what looked like his shinguard, his leg was bent backwards at such an extreme angle, it was truely horrible. The fact remains that bad challenges that can potentially break legs occur at least once every EPL game and even moreso in the lower leagues. The only way totally stamp it out is to make sliding challenges illegal (as in futsal), however this will remove a fundamental defensive technique from the sport. As horrific as the injury to Ramsey is (and previously Eduardo, Cisse etc.), football is a contact sport, specifically below the knees.
Ben W said | March 2nd 2010 @ 8:30am | Report comment
It is certainly a contact sport and no one would want to see the slide tackle removed, but it is interesting that you point out that there are tackles every week that could potentially result in similiar incidents to the Ramsey leg break. This indicates that there isn’t a great fear of the repercussions for tackling recklessly, if Shawcross was suspended for say 3 months (just a random number) it would at least ensure that players we more aware of the risks that an agressive playing style can lead too and could lead too.
Al said | March 2nd 2010 @ 8:52am | Report comment
It used to be alot worse, tackles from behind and with studs showing weren’t red card offenses and these caused some terrible injuries, not just broken legs but alot of ligament and tendon damage. Making these specific challenges illegal have markedly cut down the bad challenges. Punishment after the fact should be instituted if and only if the challenge is wreckless with the intention to injure. The tough thing with the Shawcross incident (and in my opinion most bad challenges) is that they are 50/50 challenges, mostly mistimed. Anyone that has played football at any level knows that timing a sliding challenge is extremely difficult at the best of times, therefore is it wrong to excessively punish a player for mistiming a challenge? Had a player not put in a last ditch challenge and his team had lost a relegation six pointer due to a goal being scored as the outcome of no challenge, would it be fair to chastise the player who should have but didn’t put in a challenge due to him potentially being put out of the game for 3 months if he mistimed the challenge?
Hammer said | March 2nd 2010 @ 8:51am | Report comment
This is a tough one – esp as the networks decided not to replay it in close up and in slow-mo so from the the footage available it looked a 50/50 challenge … and as you’re taught from when your a kid you can’t back out of those – or you tend to end up the one hurt …
this just didn’t look like the horrible 2 footed lunge which most definitely needs to be wiped out .. I just think Ramsey was unlucky in this instance …
Mattay said | March 2nd 2010 @ 10:05am | Report comment
Injuries happen. Shed a tear and move on. Nothing wrong with the sport.
rovingto2011 said | March 2nd 2010 @ 10:24am | Report comment
they do defend like they attack in England… far too quick and lunging in a lot. A defensive style that relies on ‘getting stuck in’ – over containing and marking – will always result in these sort of tackles.
that being said, this particular injury to Ramsey. I think the kid jumped in just as recklessly as Shawcross.
Colin N said | March 2nd 2010 @ 11:00am | Report comment
As people have pointed out, I just feel Ramsey (and Eduardo when he broke his leg) was unlucky. No studs were showing and he was going for the ball.
If anything, Arsenal have more players that are reckless when going in for challenges.
I rememeber one time when Eboue pre-meditated a challenge on Stuart Downing. He wasn’t even looking at the ball and put his studs into Downing’s leg when he was jumping. The result – A yellow card. It was far worse than what Martin Taylor or Ryan Shawcross did.
Ben W said | March 2nd 2010 @ 1:59pm | Report comment
I agree that there is no club that isn’t guilty of reckless challenges and Arsenal is also in this category, but if we look at AFL and the Matthew Lloyd/Brad Sewell head high bump it has really set the agenda in AFL circles that if you go in with that approach whether you intented to make contact or not you will be severely punished. Now if the result was a broken neck – one would imagine even more serious reprecussions. Your right it isn’t transparent in England where a similar incident that doesn’t cause injury is not dealt with consistently. Some may remember a horror tackle by a lad called Proctor in a FA Cup games years ago against Vieira. It was appaling, yet he wasn’t even booked! So for me the start is hard lines on tackles and again like the AFL the impact needs to be a determining factor in the penalty.
Al said | March 2nd 2010 @ 2:53pm | Report comment
Some of the football pundits in England that I have been listening to also think that Shawcross’ challenge wasn’t worthy of a red as the challenge was a 50/50 and wholly unintentional.
Fisher Price said | March 3rd 2010 @ 10:35am | Report comment
Fisher Price said | March 3rd 2010 @ 10:36am | Report comment
Know-nothing xenophobes.
Mattay said | March 2nd 2010 @ 3:54pm | Report comment
Soccer has had that situation, with knee high tackles, and two-footed tackles. Both were considered dangerous tackles, both now automatic red cards and lengthy suspensions.
Comparing these to Shawcross’ “tackle” is drawing a long bow. Shawcross’ was the typical case of a player misjudging the timing of what he believes is a 50/50 challenge. You can tell by his reaction that no malice was intended. Not many players cry after being sent off.
On that, has anyone here ever injured somewhat like that? I have, and I can tell you it’s gut wrenching. I know it’s no consolation, but you just feel absolutely terrible about it. Best thing for Shawcross may have been him being sent off, because I can imagine his head wouldn’t have been right for the remainder of the game.
Fisher Price said | March 3rd 2010 @ 10:37am | Report comment
Sorry: Taylor’s challenge was a shocker.
Colin N said | March 3rd 2010 @ 10:47am | Report comment
Coming from an Arsenal fan, I’m not surprised you think that. But you’re wrong.
Mick said | March 2nd 2010 @ 5:48pm | Report comment
I have not seen this incident.
I have seen some of the others but I just think the referees in epl as well as a-league refs as there have been some shocking tackling have to clamp down on 2 footed tackles, studs showing, foot raised in the tackle and frontal sliding tackles
The epl get away with a raised foot as you watch champions league & if you raise a foot you most likely concede a free kick
Michael said | March 2nd 2010 @ 11:18pm | Report comment
How short memories some people have.
Arsene Wenger comes out and says (and I’m paraphrasing) “3 horrible tackles in 4 years. I don’t believe in coincidence”
Everyone’s crying because it happened to Arsenal. Don’t get me wrong, I feel for Ramsey, but why is it all of a sudden an issue now when Wenger cries foul? It is no conspiracy, Wenger, it happens to other clubs.
West Ham United: Kieron Dyer – Carling Cup, 3rd Round 28 August 2007 – Broken Ankle – Yet to return to regular football
Luis Boa Morte: Barclays Asia Trophy – 2009 – Broken Leg
Dean Ashton: England International Duty: 2006 – Broken Ankle: Forced to retire
Conspiracy! Conspiracy! It is just bad luck, and it’s a real shame it hasn’t happened to Manchester United.
Al said | March 3rd 2010 @ 9:29am | Report comment
Typical Wenger red and white-tinted glasses.