ESPN Soccernet - Correspondents - Arsenal - Ramsey Suffers Horror Injury

Posted by David Young on 02/28/2010

Yet again Arsenal’s fans and players had to witness the sickening sight of one of their own being horrifically injured by a reckless tackle. With the memory of Eduardo's broken leg at St Andrews in 2008 still fresh in the memory, Aaron Ramsey suffered a similar fate at Stoke yesterday, marring what should have been a victory to savour.

Arsene Wenger was understandably furious and called the challenge "unacceptable", citing that it was the third such injury inflicted on Arsenal players in recent years - Eduardo and Diaby being the other victims. The manager was right to be angry. Though Shawcross did not go in with his studs up, he was late and wild. It was the sort of tackle that would have disgraced a Sunday morning game at Hackney Marshes let alone a match in the Premiership.

Stoke manager Tony Pulis and several of their players defended Shawcross rolling out the tired old excuse that there was "no malice" in the challenge and that "he is not that kind of player." Unfortunately though, Shawcross has history. In 2007 he broke Francis Jeffers' ankle when the former Arsenal man was playing for Sheffield Wednesday against Stoke and in November 2008, when the Gunners were visited the Britannia Stadium for the first time, another Shawcross challenge put Emmanuel Adebayor out of action for a month with a damaged ankle.

Having been given a straight red card, Shawcross was in tears as he left the pitch and he was described as traumatised by the incident. Sympathy for him from Arsenal quarters will be limited though. He will have dried his eyes and be back in training on Monday. Meanwhile, Ramsey faces an uncertain future. He will undergo surgery and then it is a long road back for the Welshman - there is always the concern that he will not make it back at all. Amidst all the media questions about whether Shawcross meant it or not, what should not be forgotten is that a 19-year-old professional who has his whole footballing life ahead of him is lying in hospital today with his career hanging in the balance.

It is not worth wasting time in trying to second guess what was going through Ryan Shawcross’s mind as he went into that tackle. It probably wasn’t his intention to break Ramsey’s leg. After all, he would have to be some kind of psychopath to have actually wanted to maim the Welshman in that way. However, there is no doubt that Arsene Wenger’s point concerning some of the tactics used against the Gunners is definitely a contributory factor behind these injuries.

Time and again, we hear that Arsenal have a soft underbelly and inferior footballing sides try to level the contest by crossing the line between physicality and violence. Physical contact is a part of the game but when it becomes seemingly the only tactic deployed to try to defend against the sort of football that Arsenal try to play, then you have to wonder what the point of it all is. Defending is an art. A well-timed tackle can be as beautiful to watch as a well-struck volley. Tenacity, use of body strength and competitiveness are also key attributes in great defending. Sadly, too many teams simply resort to kicking as a crude means of intimidation and so it is no wonder that injuries such as Diaby’s, Eduardo’s and Ramsey’s occur.

The media might have to take some responsibility for propagating the idea that Arsenal can be bullied out of matches but it is the opposing managers who decide to deploy those tactics and it is them who have to take the real blame. Tony Pulis can be as indignant as he likes about Arsene Wenger’s criticism of Shawcross but he is the one who sent his players out there with the instructions to get into the Gunners’ faces. Prior to the FA Cup game between the two sides last month, in an interview with The Times, Ricardo Fuller talked about the need to “rough Arsenal up”. That really tells you all you need to know about the instructions Pulis gave his players.

When those tactics spill over and cause the sorts of injury that we saw yesterday, then you can understand Wenger’s call for the football authorities to take a harder line when punishing such cases. Shawcross will miss three matches. Ramsey will be lucky if he is playing again by Christmas.

As for the match itself, for the first half an hour it looked as if the Gunners were going to suffer a torrid away day. Just as they had done in the FA Cup tie, they completely failed to deal with a Rory Delap throw in, found themselves a goal behind early on. As the half progressed though, they found their feet and a way back into the game equalising courtesy of a magnificent header from Nicklas Bendtner. The young Dane is still finding his rhythm after recovering from surgery on his groin but two goals in two games is an encouraging start as he hits the comeback trail.

The fact that Stoke had a cup replay during the week whilst the Gunners had a rest may have been a factor but the longer the match went on, the stronger Arsenal got whilst the Potters began to feel the pace. It took an injury-time penalty decision to turn the game Arsenal’s way. Cesc Fabregas squeezed the ball just inside the post to put them in front. Another penalty might have been awarded moments later when Bendtner appear to be fouled in the box. It wasn’t given but when Tomas Vermaelen finished from close range to make it 3-1, the points were safe.

Two years ago, Eduardo’s injury at Birmingham saw the Arsenal team not only lose their way in that match - contriving to draw 2-2 when a win was there for the taking - but it also was a turning point their season. Following this match, their impressive run of form seemed to unravel and their title challenge fell apart. Yesterday, they found the mental resources to clinch victory after seeing Ramsey suffer a similar blow to the Croatian. Maybe that incident will prove to be a turning point too. Rather than signalling the beginning of a capitulation for the remainder of the season, maybe it will galvanise the squad’s spirit and provide them with the fuel to go on and achieve something.

It feels inappropriate to talk about title challenges after what happened on Saturday but, against all expectation and thanks to Chelsea and Manchester United dropping points in a most uncharacteristic fashion, the Gunners find themselves only three points off the pace with a run of winnable-looking matches coming up. They are definitely back in it and, though they are still relying on others to drop further points, if they can look after their own form they have a very live chance.

We all hoped we would never have to see another injury like Eduardo’s for a very long time. Sadly we have, and all we can hope is that the treatment Aaron Ramsey receives at this critical early stage is a success as he begins the long road to recovery.

Comments

Posted by gerry kelly on 02/28/2010

well said..the refs need to protect the good football sides from these hackers.only in the premiership would they get away with this.hope the young lad makes a full recovery,he`s a special talent!.hope arsenal win it for him now.

Posted by rich on 02/28/2010

BAN THE RECKLESS THUG

Posted by Sever on 02/28/2010

The fact of the matter is: every game from now till the end of the season is a title decider. The Stoke match felt exactly like that, and we came through it with flying colors.

Will we now be able to raise our game for the 10 remaining matches with the pressure of being genuine title contenders? It could be argued that the reason we lost to Man U and Chelsea (aside from inept defense ala Stoke's first goal) was a lack of confidence in rising to the big occasion. Now, all the matches are big occasions.

My impression is, and I hope I'm wrong, that once again there is a general media/internet consensus that Fabregas and Wenger are overreacting to the Shawcross foul, and that Arsenal are playing the victim card childishly. I hope this pumps them with zeal rather than self-destructive anger. I don't believe the foul was malicious, but seen in slow motion the tackle looks awfully reckless, and should not be defended by any means.

Posted by Butter.would.not.melth.in.my.mouth on 02/28/2010

Ryan Shawcross is not that sort of player, of course not. That's why apart from Ramsey, Francis Jeffers (October 2007) had his ankle broken and Adebayor (November 2008) was off for four weeks after terror tackles from this player. How many more cases do people want before they realise this guy should be banned and banned severely.

Posted by The Mard on 02/28/2010

Firstly, calm down. I was at the game and there was no malice in the tackle. True, a young promising player has been left with a broken leg and everyone's thoughts and focus should be with him. If you had ever played the game you would know that the lad came in with his laces and there were no studs showing - concentrate on the footage and you will even see that Shawcross does not even see Ramsey flying into the tackle (watch his eyes, they are firmly fixed on the ball). It was a collision, nothing more. The reaction of Shawcross clearly demonstrated that he had no intent

It is also worthy of note that the only player to come to the immediate aid of Ramsey was Glen Whelan...who, in case you didn't notice, is a Stoke player. Other than Nicklas Bendtner all the other Arsenal players were too busy shouting at the referee and Shawcross to tend to their injured team mate who was in obvious distress,

Injuries and accidents are part of the game and only when your own house is in order can you go around shouting the odds at other league clubs and their disciplinary records.

Posted by Paul on 02/28/2010

Here here. I realize that injuries from tackles are part of the game but Arsenal players get more than their fair share - van Persie being another example (imagine where we'd be now if he hadn't been hacked down in that friendly). Wenger doesn't believe in coincidences and I don't think he's being paranoid for once. To me this attitude of "kick them because they're better than us" is a form of cheating, or worse. Unfortunately nothing will change because in Britain this behavior is condoned, especially by the media. And why are these culprits, like Shawcross, always defended as "being such nice blokes, etc?" Does that make what he did right??? It doesn't matter if they're lovely chaps or ar**holes, they should be held accountable for their actions, period. Whether this means long ban or worse, it might discourage this from happening in the future. I'm glad that the writer dug up some dirt on Shawcross although I'm certain it won't make the national press, or in the end, any difference.

Posted by irishgunner on 02/28/2010

shawcross tackle typical attitude from a lot of english players to skill is have a go at the player in other words kick him into the stands. in england this is considered "WELL HARD MATE" and shows bottle. IT SHOWS BOTTLE TO WIN PENALTY SHOOT OUTS WHICH ENGLAND DONT HAVE. it also takes a certain level of intellegence and skill to win the world cup which is why england will not win it.

Posted by Terry Savage on 02/28/2010

CAR CRASH TACKLE!
Uproar in court today as reckless driver escapes disqualification.
Ryan Shawcross, 21 of Staffordshire, escaped disqualification today for mowing down 19 year old Aaron Ramsey from Pembrokeshire.
The court found Shawcross guilty of recklessly careering into Ramsey in Stoke last Saturday evening, His manager and colleagues came to support his previous good character, stating he “has not got a bad bone in his body!” and the local community got behind him with good wishes and support.
The magistrates took this into account and urged everyone to let the poor boy alone, as he has suffered enough.
Meanwhile, the team representing Ramsey are dismayed by the decision, stating that Shawcross has a bad record, causing injuries before. They also feel that Shawcross was egged on by his friends to drive in a reckless manner, and that the punishment should be more serious.
Whilst Shawcross will be able to drive in 2 weeks time, Ramsey had to have emergency surgery and will be unable to return to work for at least a year.
The team representing Ramsey has urged that the law be changed to protect innocent parties like Ramsey in future, before somebody loses their livelihood

Posted by Maran on 03/01/2010

It is quite sickening to see that horrific tackle, and is even more sickening to see Aaron Ramsey stretchered off. Aaron was given the opportunity in the last two matches in which he showed a lot of character and zeal, albeit prone to making a mistake or two. But his confidence was rising and he had just started to make an impact. And it is sad to see him go.
The tackle may seem innocuous at first but on repeated viewing, it is clear how reckless atackle it was. Neither Shawcross nor Stoke should defend the actions. It was a gameplan that awfully went wrong. I have this feeling that most of the English fans, media and referees secretly admired the way teams like Stoke employ over physical approach against Arsenal. That is why the refs do absolutely nothing to curb the trend. Although football is contact game and rugged play is part of it, but certainly not Thuggery. I think there is alot of thuggery out there and refs should decide how to deal with this immediately before it gets bad.

Posted by syahrr01 on 03/01/2010

The next manager who wishes to tell his team to "rough up" Arsenal should think about these incidents and what it means for Football. Regardless of the intent, these are not coincidences. Rather, it's a direct consequence of an tactical policy.

Posted by Fred Hassim on 03/01/2010

Unfortunatly, players of inferior quality allways seem to use violence to stop quaility players

Posted by Maran on 03/01/2010

The controversy attached to the horror tackle took the gloss away from the GALLANT display by the gunners in this must win match. Although the predictable Delap throw caught Arsenal in a predictable way, the team showed resolve to fight back all the way, even after the Aaron incident. All the players, stuck together, dug in and roughed up the win. It is nice to see Sol anchoring the defence and I think he conjured up a few attacks himself. Nasri and Aaron relentlessly kept the Stoke defence busy. It was nice to see Cesc raising the tempo of the players and the match alike. Overall it was a good fight back and with respect to the league table, it puts us in a good position to have hope. It will be must win matches for the rest of teh season. Hope the current team spirit continues.

Posted by Anonymous on 03/01/2010

shawcross should be banned until the date of Ramsey's comeback... apply to all reckless "defense"!

Posted by pom on 03/01/2010

I see no mention of the fouls made on stoke city by Arsenal!They come to stoke knowing they can get away with fouls and back tackles and the refs will not award anything to stoke city!Unless of course you watch different games than i do!I think a certen arsenal manager told his side to go out and bully stoke because they will be protected by the ref and suprise Arsenal were and stoke had no decisions there way!So practise what you preach Arsenal THUGS!

Posted by kevin 11 on 03/01/2010

the fact that this fate is happening frequently to gunners is an undeniable proof of opposition tactics - "kick the kids around"..the win paled compared to the injury..the only positive is that it might force fran marida to stay and galvanize the team, as pointed out..my heart goes out for ramsey

Posted by bo on 03/01/2010

This may be a bit machiavellian, but for tackles that are this reckless and damaging, the player committing the foul should be suspended until the injured player recovers. This would make defenders think twice about diving at someone's ankle or leg.

I'm not saying that you handcuff defenders, but tackles worthy of a straight red card resulting in serious injury should not be in the game. BTW, rules favoring offensive play may result in a change in the game, but look at the NFL, protecting offensive players has created a more exciting game. I would also argue that the changes that the NFL has made has allowed quality defenders to better stand out.

Posted by samuel bassey on 03/01/2010

wenger needs more of bendtner's physique in the team if he wishes to stop such incidence re-occuring

Posted by eric on 03/01/2010

three broken legs in 5 years! i'm hoping the FA is not waiting for more such sickening incidents to happen before deciding that more need to be done to protect the skillful teams.

Posted by PHILIP OBI on 03/01/2010

I'm greatly distressed about Ramsey's injury due to a malicious tackle.I'm not surprised that Showcross' manager will come to his defence,telling how nice the lad is & how distressed he has been since causing the injury, nothing new? These are all old stories which cannot fool anybody.If arsenal players continue to be treated this way without protection from the officials, then resort to self-help will become very likely. For those of us who will not hesitate to defend Showcross, let's not forget Mother England lost a player some few months ago when Dean Ashton was forced to retire from football because of an injury - age, only 26. We may think this is all about Arsenal/Wenger, but in the long the standard of playing in England keep declining.
While Ramsey(just like Diaby & Eduardo before) has been sent on an indefinite leave, Showcross returns only after three matches. Where lies the justice/fairness of it all? For once the FA should listen to Wenger & do something to protect players

Posted by gaaoone on 03/01/2010

Some of these players are man u fans seeking to stall the Gunners progress. That will explain why Man U do not get the same treatment. If that is not the case then ManU are better protected by the referees. And if that is the case "the special 1" was right.

Posted by ifeanyi udemezue on 03/01/2010

Well said "the mard". The issue should not be whether there was any malice in the tackle by Shawcross. The point is that it was heavy and late. He should have foreseen that it would result to an injury. I really believe that there should be a way of punishing overzealous tackles like the one given by Shawcross. Having said that i wish Ramsey speedy recovery. That promising career should not end abruptly courtesy of a lousy tackle.

Posted by James Whittaker on 03/01/2010

Some of you lot need to get a grip, no doubt you failed to 'see' fabregas' challenge on Shawcross or 'see' that Bendtner pulled back Shawcross meaning he had that bit further to go.

Ryan went into a foul committed, which footballers are always told to do to risk injury - Ramsey didn't, his foot got stuck on the turf and was actually bent BEFORE contact.

Wenger seems to think that different rules apply to him, they don't, if he doesn't like the English game he should leave, funnily enough if it was like before he got here and sure enough it will remain the same after he leaves.

As for Ramsey, I'm devastated for the lad but it's a contact sport and I'm sure he would have appreciated the fact it was the STOKE players coming to his aid whilst the Arsenal players barracked the referee who, by the way, has come out and said the tackle wasn't worthy of a red card...

Posted by Sampson on 03/01/2010

I think Zidane is right, we have anti-ball who purports themselves against all odds to be what they are not, this lads comes in and make their money in football not knowing that the beautiful game is not about making money alone, its about protecting the game for the younger generation if not Pele and co would have damaged it long before they meet it.

The integrity of these guys should be questioned, especially in the premiership where some of the known coaches gangs up against this known foot-balling teams, lessons should be learnt else we’ll loss the integrity of the game.

Sampson
South Africa

Posted by ja wallin on 03/01/2010

The referees allowing the constant kicking is about the same as not giving fouls against Arsenal in the box. Earlier in the Stoke game Ramsey as pushed over in the box and NO PENALTY. It would have changed the game tremendously. Later, after the Fabregas penalty, Bendtner was pushed over in the box, NO PENALTY. Arsene said it right when he states that his players are constantly kicked at, and Arsenal hardly ever get penalties when our players are pushed over in the box. Maybe it is because we play so many passes in the box, but a foul is a foul, and a foul in the box is a penalty. We hope Aaron gets well soon and is back within a year; but for Sawcross, I say ban him for 10 games (and we can hope that really puts the hurt to Stoke's league position).
Go Gunners, Win the Title for Ramsey!

Posted by Fritz on 03/01/2010

Someone had the nerve to mention Arsenal's fouls on Stoke? Stoke committed 14 fouls(though there were more but the ref played on)to Arsenal's 8 fouls. Yet, the only yellow card besides the automatic red was given to Song. Even to the very end of the match, Stoke players came in late AGAIN on Cesc and no call was made! So, in retaliation at the last whistle, Cesc takes out someone from behind and now Pulis is up in arms??!!I for one liked Arsene's comments at the end. It shows more bravery to continue playing your brand of footbal than to stoop as low as the others and retaliate and adopt a thuggish way of playing the game. While other teams supporters will bring up Gallas' bad tackles , I will just say this to all of them. Which team commits the least fouls in the Prem every year and has won the fair play award year in and year out? You know the answer to that one folks!The mighty Arsenal. So, don't bring past transgressions because its a waste of time!

Posted by syazwann on 03/01/2010

As a former amateur player, I've experienced the same rough treatment, only lucky enough to escape with bruises and swellings plus almost dislocated knee. All these fall back to desperate attempts to stop an opponent by the defending team. I would prefer that anyone involved in this kind of thuggery or trickery be suspended until the victim can play again, so as to warn other pretenders from trying the dirty trick of kicking around fantastic players of other teams. I agree with BO on this and we can see more beautiful football in the EPL. To Aaron, may you have a speedy recovery, to Shawcross ... play the ball, not the leg.

Posted by AKIN MAYOWA on 03/01/2010

this is violence in football.players who make terrible tackles should not only see the red card but should be banned for three months.

Posted by Philip on 03/01/2010

British Football needs to protect its reputation, skilled players and finances.

A league that does not take protective action under these circumstances is crap and will lose talent and fans to other leagues.

Posted by Terry on 03/01/2010

The league "will lose talent". The league has already lost talent, see Ronaldo and Alonso and every player who won't come to EPL. The tactic is foul to slow the game because there is no other way to keep up, that is ugly and sad. Time to embrace an NBA style rule and give bench yellows, or even a PK, after so many fouls in a game or half.

Posted by Jim on 03/01/2010

What with these people saying that Ramsey leg was broke/bent before Shawcross made contact? Then who broke his leg, the invisible man on the pitch? Either you are blind or you support a team full of thugs like Stoke.

Posted by Fifa on 03/02/2010

Arsenal players are list protected in the EPL, when watched very closely one can notice that virtually all the referees are ManU fans at that they usually officiate against Arsenal even while playing against other teams, It's crystal clear facts.

Posted by Don on 03/02/2010

The referees owe the players protection. It is pretty obvious that other teams approach to playing Arsenal is to get physical with them. Therefore the referees need to step in a draw the line. Yellow cards should be handed out quicker, this will make players think twice when going in recklessly. This injury was unfortunate, it did not look intentional. However after watching the slow motion I have no idea what Shawcross was trying to do, if he had connected the ball, it would of gone out of the stadium. On the game Arsenal showed character in clawing out the win, in the end talent and class will prevail. As for the rest of the season we can only hope the players get better protection. Also I wish Aaron a speedy recovery, he is an unbelievable player her deserves to come back fully fit.

Posted by Angry Gooner on 03/02/2010

It seem rough play is the only method to shackle Arsenal.....REF PLS PROTECT PLAYERS..PUNISH THEM SEVERELY...ENOUGH IS ENOUGH...no wonder English dont have gifted player...all being bully by thugs.

Posted by ramso1171, mombasa , kenya on 03/02/2010

As the way it should be, it`s actually sound funny to see shawcross being suspended for three game while he endangers someone carrier. The best thing the FA should do was to suspends the lad for as long as Aaron Ramsey fully recovers from the injury. Wish Ramsey quick recovery

Posted by seray on 03/02/2010

forget about the FA, they will never do anything-since the player is not going to represent england. the FA would have shown a different reaction if it was wayne Rooney. When Rooney was injured by a chelsea defender few months before germany 06 wolrd cup,the midea as well as the FA assess and reassess the play several times to know if there is any malcontent by the chelsea player. But there was none. the chelsea player touch the ball before contacting rooney. In Ramsy's case, Ryan missed the ball completely before contacting Ramsy. Technically let analyze the contact. let assume the ball was in point A and both players are running to make a contact. when Ramsy displaces the ball from point A to C, his foot will end up in point B-since the ball is faster than his foot.you imagining. so if Ryan wants to contact the ball, his foot should have end up in point A were the ball was. But if he follows Ramsy's foot in point B when the ball is already in point C then the player's intent for a foul is clear and he should be punish for the intent to coause harm. U can break a foot such as Ramsy's case when the foot is placed on the ground.But were was Ryan when Ramsy kick the ball, instead he followed Ramsy's foot in point B to break it. Sorry Ramsy.TV footage will explained this better. Am not an expert, but someone who had played the game casually.

Posted by bava on 03/02/2010

Let us pray for his speedy recovery.good luck ramsy

Posted by bava on 03/02/2010

Let us pray for his speedy recovery.good luck ramsy

Posted by chika baldwin on 03/02/2010

I feel realy bad, esp now that we are on the verge of toping the league. i wish Ramsey speedy recovery. As for shawcross, i think he should be banned before he does it again.
chika
nigeria.

Posted by Bassam on 03/02/2010

Though am a Liverpool supporter, but I felt low for the young welshman. Wishing you a speedy recovery, and hoping Arsenal can win the title this year. I'd hate seeing us lost the title, but if it is any of the three above, then I'd take Arsenal for it, they can do it. YNWA

Posted by stark001 on 03/02/2010

wake up gunners!!! you fools.. injuries r part and parcels of the game.. the one u should blame is the physicist of the team.. chelsea n man u, n also lverpool also play attractive football, n weaker team always tried the physical approach, but they dont get injured often.. heck, even ronaldo when he's with man u got more kicks n tackles than all of the arsenal players got, but i dont rmmber him getting severely injured like that.. its rubbish for evryone to treat shawcross like that.. evryone who calls for him to be suspended until ramsey recovers are overboard.. shawcross is also a great young talent, and suspending him for a long period will deter his improvements.. my advice to the gooners, buff up ur players, coz they all are physically very weak, except for vermaelen, coz he's good.. if u take a look at the gunners during when they were winning things, u noticed that all of the arsenal player are very big, tall and physically sound..

Posted by bayo on 03/02/2010

i feel sorry for shawcross, and more sorry for ramsey....... The FA should look into things like these.For how long will players legs be broken until we know that without legs football cant be played

Posted by z3r0ss on 03/02/2010

i dont get why some of you would bring Man Utd into this conversation.simply ridiculous. Arsenal is NOT playing better than Man Utd and it was shown clearly in the matches between the 2 teams. Why would those "Man utd fan" refs be worried about Arsenal while if they target Chelsea would b a much more direct way to championship?
regarding the challenge, i agree that the stoke players did play rough that night but if you simply look at the challenge alone, it was a 50-50 ball and Ramsey was simply a tiny bit faster and was caught at a bad angle. dont use it as an excuse to say that only Arsenal are targeted. All top teams are. i dont know how many of you play soccer but as a player myself, thou not professional, i just think its really stupid of you to say that shawcross would have foreseen this and that. he is a DEFENDER for God's sake and ALL defenders are taught by ALL coaches to go into a tackles committed. It was a 50-50 ball and he was right to commit.

Posted by YankAbroad on 03/02/2010

Ramsey deserves thoughts and warm wishes, to be sure. But we've gone too far afield with our conclusions. The article is quite correct in noting that beautiful defensive skill and well-timed tackles are an essential part of the game. So is physicality. The English game is compelling because they do not "protect the talent" to the same hyper-reactive extent that other countries' leagues do.

Shawcross's tackle was careless, but that's it. It wasn't double-footed, cleats-up, from behind, or malicious. Tackles like this happen across the league every day, and in this case, a freak set of circumstances led to a terrible accident. Punish malicious tackles and those not reasonably designed to get the ball. Adding stricter standards and harsher enforcement will not stem the problem of careless tackles, as they are a natural part of the game. It will, however, lead to more penalties, more diving, and less quality.

Posted by Oyedokun Alex on 03/02/2010

Dont let us be sentimental on this issue, this incident was happend unknowingly, Showcross just tackled him as normal tackling. reference to Blackburn Rovers team of 2003-2005, they re very hard in tacking & dashed their opponet an injury in every match they played. Football is friendly. What if showcross is in any top 3 teams, i believe people will seriously mad, they will say because they very close to the trophy. Anybody can fall as a victim.

Posted by akin akinbile on 03/02/2010

another sad day for football, another tragic moment for Arsenal football club, yet the media reaction in England is equivocal to say the least.
Football is regarded as a gladiator sport in England where very skillful players are destroyed and the strong bullish players thrive with inferior skills which is the main reason why England has not won the world cup since 1966 and most probably will win the world in the foreseeable future because international soccer has weeded out such barbarism.
i hope and pray Ramsey recovers from this horrific injury without much damage to his confidence and carrier. As for Shawcrosss, he should be banned for the rest of the season and managers should also be held accountable for encouraging these thugs on the football field.

Posted by yaks on 03/02/2010

Stoke manager should appreciate that football is not basketball. He should come to the pitch telling his players to display quality football and not long throws like basketballers.

Posted by czonka on 03/02/2010

The most ridiculous comment in this thread is the one about Shawcross going into the foul committed, but Ramsey didn't and that's why he got hurt. Ramsey didn't go into the foul committed because he didn't go in to foul. Ramsey won the ball and Shawcross swung wildly (not committed) in a last gasp attempt to maintain possession. There may not have been "Malice" as most Shawcross defenders claim, but it was not controlled. That is what makes it a horrendous foul and what makes it a red card offense no matter what the ref has come out and stated later. The punishment should fit the crime, and there are many facets to that including intent. I think a ban until Ramsey returns is too long in this case, but 10 games would be appropriate.

Posted by Ricardo Mora on 03/02/2010

Perhaps the only way to stop this macho kicking footballers will be to make them pay for the wages of the fellow professional they hurt. Imagine if you're forced to pay at least part of the wages of a more established player during his rehabilitation. If Ramsey doesn't come back then Shawcross should be banned for life. I know it's not a way to protect players prior to the aggression but it sure as hell will make them think again the need to be strong but fair to their opponents.

Posted by Anonymous on 03/02/2010

It was one of those things that are fated to happen sometime.It is such a shame for british football that such a bright prospect should suffer thus but I think it is destiny.Rather than hurling stones left and right let us pray for God to protect our players from such gruesome incidents and may he recover at short notice.

Posted by Ben on 03/02/2010

Essentially I see a lot of people whining that the referees should intentionally ensure that every match is played in a style that best suits Arsenal. One word answer: No. That's not how the game works, and having a league full of Arsenal clones wouldn't improve it in any way.

Shawcross was already in the motion of trying to play the ball before he ever saw Ramsey. Perhaps you'd like to suggest that Ramsey was being stupid for trying to get to that ball before Shawcross did? Or maybe they should suspend Bendtner for arresting Shawcross' progress, making him have to reach for the ball. In case you didn't catch it, I think that both of those are idiotic suggestions.

I just can't believe that this incident was anyone's fault. It's the nature of the game.

Here's hoping for Aaron Ramsey's swift recovery!

Posted by NMarsenalfan on 03/02/2010

First I am an Arsenal fan. I don't believe that this was a malicious or even an horrendous tackle. Having watched the replay many times it appears to me that Shawcross was attempting to clear the ball and was unaware of Ramsey coming in and arrived late. To say that he was just kicking Ramsey due to inferior quality is unfair considering he is a great young prospect for the national team. I think his mistake was not being aware and arriving late in his challenge. Also to consider his past injuries caused is also unfair, he is a defender and involved in lots of tackles. I think the focus should be on Ramsey and sending our prayers and wishes to his speedy recovery after this tragic accident.

Posted by Aleks on 03/02/2010

During the game I noticed that Ramsey was a target. Constantly double teamed, often whacked after barely getting his pass off, I was surprised that he didn't go off earlier to an injury. It makes sense, as an opposing manager you see Arsenal's lineup and you tell your players... "Go after Ramsey." He's young, not too many starts and apparently frail.

But the outcome is clear, as the game wore on Stoke players began to feel tired and became reckless. I don't mind the physicality of the game, it's a big weakness that Arsenal counters with slick, free-flowing passes. But when inexperience meets fatigue, a broken leg rocks everyone watching to the core.

Posted by Ian on 03/02/2010

PLEASE I BEG PEOPLE TO DETACH EMOTION AND USE UR BRIANS WHEN ANALYZING A TREND OF HOSTILE TACKLES AGAINST ARSENAL,EDUARDO DIABY&AARON WELL CAN,T SOMEBODY REALIZE IT IS JUST A HABIT-TECHNIQUE TO GET A POINT AGAINST ARSENAL NOTHING ELSE BUT VIOLENCE ONCE AGIN ENGLSH A QUICK TO DEFEND THEIR OWN WITHOUT LOOKING AT THE BIG PICTURE ,ARSENAL WENGER IS OLD TEAM THE INVINCIBLE WERE WINNING TROPHIES BUT LACKED DISCIPLINE AND EVERYBODY WAS OUT MUMBLING NOW THAT WE HAVE DISCIPLINE OTHER ARE RREADY TO POUNCE AND INTIMIDATE IF THAT IS WAY OF WINNIN GAMES WE CAN DO THE SAME BELIVE IT OR NOT ITS SUCH A JOY TO SEE ARSENAL PLAY GOOD BEAUTIFUL SOCCER, SO ATTRACTIVE I STAY IN NYC PEOPLE WAKE UP TO SEE NOTHING BUT ARSENAL THE ONLY TEAM KNOWN IN SOUTH AMERICA AND AFRICA FAR MORE POPULAR ,PLEASE BE FAIR SUCH BAD REFEREES EVERYBODY IS COMPLAINING ABOUT POOR REFEREEING

Posted by John P on 03/02/2010

Anyone who has ever played competative football knows only too well the reasoning behind Shawcross' horror tackle. Personally, as he is a professional, I prefer to believe that he did not mean to maim or seriously injure another player or professional & for that I give him the benefit of the doubt. However, I have played as a full back for over 4 decades & can say without any doubt that when a player dives into such a tackle he knows exactly what he is doing. This doesn't necessarily include breaking a leg but it does include stopping the opposition with any force or intimidating tackles thought necessary regardless of consequence, & we saw that consequence. For this reason, Shawcross is guilty!!! There is no sensible argument against Shawcross being banned for as long as Ramsey is out of the game. Make an example of him & stop these career ending moves from the games' thugs.

Posted by Mario The Gunner Pimp on 03/02/2010

I am very upset...He messed up this young guy's career...I hope that he will be back but there is chance he will never be the same...I have faith!!! ARSENAL FOR 2010 CHAMPIONS!!! GO GUNNERS GO!!!

Posted by Steve on 03/02/2010

Arsenal aren't the only team that get rough challenges, they're just the only ones who can't seem to handle it. "Rough up" Arsenal DOES NOT MEAN KICK THEM ILLEGALLY. It means challenge hard for all 50-50s and shoulder-to-shoulders, and don't be afraid of contact when going for the ball. That doesn't mean kick, go in late, or deliberately hurt anyone. Arsenal are easy to throw off their game if you play physical and that is a legitimate strategy. Until Arsene addresses that deficiency in his team (remember the teams of the late 90s/early 00s? Go on and tell me Vieira and co weren't rough players, and if anything I'd certainly call them dirty with intent to hurt) then Arsenal will continue to lose out on silverware.

I'm a huge Ramsey fan and I'm gutted to see this happen to him. Shawcross was a bit reckless but anyone who's ever played a sport knows that you make those decisions in split second, and the game is even faster now than before. Gooners need to quit the "Poor Me" act.

Posted by scott on 03/02/2010

A well argued piece. It is important to note, that the behavior exhibited by Shawcross and many others in the English game is harmful to football in general, not just to Arsenal. Although Arsenal seem to be the team most often to suffer from this behavior because other teams don't not have the defensive capability to cope with Arsenal's style of play.

Anyone defending the actions of Shawcross and numerous others who have committed similar acts should recognize this detracts from the potential of developing quality, skilled players that can compete on the world stage and gives English football a horrible image.

If I wasn't such a fan of the Arsenal style of play I would rather be watching La Liga.

Posted by Andy on 03/02/2010

The simple truth is Shawcross has little or no skills and is a thug in the mold of Chopper Harris and Vinnie Jones. His record of "miss-timed" tackles and broken bones speaks for its self. As for a manager who appears to encourage this type of behaviour particularly against teams who "play football" and not the big boot up the middle tactics that appears characteristic of Stoke then some form of ban a fine and probably counceling would be appropriate.

Posted by Tone Gun on 03/02/2010

It was a terrible tackle but I do believe there was on intention in it. That being said her needs to be banned for more than three games for such a terrible tackle and I don't think he should have been awarded with an English call up.

Posted by bibby12 on 03/03/2010

Hahahaha. So Arsenal are the only victims of reckless challenges and fouls? Utter nonsense. Wenger has got to stop playing the victim all the time. Other teams have had the same luck with injuries to key players. Terry, Cech, Robben, to name a few on Chelsea, have seen worse due to reckless tackles. Might I remind you that Terry was twice injured by Arsenal players, Diaby's kick in the face, and Eboue's late stomp. While Cech was kicked in the head by Hunt and has to wear appropriate headgear.

And isn't it grand hearing this from Wenger, who used his hired goons, Vieira, Keown, Parlour etc to employ the very same tactics he is criticizing now. Arsenal are, by no stretch of the imagination, a victimized team. Ramsey's injury is devastating and sad, and Wenger's frustration is understandable, but he needs to keep his mouth shut about the ridiculous notion that every team is out to get them. The big teams face this adversity on a regular basis, and the best overcome it.

Posted by oliver on 03/03/2010

as a neutral to the teams involved i was originally leaning to the stoke side of the argument- but when you think football should be entertaining, we need to protect the playmakers. Think to a sport like NFL where they have protected the star quarterbacks at all costs. Sure it is annoying when you see soft fouls or penalties given away, but would you rather see good players have fruitful careers, and a few more soft free kicks all round, or see 'hard' football and every year or so see a leg dangling in a sock? Really there is no argument, players like Ramsay and Eduardo don't come along very often, whereas I could kick everyone from Pele right through to my mate n the park if I want. Ramsay's imagination and inventiveness must be valued more than negative fouling (although of course, skilled defending is beautiful to watch).

Posted by Seyi on 03/03/2010

It's a shame what happended to Ramsey and I wouldn't wish that on anybody even as much as I hate Arsenal as an entity. It is what it is an accident and a very bad one at that. You also have to say there is a reason why this is happening to Arsenal, and it's simply because they are viewed as a soft team. If you have ever played football at compitetive level you will agree with me that you opnonent can determine how hard you go for a 50-50 ball. You wouldn't dare go to hard if Keano or patrick were in the middle of that park...

Posted by Maran on 03/03/2010

I was flabbergasted to read "Sir Alex Ferguson supports Shawcross" over tackle. I cannot fathom somebody who was knighted in UK behaving in such mad fashion as to offering sympathy for an offender, rather than offering it for the victim. Also, Rooney came out to support Shawcross publicly. Is this a coincidence? Someone suggested it would have been different if it was an English player who was hurt. I agree. I would go on to suggest that sympathy calls would have come unabated to Arsenal if the manager was someone else, Alex? The general English sentiment is "hatred" against Arsene and Arsenal players for "showing off" on the field. This is the only place where thuggery is condoned and the assailant is often hailed as a hero. Remember Roy Keane, Joey Barton, Wayne Rooney...This is simply ludicruous. Can you imagine, the whole of England is trying to make Shawcross a hero? For what? He shed tears; he is not "that type of player"; he was from Man U. For heaven's sake, pls grow up.

Posted by Ron on 03/03/2010

I'm for Ian and John P side; Ben can kiss off. Explain Shawcross's history of injuring players away as just a bit of bad luck? What is the real difference between reckless and intentional, except that if you're only reckless you can cry and say you're sorry? Why can't Arsenal just hire a hit-player whose one job next time Arsenal plays Stoke is to injure Shawcross? Hey, I'd pay to see it. Poor little Shawcross. Correct me if I'm not mistaken, but the LOG consider "excessive force" to be sufficient for a red card - tears of angst or not. I can only hope this type of blatant disregard for your fellow competitors will chase talent from the EPL into La Liga and Series A.
Clean physical play is doesn't detract at all from the game but what on earth does garbage no skill hacking add to the game?

Posted by Nicky on 03/03/2010

I think you wrote in a manner that was way more objective as compared to the Stoke correspondent. Wenger being whiny and Arsenal not showing concern for Ramsey after the tackle... please, Stoke should just shut up and stop vindicating themselves.

Posted by Joe on 03/03/2010

Spot on. It's nice to read some sensible copy from the football press. The bottom line is one of the most promising midfield prospects in all of Europe fell victim to a reckless, unnecessary tackle. Sham on Shawcross, sham on the English media, and sham on the FA for allowing this kind of tactic to continue. Best of luck to Ramsey. For the sake of good football the world over lets hope he makes a full recovery.

Posted by CJ on 03/03/2010

Okay, so Ryan Shawcross' challenge wasn't that great - nobody can deny that. It was late and quite high, but it's evident from the video that he only has eyes for the ball. If Shawcross had reached the ball only a microsecond earlier he'd have been applauded for making a hard but fair challenge. It's fair to say that if he didn't go in hard, he may have been injured himself. He was showing full commitment to the Stoke cause.

Ramsey, likewise, was doing the same for Arsenal. He came flying into the challenge himself, from Shawcross' blind side. If Shawcross had reached the ball sooner there is a very good chance that Ramsey may have inflicted a similiar injury on Shawcross.

Sum total of the challenge - it was an unfortunate and freak accident, because two committed footballers went in hard for a loose ball.

While it's awful that any footballer has an injury that is potentially career-ending, to paint one Shawcross as the villain here is perhaps a little unfair.

Posted by miraji rajab on 03/03/2010

verry sory for club arsenal and playe ramse
but the afa should make good destion for the red cad is not good distion

Posted by Riju on 03/03/2010

I wonder how it would have been, if it was Rooney and the tackler is from a country in the same group in WC. Anyway, there is still time for someone to do a non-malicious tackle and screw England World Cup hope. And by that make the EPL guys to take these kind of things seriously.

Posted by Will on 03/03/2010

Very fair and well written article that is pointing towards the good of the game rather than trying to pin down wenger which is the usual things people tend to do.

As mentioned i really believe the managers and referees hold the 2 keys to stamp reckless and nasty challenges out of the name. I think we have mistaken a good defensive play by tackling hard and giving hard knocks to oppositions far too many times at the expense of carelessly hurting or fouling someone.

If referees will to nip it early in the game it will really help.

Posted by Sam on 03/03/2010

All that this disgrace will do is further drive skilled and talented players away from the English game. How often do you see these 'horror' tackles in the Spanish and Italian games? Why do you think Brazilian and Argentinian flair players prefer these leagues? Cos they know if they play in England they will get hacked out of the game without any protection from the ref. It wouldnt suprise me if this sort of thing eventually pushes Febregas out of the prem. Surely he must be wondering 'when is it my turn?', Unless the Prem does something to stop this sort of play then they will be left with a league full of thugs and second rate players.
On another note, why is it always the same teams who cause these so called accidental injuries? When do you hear of Arsenal or Man U players causing this? Never. It is always the same teams, under the same instructions. Pulis is as much to blame as his charge. He should be ashamed

Posted by So-So- on 03/03/2010

Imagine if fabregas, messi, ronaldo, kaka and rooney get he same tackle...

Posted by Zack Foster on 03/03/2010

I want to quote my english friend about the so called hard english football. Football is a gentleman game played by hooligans and rugby is a hooligan game play by gentleman.

Posted by PHILIP OBI on 03/03/2010

I'm particularly angry since the Ramsey's injury that people continue to talk about intention. 'The takle was reckless but not intentional' and bla..bla..bla..How do we define Shawcross' intentions?how do we even know that he has no intention of injurying Ramsey? Because he cried? Absolutely not!

Personally, I never believe that he has the intention to injury Ramsey, but to come out and defend him the way everybody is doing as if he is the victim is stupid. The only 'reasonable' explanation is because Ramsey is not Rooney, Lampard or Gerrard then the whole English media would have bring down the heavens.Ramsey will surely come back stronger & Arsenal will move on, but England can never win any championship with this kind of negative attitude towards good football.What goes around comes around. One day I will watch the reaction of the press to Rooney's injury inflicted by an African or American player, then(I'm sure) we'll have a new definition of INTENT & MALICE.

Gunners for life.

Posted by Dara on 03/04/2010

What is the strangest fact? While one player international career was very close to being wrecked for the very serious crime of diddling the ex-girlfriend of an ex-teammate, another player is rewarded with an international call-up for the minor misdimeanour of breaking another player's leg in 2 places and putting said player out of action for a very long time.

Thats' British fair play for you

Posted by Stan on 03/05/2010

And now it's Burnley's turn to say they're going to "get physical" with Arsenal. Is that code for "break some bones"?

Posted by Richie on 03/05/2010

This tackle by the so called 'smashing lad'(according to Pulis)was actually planned.Ramsey was too quick for this Shawcross and he saw the need to go in as hard as he could,not mistiming.He should be banned for the rest of the season as he has just shattered the game of a raising talent,imagine if it were Cesc who had suffered the same horrendus tackle.As much as this small teams try to knock us off our feet,they will only be receiving a beating from us.Even Owen Coyle came to the defence of the culprits(Shawcross and Stoke) because he knows he practices the same tactics against us.Shawcross,you might have been called to the England squad but you are only there to warm the bench,you cannot even play a friendly.You are the fifth choice centre half but my greatest wish is that you WILL NOT make the World Cup,you dont deserve to be there,you only fit in a small team like Stoke.Ramsey will be back stronger,but for Shawcross and his crocodile tears,ALL THE WORST.

Posted by Dennis on 03/05/2010

Arsenal sure win the title. Arsene Wenger I support. Bring back Arsenal premier league champion. Arsenal have to face MC and Tottenham which is consider tough game while Chelsea have to face Aston villa, MU, Liverpool and Tottenham and MU have to face MC, Tottenham, Chelsea and Liverpool. Very interesting season ..

If Arsenal get champion this season, Arsenal will create unbelievable record in premier league that lost to Chelsea & MU at home and away soil, yet still become champion. What a miracle.

Posted by Grace on 03/05/2010

please somebody out there tell?does the club still pay for an injured player like Ramsey his weekly salary or his insurance covers himup for the whole is not playing b'se it's really nuging me if this happened to somebody like Rooney or tell who are paid a lot of money and somebody is given a three match suspension for such tackle.man u boss praised his for the Good job done but we are stil in the same boat. well 4-0 for arsenal and a wonderful weekend to all Gooner's.see u @ grove mates

Posted by Eve on 03/06/2010

Sorry i know he will manage and i also believe that we Arsenal are the ones to take the league

Posted by Komesha on 03/08/2010

The injury to Ramsy was shocking and our hearts is with the lad.May he recover quickly and get back to do what he does best.
There are many ways to be a champion, one is to play exceptionaly well and loose less games.the other othodox tactic is to have a very good team and make sure that your rivals loose more games than you.How do you do this while you only have two games to play gainst each of them.
The idea is to employ other teams to make sure that your seriours threats are dealt with accordingly. They can field weaker teams for you or play the strangest of footbal to your opponets.Given the fact that arsenal have a young squad, this tactic has worked perfectly against arsenal. other serious contenders have more mature players and physcical tactics do not work hence you employ the officials to help.you get more set pieces in your favour and the opposite to your opponets.
How do you explain the support that SIR gave showcross and no word of encouragement to Ramsy.The devil lives.

Posted by tricko on 04/21/2010

While I admire Wenger's philosophy in transitioning his youth players into the senior team. It is quite obvious now, that after a few years without winning anything,that his philosophy needs changing a bit. Arsenal needs more accurate wing play.Theo is not delivering consistently enough. They need a better striker to cover for Van Persie/Ashavin. Seems Edwardo taking a bit long to come back to his best. And another world class attacking midfielder to play along side Fabregas or cover for him when necessary would be great. Ofcourse Vermalin, needs beter support in the central defense. It's time to win something Mr. Wenger!

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