De Jong tackle.

[ThisIsOurCity]

I see Ian big mouth wright has jumped on the bandwagon today, saying NDJ
should be banned until the newcastle player is back. He's actually just parroting
what Enrique said yeterday but that's typical of Wright. Not got an original
thought in him the prick.

[ronk]

It's all the more ironic because de Jong isn't even an old fashioned enforcer, not really.

He's not the kind of player who retaliates for bad challenges on our players. A lot of the enforcers would have deliberately received yellow cards by giving someone a kick, either to hobble an attacking player or protect his teammate.

There are plenty of guys out there who occasionally slide in with a "mistimed" challenge as a way of showing that they'll look after themselves, I barely need to list examples but Shearer was free with his elbows, van Persie can be dangerous, Fabregas has a vicious streak, Vieira has picked up his share of red cards, Ronaldo has done plenty of horror challenges that were far worse than anything I've ever seen de Jong do outside of the World Cup final.

de Jong is the prototypical tough-but-fair player, he does rely on psychological intimidation of anyone careless in possession knowing that he could come from anywhere, but at least you know he's going for the ball rather than going to stick a stud into your achilles if the ref isn't looking too closely.

His trailing leg caught Ben Arfa but aside from that there were none of the hallmarks of a dangerous challenge, he went straight in without jumping up (far more dangerous, but still common), his studs were down, he got the ball cleanly enough that he was able to control that it broke to Milner. There were probably half a dozen challenges in the game that were more likely to break someone's leg and it was by no means a dirty game.

[Beeks]

Oliver 'Wanker' Holt

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/opinion ... 95335.html

[ross.mcfc]

When I saw Ben Arfa there, I knew immediately what would follow. Exactly this.

It was just a fucking challenge. Hard? Sure. Against the rules of football? No. Trying to harm the player? No.

It's fucking hypocritical all this. These things happen in football. I feel sorry for Ben Arfa just like I feel sorry for any player badly injured but it's not the fucking injury that makes challenge bad. Player can escape injury and challenge can be horrible. And player can break his leg for smallest of contacts.

But I've moaned about this million times before. It has become fucking soft game and some of the dickheads in football governing bodies want to make it non-contact sport.

Bang on Antti

Over the past year or so I have found myself falling out of love with football, not just City per say. Two events this week have really summed up how football is heading down the pan for me.

I am not a ravid bias type fan where I see everything therough my blue specs. I dont think the majority of people on here are either and I dont remember to many people sticking up for Ben Thatcher when he tried to kill to decapite Mendes. But like everyone who saw the tackle in real time and after the hour of the game (fans, pundits, commentators, press men) no-one thought it was a bad challenge. Then the press get together when a broken leg is confirmed and decide to run with it purely because there is an international break and England are taking part in a series of games no-one give a toss about and they need something to fill the pages for the next week.

If I was DeJong. I would never play for the current Dutch coach again. How that man can have a go at DeJong after the way he sent his gang of thugs to play at the world cup and still include Van Bommel in the squad is beyond me. I hope no matter how he plays in the next home game he get's man of the match from the city fans to show we are behind him. It shouldnt look to suspicous as he has been imo our best player this season. The man is a rock.

The other incident is a bit more off topic. My local club Hibs sacking a manager for not winning in any of there first 6 games. Fair enough he has no budget, took them into Europe last year and had his best player sold under him to balance the books at the transfer window. Yet he was forced out by FAN pressure. Utter morons. Yet I suspect not unique to the East side of Edinburgh.

Sad state of affairs.

[The Man In Blue]

If I was DeJong. I would never play for the current Dutch coach again. How that man can have a go at DeJong after the way he sent his gang of thugs to play at the world cup and still include Van Bommel in the squad is beyond me.

said exactly the same thing to uwe's_duvet before - van Marwijk has lost all credibility for me, the man is a complete charlatan.

[Goataldo]

If I was DeJong. I would never play for the current Dutch coach again. How that man can have a go at DeJong after the way he sent his gang of thugs to play at the world cup and still include Van Bommel in the squad is beyond me.

said exactly the same thing to uwe's_duvet before - van Marwijk has lost all credibility for me, the man is a complete charlatan.

Hmmm, that wasn't quite how you put it mate!

[The Man In Blue]

If I was DeJong. I would never play for the current Dutch coach again. How that man can have a go at DeJong after the way he sent his gang of thugs to play at the world cup and still include Van Bommel in the squad is beyond me.

said exactly the same thing to uwe's_duvet before - van Marwijk has lost all credibility for me, the man is a complete charlatan.

Hmmm, that wasn't quite how you put it mate!

come on mate, you know "total fucking wanker" is an obvious synonym for "complete charlatan".

[Manx Blue]

Newcastle are being extremely self righteous about this.

What if anything did they do as a club, after the two footed lunge to the shin of Anichebe of Everton, just a mere 18 months ago?

Wasnt it one of thier player that snapped someones leg by the corner flag....

your honour I rest my case!

I was actually thinking of Nolan on Anichibe in Feb 2009...two feet on his right shin. But you have added evidence to our growing case LB. Certainly in this game Houghton would have been in charge, don't know about the Hull game though.

[Manx Blue]

Can anyone pop a pic of that Nolan challenge for comparison of a level of intent with our Nigel?

I've tried with no success!

[Goataldo]

If I was DeJong. I would never play for the current Dutch coach again. How that man can have a go at DeJong after the way he sent his gang of thugs to play at the world cup and still include Van Bommel in the squad is beyond me.

said exactly the same thing to uwe's_duvet before - van Marwijk has lost all credibility for me, the man is a complete charlatan.

Hmmm, that wasn't quite how you put it mate!

come on mate, you know "total fucking wanker" is an obvious synonym for "complete charlatan".

Fair enough. Wouldn't say it to Tim Burgess though.

[london blue 2]

Dear City

Please show this to the F.A.

Regards

Mancityfans

[london blue 2]

Dear City

Please show this to the F.A.

Regards

Mancityfans

as a bit of a comparison check the story as well

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/footba ... ackle.html

Everton's Victor Anichebe feared the worst after Kevin Nolan's horror tackle
Newcastle's Kevin Nolan committed one of the season's most appalling fouls against Everton with a two-footed lunge on Victor Anichebe.

And though pundits routinely complain that football is no longer a "man's game", the game still contains enough X-rated violence to give UFC a run for its money.

Nolan's tackle came is almost a year after Eduardo finally returned from a challenge which could have seen him lose a foot.


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Hatem Ben Arfa's injury is 'devastating', says Newcastle's Chris HughtonThis season, Craig Fagan suffered a broken leg from a hideous Danny Guthrie "tackle" and Rodrigo Possebon was left needing oxygen after Middlesbrough captain Emanuel Pogatetz launched both feet at him.

"I've never felt as much pain in my life," said Anichebe. "I thought I'd broken my leg. I couldn't even look down, to be fair. It was a terrible tackle but I don't think he really meant it, he came and said sorry. But what can you do?

"I felt so much pain. Now it's not too bad. It's not as bad as I first thought anyway, but I'm feeling a bit of pain in my knee and the back of my calf and down my shin so we'll see how it is.

Anichebe knows how lucky he was to escape without a more serious injury.

"I've always thought to myself I'll never get injured for a long period of time," he said. "When it happened I thought, that's me, that's my time, but luckily I've got strong legs anyway, and if that was anyone else, their leg would have snapped in two.

"I suppose I'm lucky to come out not as bad anyway, so I'll get a scan and see how it is. Hopefully everything is all right."

[Piccsnumberoneblue]

Had an entertaining chat with three football fans in Sinclairs today. They were talking about Wrinkly Dog's challenge , i interjected, the Blue agreed but one of the other lads was a rag, "he should be banned for twelve months" he offered. On that basis Scholes should have retired two years ago I replied. The other kid was a Newcastle fan. Banned til Ben Arfa was fit again was his effort. I said I'd watched it several times and still tought it looked a fair tackle. I went onto say it was difficult to see whether there was any intent, and lots of people would have differing opinions on wheher it was even an infringement. Priceless response:- " I haven't seen it yet" For Fuck's sake. Why do we bother?

[The Man In Blue]

Priceless response:- " I haven't seen it yet" For Fuck's sake. Why do we bother?

I'd like to think I'd have come back with a withering put-down to that gem, but realistically the will to live would probably have drained out of me and I'd have just sloped off muttering.

[Mark (Blue Army)]

This is a joke the only reason it's getting this much attention is because he play's for City, if this had been the rags or Chelsea you wouldn't hear fuck all about it. Where was all this talk last year when the Arsenal player (can't remember who it was) got his leg broken at stoke.

[Manx Blue]

This is a joke the only reason it's getting this much attention is because he play's for City, if this had been the rags or Chelsea you wouldn't hear fuck all about it. Where was all this talk last year when the Arsenal player (can't remember who it was) got his leg broken at stoke.

Its like Ben Arfa is the ONLY play to ever have his leg broken at this level!

And before anyone suggests it, I'm certainly not gloating about it....ANY player at any club who sustains an injury of that magnitude deserves support and as much assistance as possible in recovering.

People need to realise there are pitfalls to a game like this, despite financial rewards on offer. Any time you cross the line, any injury can sadly occur.

[gillie]

Pitbull got the ball and his feet were not off the ground the only reason the lad got his leg broke was because it was planted and it buckled as pitbulls momentum took him through.But to hear some so called experts talk you would have thought pitbull deliberately jumped up and down on the lads leg.ESPN press pass certainly has it in for pitbull even Frank fuckin Lebeouf was saying today he should be banned the length of Ben Arfa's injury only Steve Nicoll stuck up for our Nigel saying it was a tough but fair tackle.

[shawzy]

Andy Townsend has gone way up in my estimation after reading this.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... -Jong.html?

[citytilidie]

big respect to andy townsend - great article/argument

[Mike J]

depressing reading all these articles.

i never wanted to believe there might be some sort of media bias against us but this has proved that in many sections there fucking is. i forgot how bad some of those other challenges were, mainly the nolan one. fucking sickening. dont remeber him getting this sort of treatment. i hope someone has emailed those pics to the papers but then again like fuck it'd do anything.

de jongs was no where near as bad as the nolan or the guthrie one (which was basically assult).

its an absolute witch hunt.