Should the FA do more to protect Skillful players?

By: Rob | October 19th, 2009

So, after just coming back from injury, and then getting a kicking from Liam Ridgewell, Theo Wallcott will be out for yet another three weeks. I like watching good football. Especially when that good football is coming from an Englishman. So I have to ask the question – should the FA start doing more to protect players who show the slightest bit of skill?

The Premier League has a bit of a reputation for “proper” football. “Proper” in the sense that its tough, takes no prisoners, and that fancy-dan technical ability and flair can take a hike.

I appreciate that. Its part of our history and all. But England produces very few technically skillful players. Joe Cole was one who seemed to magically slip through the net – and it is beginning to catch up with him.

Its 2009. Shouldn’t we be encouraging good football if we aspire to be The Best League in The World EVER? Shouldn’t we try and leave all that Vinnie Jones style, long ball, kick the other guy before he kicks you nonsense in the past where it belongs?

I’m not suggesting we erradicate tackling alltogether. There’s few things more brilliant than a well timed slide tackle. But when we get a team that plays as good football as Arsenal play, it seems sad that pretty much every club comes along and tries to kick seven shades out of their players in an attempt to share a level playing field.

It’d be pretty easy to do it as well. The FA could take a tackle that obviously had take-him-out-the-game intent, and stick a retrospective yellow card/short ban on players. It would not only make them improve their tackling, but also cut out this survival-of-the-biggest “proper” football mentality so many clubs have.

At the end of the day, I’d rather watch an England team with Joe Cole and Theo Wallcott, than with big thugs. Anything that can be done to support that is A Good Thing in my book.

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Category: Arsenal, Birmingham City, EPL Ramblings

Tags: Arsenal, Arsene Wenger, Birmingham City, England, EPL Ramblings, Joe Cole, Theo Walcott

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• Martin |  October 19th, 2009 at 6:11 pm

  
  
  

  As an Arsenal fan, I completely agree with you that more should be done to protect the skilled players, and force clubs like Bolton, Stoke, and Blackburn to actually play football. But I would disagree that the Ridgewell tackle was an example of this–he got the ball and it seemed to be a hard, clean tackle, which will always be a part of the English game.

  Posted from United States

  

• andersen |  October 19th, 2009 at 6:39 pm

  
  
  

  I mean it was a hard tackle, but it was still clean (legal).

  Other than rewriting the rules of the game and take out slide tackles all together, you can not subjectively punish players because a less skillful player tackles a skilled one.

  Posted from United States

  

• Tommy Wong |  October 19th, 2009 at 7:01 pm

  
  
  

  Looks like a good tackle to me. Injuries are part of the game…. any game.

  Posted from United States

  

• Premiership Shirts |  October 20th, 2009 at 4:57 am

  
  
  

  The Ridgewell tackle was a tough tackle but a fair one and he took the ball. A degree of protection should be given when players are illegally tackling but care must be taken otherwise it will either lead to silly sending offs or our game losing the edge that it has over other leagues

  Posted from United States

  

• wengerball |  October 20th, 2009 at 6:12 am

  
  
  

  The Ridgewell tackle was a tough tackle but a fair one and he took the ball.
  —————–
  When are we going to get over that “he got the ball rubbish”?

  There is no mention in the rules about getting the ball first.

  A direct free kick is awarded to the opposing team if a player commits any
  of the following seven offences in a manner considered by the referee to be
  careless, reckless or using excessive force:

  * kicks or attempts to kick an opponent
  * trips or attempts to trip an opponent
  * jumps at an opponent
  * charges an opponent
  * strikes or attempts to strike an opponent
  * pushes an opponent
  * tackles an opponent

  “Reckless” means that the player has acted with complete disregard to the
  danger to, or consequences for, his opponent.

  “Using excessive force” means that the player has far exceeded the necessary
  use of force and is in danger of injuring his opponent.

  Nothing about winning the ball or not.

  Posted from United States

  

• evaldo |  October 20th, 2009 at 11:39 am

  
  
  

  football is physical and that was a fair challenge but the follow through was a little questionable. i’d give the benefit of the doubt to ridgewell on this occassion. only problem was walcott didn’t see it coming so he couldn’t jump or get his legs out of the way.

  Posted from United States

  

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