Few tackles in recent memory have caused as much debate as the one Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany received a red card for during the FA cup tie with United. Chris Foy the referee has never been a personal favourite of mine, yet after the weekend I came to the conclusion that Foy does not, as I had originally thought, have it in for Chelsea, he is just a poor referee in general, having yet another shocking game.
Foy’s performance aside, which is something that could be debated for all of eternity, the red card has prompted mass debate and perhaps the most eloquent statement of all time from a footballer who’s IQ is higher than his shirt number.
Kompany in the wake of his appeal being rejected and a four match ban now in place, questioned if there is any room for tackles left in the English game, which he said ‘My understanding is that English football prides itself on the hardness, the fairness and the tradition of its game.’
The Premier League has always had a reputation for hard challenges and physicality, yet now with the stance on tackling in the game, it is arguable that all challenges will soon become eradicated within the game through fear of players being sent off or at the very least cautioned.
It is not just Kompany who has noticed this – fans and pundits have been asking the same question for a few years now, and Robbie Savage – one known for his tackles – has come out and made the accusation that tackling is being killed off, and it is a crime.
Now, whilst you would not serve a prison sentence for a tackle, these days you could well stare down a three match ban, and Robbie is sadly and maybe for the first time ever, actually right in what he is saying, and football fans and indeed players facing the prospect of a game that is virtually no contact.
In reality Chris Foy could have exercised common sense and chosen not to card the City skipper who cleanly won the ball, but will claim that the intent was there and his hands were virtually tied with what to do, leading to the question of if English football is, as Kompany alluded to, losing its identity with regards to challenges and its ‘hard reputation’ and becoming almost European like in its card happy no challenges state.
Kompany is quite right when he worries what will happen if the game is now judged on ‘ifs and maybe’ as there will of course be a huge amount of cards, and players too scared to tackle. It cannot also go unnoticed that what one referee may think might have happened, another could totally disagree with, and therefore yet another opportunity for total lack of consistency is created.
Yes, if a tackle is two footed and badly timed serious injury can occur, such as the Ryan Shawcross tackle on Ramsey, and this is clearly a tackle worthy of a red, yet how is Kompany’s when a challenge such as the one Carragher made on Nani last year is not?