Monday 1 March 2010

Wenger more guilty than Shawcross


There's no doubting that when you see an injury as sickening as Aaron Ramsey's, that the competition of the game it happens in almost becomes null en void. As we've seen with Eduardo, Alan Smith and many others, when a limb is so badly contorted in the way that there's was..it seems almost inhumane to talk about the result of a match.

However, this morning the focus is not on the rehabilitation of the young Welshman (who will be out for a year with a double fracture) but is on the gob of his supposedly wise sage of a manager.

Arsene Wenger holds the opinion that his team are grossly sinned against. Arsene Wenger feels that his team are kicked off parks every week. Arsene Wenger is an utter idiot.

The way he condemned Ryan Shawcross was a disgrace. Anyone who has seen the tackle and the repeated slow mo replays will tell you what really happened..and they will certainly not match Wenger's version of events. Its very easy for one to get emotional after such a horrible event. But Wenger has to respect his position in the game. He cannot verbally attack players when the provocation is not there. It is unacceptable and makes Wenger have more to be guilty about than a young man who made an honest, yet late tackle on a fellow pro.

You could see it on Shawcross' face when he left the field. Distraught at the event he had just played a part in. Wenger claims that Shawcross "did" Ramsey..and that his players are running the risk "of being destroyed" The man should be ashamed of himself making such comments. Rather than be the wise head of the situation, Wenger appears to be becoming more petulant with old age. He seems to have an honesty problem. If the tackle had been from his team to the opponent there is little doubt the response would have been "i did not see the incident"

All managers will defend their clubs first and foremost, but Wenger has to learn that it is unacceptable to throw stones that deliberately lend themselves to aggressive forms of defamation of character.(Yes I know that Fergie is very vocal..but even he admits when his team have done wrong..as he did admitting that Vidic should have been sent off yesterday.) To suggest that Ryan Shawcross is some sort of monster, out to injure one of his many youth team pearls is cruel and callous. Yes opponents may target a more physical approach to playing Arsenal, but this is a contact sport. If we played in a league where you were not ever allowed to tackle and you also scored points for 'artist merit' then Arsenal would be league champions every year by January.

Wenger lives in some sort of mythical utopia in his head, where he is the grand master of total football, and we are all the unappreciative beasts of the English game.. and frankly it makes me sick. I respect the man for the teams that he has produced and the splendid football he attempts to play every week, but he has to stop this charade he produces in front of the cameras. He should not use an incident in a game like the one this last weekend to gain some leverage in what he feels he should be quantifying..its just not on. No one wants to break Aaron Ramsey's leg..or Cesc Fabregas'..or Robin Van Persie's..or anyones! But it does happen in this game. Severe injury is a horrible, but real part of most sports.

I hope that he issues an apology as soon as possible to Shawcross. For he has got more to feel sorry about this morning, than the young Stoke defender has..

I for one wish Aaron Ramsey a quick and complete recovery. And I wish ex-United lad Ryan Shawcross all the best on his thoroughly deserved England debut versus Egypt this week.

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75 comments:

  1. he has broke jeffers ankle, tackled adebayor (out for 6 weeks) when the ball was out & put a player in hospital during pre season.... wait till it happens to rooney or ends giggs playing day then blog that

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  2. Shawcross has done this before he broke Francis Jeffers ankle two season ago. Last season he tackled Adebayor and put out of the game for a month. That tackle occured off the pitch when the ball was up the other end of the park.

    Stop trying to defend him.

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  3. You sir are a tit!

    Shawcross tears - don't make me laugh.

    he is a repeat offender - ask Jeffers whose leg he also broke. Ask Adebayor who he put out for 3 weeks last year.

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  4. i think arsene is the manager of that same team which literally attacked RVN at old trafford..man, get a life..you have no wise head anymore

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  5. Well said Rob. There's no conspiracy to kick Arsenal out of the game. Wenger may want football to become a non-contact sport but it is not. He is not on a higher moral plane than the rest of us, yet he acts as if he is on an almost daily basis.

    Let us not forget that Wenger unfairly slurred Darren Fletcher earlier this season, just as he accused United of kicking Arsenal out of the game during the 'pizzagate' row in 2004.

    Wenger was wrong about Fletcher, he was wrong in 2004 and he was wrong yesterday too.

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  6. "He's not that kind of player"

    Shawcross on Jeffers (broken ankle) Oct 2007 http://content.thisis.co.uk/sentinel07/homepage/ad_panel/sentinel_backpage.pdf>
    Shawcross on Adebayor Nov 2008 http://www.twitvid.com/3BCE0
    Shawcross on Ramsey Feb 2010 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uguXXaIF_Dk

    Aaron Ramsey gets a career threatening injury, out of football for one year at least.

    Ryan Shawcross gets a three match ban, fully paid and an England call-up. But…. “he’s not that kind of player…”

    “I imagine the reaction from these sanctimonious hypocrites would be entirely different if Wayne Rooney had his leg smashed to pieces. I hope that never happens but if it did then we might hear something about how certain challenges are not acceptable. “ www.arseblog.com

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  7. Worry about your own debt-laden club, you mug.

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  8. Three broken legs in four years. Shawshank—or whatever--left his feet WAY before he should have to get at that ball. Look at the video footage...he goes into the tackle WELL before where the ball is and there is no way you can have any kind of control over a tackle like that. It's mindless and you are worthless if you tackle like that...it's cowardly, especially when you are coming straight on to another player. There doesn't have to be forethought of malice for it to be malicious. The wider point is that managers like Pulis, Brown and Alardyce FLAT OUT SAY say we are going to try and physically intimidate Arsenal: bad for the skilled players, and bad for the majority of fans, unless you're a supporter of a shiite team that plays those tactics because you're NOT GOOD ENOUGH to play in the EPL. People don't tune in across the world to watch jackass players like Shawshank-or whatever-play. The tune in to watch teams like Arsenal and Man U.

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  9. you are the disgrace, This was not the first Shawcross 'horror tackle', you should apologise to Wenger, you no-mark

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  10. So you reckon Shawcross is hard done by, do you? Presumably because Shawcross showed remorse and he's a good lad who'd never hurt anyone? I've no doubt he did not intend to break Ramsey's leg (he'd have to be a nutter to want do that). But would this be the same Shawcross who broke Jeffers Ankle in a match v Crystal Palace a couple of seasons ago? Would it be the same Shawcross who put Adebayor out for 3 weeks in the corresponding fixture last season with a horrendous takle that was actually made off the pitch? Yep, he's a lovely young lad is Shawcross. I wonder how many other players he'll damage over the years, given his track record thus far?

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  11. Seeing as this isn't the first time Shawcross has broken an opposition players leg and that Stoke were repeatedly fouling the Arsenal players during the game it is acceptable for Wenger to criticise the challenge. Regardless of intent or malice it was a poorly timed challenge that used excessive force (The exact term used by the FA to what constitutes a sending off offence).

    You seem to think Wenger should be pleased his players were kicked throughout the game and that this tactic is acceptable and enjoyable for the fans.

    Had the victim been a Stoke player from a similar challenge and Wenger had spewed the cliched excuses Pulis and co used, you would be in uproar about his reckless players and their out of control tackling.

    Impartiality is a great thing, you clearly lack it and thus lambast Wenger for comments he had every right to make.

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  12. did you listen to what Wenger actually said, you mong?

    Apparently not.

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  13. When Shawcross breaks Rooney's leg and Ferguson calls for him to be banned for life I expect a similar defence of the Stoke defender.

    Typical United fan, blinded by double standards.

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  14. Possibly the most Anti Arsenal Pro English BLOG i have ever read...You are a complete BUFFOON..A total and utter TWIT.....

    Its people like you who choose to forget that SIR RED NOSE actually asked Neville to kick REYES off the pitch back in 2004/2005....Actually asked scholes to kick REYES again in your lucky semi win in 2004.....Said there was nothing wrong with what Roy Keane did to HAALAND.....

    Its your pathetic GET STUCK IN ATTITUDE that has ruined British Football because that has been the only way to stop Wenger and Arsenal oh apart from spending with Chelsea 1/2 a billion pounds on PLAYERS....

    GIVE IT UP YOU BIASED CRETIN

    LOVE

    PEZ

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  15. And your drunken jocko manage has never spoken out of turn has he? Calling referees unfit to officiate games and when he doesn’t like a TV channel’s line of questioning or when your team of Glazers gimps loses he sulks and refuses to talk to them and sends someone else out to talk to the media – but of course he’s the great “Sir Alex” darling of the media. He can do no wrong.

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  16. Joke Blog - if this was a Man Utd player your view would be a totally differnt View as would Sir Alex's he would be the first to call for action to be taken - You live in cookoo land if you could not see that this was a bad tackle and not his first

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  17. Manchester fan commenting on Wenger what do you expect !some more crap ,I hope Sawcross mows down Rooney someday !!or is that the reason that he is not in the squad for the friendly!!

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  18. So Wenger is the guilty party here? Funny i didnt see him swing his boot through Ramseys shin? Nor did i see him break Franny Jeffers ankle. Nor did i see him put Adebayor on the treatment table for 3 weeks for an ankle breaker of a tackle, while the player was actually off the field!

    The tackle was reckless and has broken a players leg in 2 places. Intent or malice is irrelevant. It was recklessness on Shawcrofts part, thats that HE is guilty of.

    Wenger called the tackle 'horrendous' he mentioned nothing about the character of Shawcross. The only mention of Shawcross is a 'good little boy who loves his mum' comes from those trying to defend him. Thats all well and good but you cannot defend a needlessly aggressive and reckless challenge.

    You my friend is another who has totally missed the point and chosen to make Shawcross the victim when the real victim here is a kid who most likely will be knocked back 2 years in his football development, while Shawcross gets a 3 game ban and a callup to the england squad.

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  19. These appologist articles really get old really fast. No one out there is for a second saying the Shawcross is trying to break people's leg. But it is clear that teams explicitly try to go into Arsenal games with the intention of "putting the boot in." And i have no problem with team playing physical, that is clearly the way for a team to get Arsenal off their play. However no team in the league have had three horific leg injuries in the past five years. That is more than coincidence.

    Oh, by the way, this is the third arsenal player shawcross has injured, so he actually does have a track record of this

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  20. Hahahaha. What a load of crap this blog is. Oh wait, written by a Man U monkey...sorry should have known.

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  21. Could someone point me in the direction of the comments made by Wenger about Shawcross.

    I know he commented on the foul, but where are his comments on the player himself?

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  22. You're truely the scum of the earth and this article is beyond biased.


    It's been accepted that in recent years the best way to beat Arsenal in the league is to 'get up in their faces and kick them'.I defy any manager to come out and say thats not the case.

    In most of the Worlds leagues this would be impossible because players are protected by the referess. It's been said before but teams like Stoke or Allardyce's Bolton of a few years ago would not survive in Serie A or La Liga becuase their style of defending would not be tolerated and rightly so.

    This is football if you cant win a football game by playing football you should'nt be allowed to win it by other means.

    Abou Diaby, Eduardo Da Silva and now Aaron Ramsey have fallen victim to dangerous tackles and in my opinion overtly negative tactics, surely its time that referees offered more protection.

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  23. Wenger who said "it's not a coincidence" is more guilty than a man who has broken 2 legs/ankles in his short career. You are some sort of genius, no wait, I meant pen*s.

    I suppose you are getting what you want, attention for your rather poorly written blog, which will inflate your ego.

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  24. I just don't believe it. Wenger never once said anything about Shawcross. He commented on the tackle, and as far as I can see, the tackle resultet in a soccer tragedy. Bad for Shawcross, terrible for Ramsey. Wenger said: The TACKLE was horrendous, that the TACKLE was unacceptable. I would argue that Jeffers would say the same, so would Adebayor, and what do you thing Ferguson would say.
    Wenger NEVER accused Shawcroft of bad intent, just of a bad tackle, and that is something entirely different.
    It's hard to see for a foreigner like me loving English football how near sighted too many English football supporters and pundits are. What you bunch are doing are interpreting Wenger, and putting intent into his words which never were stated.
    I think this is what normal people call PREJUDICE.

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  25. I hope the Egyptians break Rooney's leg , then Ferguson can apologise to them.

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  26. Arsenal fans take a good look at the Gallas tackle a month ago it could easily have broke a leg but not even a booking. You did the Taylor cruxsficion 2 years ago get over it. You are starting to sound like the scouse "victims".

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  27. Rob, no one says Shawcross is a monster. He's just a reckless idiot who has already broken two legs and sidelined Adebayor for a few weeks with a stupid tackle. He should be banned for months.

    Wenger never said anything wrong about Shawcross. If you spared a minute of your undoubtly precious time to read his comments, you'd have to notice that he:
    1. called the tackle horrendous (which it obviously was),
    2. asked the journos to spare him articles about good lad Shawcross.

    In fact he restrained himself for calling Shawcross what he really is. And maybe if he was properly punished 3 yrs ago, when he broke Jeffers' leg, he wouldn't be that stupid and reckless today.

    Your calls for Wenger to apologize are disgusting. Would you call for mother of a child crippled by a young, stupid, reckless driver to apologize the perp?

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  28. Looking at the reaction so far bet you feel like a right twat, not hard being a man u fan admittedly.... do yourself a favour in future and concentrate your shit views to your already bankrupt club.

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  29. Are these Shawcross/Adebayor comments coming from the same Arsenal fans who forced Adebayor out of the club?

    They made him a scapegoat & a villain for their team's own shortcomings.

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  30. I write from the Far East. I think this blog writer is really stupid and blind. Shawcross cried ONLY AFTER he was red-carded by the referee. So his tears had NOTHING to do with feeling remorse. He wasn't even bothered at all while Ramsey lay on the ground..but only went over after given his marching orders.
    Maybe he should target Rooney as hhis next victim and see what you'll say??

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  31. I think it's nothing more than coincidence that Arsenal players have suffered broken legs. The challenges themselves, in particular the Shawcross challenge on Ramsey, are certainly not the worst we've seen in the League. The result was unfortunate and certainly not intended. Arsenal aren't even the most fouled team in the League!

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  32. The tackle was reckless, unrestrained and out of control.

    Shawcross lost control of the ball and dived in after it without a thought to a fellow pros safety or indeed his own. We usually celebrate that attitude as brave or committed. It reality its stupid, dangerous and reckless.

    Wenger is not suggesting that we ban tackling just that we ban reckless tackling.

    Where did Wenger say that Shawcross "did" Ramsey? He said no such thing and as such you appear to be mistating the facts.

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  33. As a United fan i have to say that this is a poor piece of writing.
    If it ever happens that Rooney has his leg broken by a tackle like this i will come back to this site and see what you have written then. But until that point I will stay well away - this is an embarassement to all true Uinted and football fans.

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  34. As much as I respect the views from another football fan, albeit an united fan, using the misfortune of a player as a shameless guise to spread propaganda as such..
    You must be either an obsessive delusional united fan or Shawcross's personal acquaintance. Either way you have my sympathies.
    In any case your agenda is so plain to see I'm sure Ramsey will be deeply moved by your heartfelt well wishes.

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  35. Barndoor Bendtner1 March 2010 at 16:42

    You are a disgrace to the footballing world. It is because of your sort of mentality that dangerous tackles, intentional or not, are repeatedly ruining the careers of players from many clubs. To say it is allowable because its tradditional is plain wrong.
    I sincerely hope that Rooney and Co. all get crocked, just so I can here you whinge.
    Oh, and Fletcher is a proven dirty player who is punching way above his weight. I had respect for previous ManU teams because they had genuine class all over the pitch, but you are about to get a wake up call....if you are still in business next year.

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  36. As I understand it, Shawcross was released from Utd jnrs/resrves due to his awful disciplinary record. He's now broken 2 legs in his short career as a pro.

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  37. I am afraid your comments do you no favours only 48 hours after Ramsey's horrific injury. They suggest you are more willing to make a partisan point than care for the health of a 19 year old facing months of healing and rehabilitation. You could have at least waited until the rawness has abated. Bad judgement call.

    But let's face it, it would be unreasonable for any manager, Wenger or otherwise, to have said something along the lines of 'oh well, it happens'. Don't know any manager who cares for their club and players who would. To suggest that Arsene should keep his mouth shut is frankly ridiculous and at odds with what you expect from your own manager in difficult circumstances. But at least he is available for comment to our national broadcaster.

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  38. Isnt it no coincidence that Shawcross was from Old Trafford - the place of thugs??

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  39. Players certainly do run the risk of being destroyed, Eduardo's not been the same since his leg break, Hleb left the EPL after witnessing the kicking Man Utd gave Reyes (who was never the same since). Diaby took a few seasons to recover from his leg break against Sunderland. So yes, kicking players repeatedly does destroy them.

    Take a look at yourself. You think uttering the phrase "when Aaron goes for the ball like he did on Saturday and gets done like he did, it is not an easy situation." demands an apology more than someone kicking (albeit without malicious intent) through two leg bones.
    Is 3 compound leg fractures in 4 years acceptable?
    You disgust me.

    Get well soon Rambo.

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  40. It's at times like these that I really feel that you deserve the owners that you've got.

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  41. You can see who the arsenal fans on here. Only one person dived into that challange with no control and that was Ramsey. He wildly lunged at the ball both feet in the air and thats why his leg wouldn't give when shawcross connected. Now i'm not saying that's it Ramsey's fault but there are combinatin of things here that caused the leg break, if it was simple as kick we would have a player leaving the field from every sunday league game up and down the coutry. Time for people to clear their mind as just look at the incident from a neutral view, 50/50 challange and an awful accident.

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  42. WOW. What a terrible piece of writing. Utter garbage.

    You are a disgrace and should take this post down because you seem to be basically saying that Shawcross' challenge was OK. He lunged in shin high with excessive force knowing full well that he might get the ball but would definately get the man too.

    That cannot be acceptable in anyones eyes. That's not football.

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  43. fuck you all for wishing eachother horrible things.. comon people grow up! manu fans why are you writing articles that has nothing to do with us.. its sad for what happend to ramsey and maybe showcross diddnt mean it but having said that i must say teams like stoke and bolton are very agressive.. lets just all hope ramsey comes back good as he is a promising star.cheers!

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  44. He was going for the ball,one footed, doesn't go over the ball, never took his eyes of the ball and actually got some of the ball, it's unfortunate, and a coincidence. The 3 leg breaks in 5 years probably has a lot to do with the fact that arsenal insist on keeping the ball on the ground as much as possible and so are naturally going to be victims of a lot more slide tackles than other teams, therefore increasing the probability of something like this happening. Shawcross didn't mean it, it was a committed challenge, and if you watch closely, there was just as much chance of him breaking his own leg.

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  45. So this is the view from Toxic Debt UK Ltd (Manchester United). Get your own house in order mate. Go buy a few players and put it on the tab at Old Toilet!, aside all the other debts. Arsenal are a British Club, so our business is certainly none of yours!

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  46. Are you six years old? You said Wenger is more guilty that Shawcross. Guilty of what? Of possibly ending Ramsey's career? Or just of subjecting him to two or three years of recovery? Arte you the kind of person who drives recklessly, injures some poor innocent person in an accident and cries at the unfairness of your being punished -- and this being your fourth or fifth time injuring people while driving? I know, if they weren't in your way, you wouldn't have hit them -- their fault, not yours.

    Its one thing for a Stoke fan to get all hot and bothered -- they know their team plays rough and tumble, and at least their amorality on this point is tempered by team loyalty, but you? You sit on the sidelines and snipe. Hope you feel the same about whatever England player gives Wayne Rooney the old Alan Smith treatment....

    Next you're going to argue that English players never dive.

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  47. What a drop-kick post this is. I almost hope some foreign henchman (although all the leg-breakers seem to be English journeymen...) breaks Rooney's legs this weekend and we'll see how you react. Tosser.
    At least Rambo will read this sh*te and feel vindicated in his decision to join The Arsenal over ManUSA.

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  48. Found this on the BBC Website and makes for interesting reading due to its similarities. It's the report on Kieran Dyers leg break a while back. Funny how the players doing the leg breaking are always the nicest players out there...............Get well soon Aaron.xx


    Dyer, 28, suffered a double fracture to his lower leg during West Ham's 2-1 Carling Cup victory on Tuesday.

    Curbishley said: "We're devastated for Kieron. I can't put it into words. The game was just immaterial after that.

    "The player has got to be disappointed with his tackle. As far as I could see, he lashed out after losing the ball."

    A club statement said: "Kieron was stretchered off the pitch and rushed to hospital where it was confirmed he had fractured both the tibia and fibula of his right leg.

    Joe is not that type of player and we're not that type of football club

    Paul Trollope
    "It is too early to say how long he will be out for as this will become clearer once the first stage of surgery is completed."

    Rovers boss Paul Trollope disagreed with Curbishley, saying he thought Jacobson's tackle was a foul but disputed that there was any intent to hurt Dyer.

    "Joe swung his leg back to try and get the ball and that was it," he said.

    "The story coming out from the other camp saying it was a malicious tackle and he's gone to do him are really wide of the mark.

    "He is not that type of player and we're not that type of football club.

    "Our thoughts are with Kieron Dyer - you don't wish that on anyone."

    But Curbishley added: "The players could see what happened and that's why they were so angry.

    "Everyone in the dressing-room is really flat but we've got to get over this.

    "The game was irrelevant after Kieron's injury. I'm really down because he was looking sharp out there, playing in his favourite position in the middle of the park."

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  49. to the 16:58 comment. you obviously don't know football and are as big a tit as the article writer. not a nice pair of tits either. With the 'form' of Shawcross i felt sure that this was the time that the football world would stand up and stop these poor tackles but it looks like we'll have to wait until the english guy is the victim rather than the perpertrator

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  50. I suppose Fergie was also out of order two season's ago when he claimed Ronaldo was being targeted and needed greater protection?

    It's becoming quite clear why England haven't won anything since 1966 and never will again unless the national psyche changes from one that lauds aggression and regards skill and technique as inferior

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  51. Of course this article has nothing to do with your jealousy that Ramsey rejected you, combined with the fact that the thuggish scum Shawcross was brought up by your youth academy, but then I suppose coming from your lot we should expect him to be that kind of player.

    As for Ferguson telling the truth, well now your really pushing the limits. I take it you're not talking about the same Ferguson that denied Keane had stamped on a goalkeeper in the CL, despite the whole world seeing what he'd done, or the same Ferguson that has denied Rooney dives when no contact has been made, he also denied that Ronaldo used to dive.

    As for Wenger, at least he has the decency to talk with the media including tv after matches regardless of whats happened or whats been said about him. Ferguson on the other hand continues his pathetic stand off against the BBC. Maybe it's about time he apologised, but I won't hold my breath waiting, maybe when he actually grows up though.

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  52. You watch manure and you write manure

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  53. 1) Shawcross has previous just watch the tackle on Adebayor when he's standing out of play. There was way too much force in both tackles for the situation. He does not leave himself the option of pulling out if he doesn't get there first and worse I don't think he's bothered about pulling out. Look at the Adebayor tackle and he could easily have pulled out. It was a bad challenge the second he launched himself into it let alone when he made contact. He came sliding in from a mile away and had every opportunity to pull out and stop himself from injuring a player once he realised the ball and the man were already out of play. I think that gives you an insight into the mindset of players when they go out face Arsenal with the manager words "get stuck in" ringing in his ears.

    2) If the referee had given Shawcross a yellow for any one of his previous bad tackles there would have been a moment where he second guessed his ability to get to that ball without drawing another card and getting sent off. It's that same split second moment of thought that should be there anyway, regardless of a card, which allows you to make the right decision and not launch into a tackle that is leaving a high percentage of taking out the man as well as the ball.

    3) I have no problem with physical play nor does Wenger, You, Chelski, Fulham anyone of a number of teams do an excellent job of taking us out of our game hustling us off the ball and playing within the rules and spirit of the game. It's clear some of the other "Northern" teams have instructions when they go onto the pitch to kick Arsenal players when they feel they have the opportunity to get away with it. There can be no other explanation for ferocity and recklessness of the challenges we consistently witness. It is possible to beat Arsenal or any other elite team by being organised, physical, and through out right hard work without the need to resort to glorified thuggary.

    4) Wenger didn't criticize the player character or question his intent he simply said the challenge was horrendous and unacceptable, and I think any reasonable fan would be hard placed to disagree with him.

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  54. "The way Wenger condemned Shawcross is a disgrace"

    WHAT?!?!

    He said the tackle was horrendous. Nothing else. He also said that he didn't want to hear how nice Shawcross is as a person. What of that is a disrgace to you?

    The only disgrace is that your pathetic little mind is allowed to take up bandwith without censorship.

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  55. you love it up your bum on the 3rd tier :)

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  56. Grossly inflammatory heading.. check.
    A long line of people waiting to comment on your idiocy... check.

    But by tomorrow you'll back to your usual 30 hits.

    There's a reason for that.

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  57. Thank you Rob Blanchette for proving just how scummy and worthless Manchester United fans are. I am thoroughly looking forward to Man Yoo playing Stoke next season and the innocent Ryan Shawcross breaking Rooney's leg in a similarly fair challenge.

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  58. Posting an article on this the day after our team won a trophy? You sad sad git

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  59. I hope your team never have to go through 3 leg breaks in four years but come to thick about it with fans like you maybe you might learn something if it did happen.But i dont thick so.

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  60. Another proud day for united fans i see!!!!
    How about keeping your worthless views 2 yourself!!

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  61. So many sad and upset Arsenal fans (and rightly so) commenting.

    This is one guys blog. Don't like his opinion? Don't read it!

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  62. You, sir, are a moron. Next time it's one of our boys who'll end up in the hospital. We have many flair players, just as Arsenal have, and we too need protection. I feared for Ronaldo an now I fear for Rooney. Shawcross didn't try to hurt Ramsey but it was a stupid and clumsy challange. He should be banned for the rest of the season, that's the only way to make players like him twice before they go in to crazy challanges.

    Remove your entry, you make United fans look like idiots.

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  63. Wenger more guilty than shawcross? after reading this whole post i still dont know how you get to that conclusion. give us the quote of that wenger interview where he was insulting shawcross. i dont think you'll find one. wenger was condemning that tackle that even shawcross regretted making, he didnt even insult shawcross.

    50/50 or not the fact that ramsey's legs got shattered, means it is a strong and mistimed tackle. are you sure Sir alex will not be complaining if rooney got his legs broken? how bout if he witnessed 3 leg breaks in 5 years? how many times have sky experts and bbc analysis say the only way to beat arsenal is to kick them because they are soft.

    And lastly stick to manutd post. you dont know the full story about anything arsenal, the media surrounding us or how aggrieved our fans feel, so dont try to act all superior about being the most objective fan or having a manager who never complains. stop taking the moral high ground when you havent witnessed 3 leg break to in 5 years like we have.

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  64. Brilliant blog and a great piece.
    Wenger continues to look for excuses and to try and encourage refs to referee Arsenal games different to the rest of the league.

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  65. I like to think of myself as an open minded individual. You author have a point but Wenger does too. Looking at the bigger picture and the past arsenal teams who have been fitter and stronger, it was during the start of the invincible era where this tactic of kicking arsenal started. Remember the intensity of the man united match which ended the run? Reyes was kicked out of the game and then later on Big Sam's Bolton adopted that tactic and it worked for a brief period. All this was when Arsenal still had the keowns and vieras. What I have issues with is the fact that using this 'kicking up the Arsenal' mentality is that when teams with less technical abilities apply that extra 10-20 percent physicality in their game against Arsenal; it is bound to have severe injuries such as Ramsey, Eduardo, Diaby and even to a lesser extent Gibbs this season. It's the law of probability and the chances of these kind of injuries are higher. So who's to blame? Wenger alone? for increasing the leagues toughness? or other managers encouraging their players to get that little bit more stuck in/commited? There are two choices to progress other of this; 1. Being for Arsenal to reinvent themselves to are more typical english team with afew hardmen and commit tackles like shawcross or 2. for refs, the fa's and the media to discourage to use of wild uncontrollable tackles which may benefit England in the long run by encouraging more technicality in their game and also attract footballs more entertaining players (the messi's, ronaldos) I mentioned the media aswell because 2/3 of all the articles regarding the challenge is about how good a person shawcross is and not the actual fact that there was a dangerous career ending tackle made. Compared to Gallas's tackle on a bolton player who was hotly accused of a horrid tackle. No one came to his defence, no pundit, ex player, manager etc.

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  66. Firstly, think he is a cunt and have no balls to play soccer but sit on his third tier and blog.

    Anyone who plays soccer knows you can pull out of a tackle. Shawcross was playing on the ref permission to play on and have already committed so much tackles and nothing happens. The ref allows the tempo to build.

    As for Mr Bob, think history has not taught you any lesson. No one hopes for a plane crash too but till date, even non-Man U fans felt sorry for that date. What goes around comes around.

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  67. I guess he would have to be someone like United 'legend' Roy Keane to have to go out and deliberately injure someone.. Alfe Inge Haaland anyone?

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  68. what are you writing about this on a ManU site for the day after you won the Carling Cup?

    Wenger sisn't say the things you said he did so are you going to apologise for your own hypocrisy?

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  69. Wenger is guilty of many things, and you've got to love how the Arsenal fans completely buy into it.

    Most people have completely missed the point of your article and as such write stupid things in response.

    To those who say Wenger didn't criticise Shawcross outright.. fair play, he might not have, but he is manipulating the media by dropping subtle hints. The way he did about Taylor 2 years ago. Taylor's reputation was in tatters and this was a guy who no-one pretended was a world beater in the first place.

    No-one actually recalls the fact that when Wenger took over his Arsenal team were unbelievably thuggish with a hellish disciplinary record. When he disbanded that team to concentrate on bringing players through for cheap; you can see the kind of personality he instils in them. Look at Adebayor; Fabregas; Eboue, three absolutely deplorable characters.

    The reason this blog has a point is because it's only been a few weeks since Gallas nearly chopped a Bolton player in half (by the way, re: the earlier comment, Gallas didn't need a defence, he got off scot free). Where was Wenger's public condemnation there? Forgive me if I'm mistaken but we are actually discussing the severity of the tackle, are we not, or do we only inspect the crime when the outcome is serious?

    "If Nani doesn't want to get kicked, he shouldn't showboat" Wenger after two Arsenal players chased him and hacked him down in 2008. Wenger's comments after the game last August about Fletcher apparently being a hatchet man despite van Persie actually fouling more in the game; and Fabregas having a far worse disciplinary record.

    Wenger speaks so much crap to deflect away from consistent under achievement and the most amazing thing is that fans such as the ones who have posted here swallow it. A manager who openly said he tells his players to handball and essentially feign injury if the opposition are breaking.

    As a side note I heard an interesting point today regarding Wenger's preference of physically developing his players. I'm not saying for one moment that their slight frames invite reckless tackles but what I do think is that, for example, the Shawcross tackle was 50/50 - even, as some have said, more reckless on Ramsey's part - but the conditioning of the Arsenal players means they're more susceptible to injuries or the injuries they sustain are worsened by the fact that the men aren't actually as physically developed at their peers.

    Look at the likes of Fletcher at United, a gangly thing 5 years ago, and now, not exactly a powerhouse but properly developed. It makes you think that there is a serious deficiency in the diet plans Wenger has for the players because so many of them are consistently injury prone and under developed.

    What the injuries do do is allow Arsenal fans and pundits to cling to their ridiculous theories of their players being amazing, such as Eduardo "he's not the player he was", he is, he was average before, he is now, so pack it in. Ramsey is gifted but by the time he's due to return he will have been elevated past the likes of Fletcher, Anderson, Milner, all of whom are much better than him, and talked about in the same breath as a Scholes or Lampard.

    And you have Arsenal fans who think that just because he hasn't said "Shawcross is a thug" that he hasn't implied this and that his reputation won't be ruined.

    Wenger also was trying to drag Heskey's name through the mud a couple of weeks back and was pretending Vermaelen had a broken leg and he was back playing less than a week after. I won't exactly say it's karma but it does have a "boy who cried wolf" feel.. what a horrible, despicable person Wenger has become.

    Yolkie
    http://www.stretford-end.com

    http://www.twitter.com/yolkie_

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  70. Just like Ramsey's broken leg does not prove that Shawcross was malicious, the expression on that Animal's face does not prove that he was distraught or that his remorse was genuine.

    Arsenal players have been targeted by many teams and Wenger has highlighted this issue with real examples on many occasions. This injury was just waiting to happen and there is no defense for it.

    The number of stupid assumptions you have made in this article are astounding. I wonder how sad your life really is.

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  71. Wenger is completely shameless.
    Trying to use any advantage to influence referees when his concern should be for the welfare of Ramsey. Instead he has ruthlessly exploited a terrible situation to try and gain an advantage.
    The man and his sheep-like disciples are a disgrace.

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  72. What has really opened my eyes with this whole issue is.............how rasist the aresenal fans are ! every site i have been on is filled with the most hateful anti english bile, i thought we had moved on,evidently not.Maybe i am naive, but it really has saddened me.Ramsey, get well soon, Ryan, i dont think you will have to worry about any arsenal fans at wembley on wednesday.

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  73. He fouled ex-Arsenal player Jeffers.. wow you really are scraping the barrel for moral indignation aren't you mate?

    Gallas kicked Nani in 2008 and the Bolton player Mark Davies in January, both players tremendously lucky to escape serious injury, on both occasions Gallas wasn't even booked, and these were far worse and far more dangerous tackles than either Taylor's or Shawcross'.

    The one thing this blog has highlighted is the complete and pathetic double standards of Arsenal fans.

    The worst thing about it is the complete selfish over-reaction. You could see on Fabregas' face that he wasn't even bothered about the tackle, he was looking forward to the aftermath, it was like an "this has happened again, we can really go to town now" face.

    Yolkie

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