da bet nacional： Every week we have the privilege and pleasure of watching the World’s finest grace our football pitches. We always have. Eric Cantona, Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, Gianfranco Zola. Right through to Cristiano Ronaldo, Fernando Torres, and Dideir Drogba. Individually supreme talents. But as we’re told with any big name foreign import, ‘they won’t like it up ‘em’.
da doce： We know that with like all aspects of life, there is a downside to the English Premier League. The best league in the world I hear. For me, this downside is brutal tackles. I’m all for ‘getting stuck into teams’, big tackles, and outmuscling the opposition. But only within the laws of the game. Some of the tackles we see border on GBH. Or are in fact GBH. Referees either don’t see it, or believe its part of the game. It used to be, no doubt. The older generation will still claim it is. But the game has moved on. The rules and strictness of the officials however seem to be stuck in a transitional period.
It’s infuriating to see Fernando Torres to wriggle past a few players then get scythed down by a human juggernaut. A talking to or yellow card later, and a limping Torres is niggled at by the same culprit. But no punishment. Why should Torres have to deal with this? Respectfully I won’t name any names. Danny Murphy appears to be happy to do that.
We’ve all heard it, and probably said it. “(insert south american superstar) will be useless on a wet Wednesday at cold hearted away ground”. Why though? Not because of the wet. Top footballers often relish the slick surface the rain brings. It’s because they know time after time there’ll have enormous defenders clattering into the back of them for 90 minutes. Some use it to spur them on. But they are being punished for their talent. Why would Kaka or Messi come to England to endure this? You’d be mad to, in their position. I’m sure Ronaldo got sick of it if his body language was anything to go by. And unfortunately Tevez and Torres are slowly portraying the same frustrated figure.
The worst thing about this situation is that at times it seems pre meditated. Like a coach sets a team up to ‘look after’ certain danger men in the other half of the field. When trying to express yourself and entertain the crowd, the last thing you want is the opposition to purposely and illegally hindering you. It doesn’t happen in any other sport. And if it does it’s severely dealt with.
These tackles are a world apart from those in The Premiership’s main rivals, La Liga and Serie A. The nature of the two mentioned leagues breeds cultured tackling. Players who enjoy the ball more than attempting to win it back. But when possession is lost, they’ll use their quick feet, and equally quick minds to make interceptions. Rather than having to boot somebody into the air.
Of course we don’t want to eradicate the competitive aspect of the game. And yes it is the victim’s job to rise above this. But why should they be subject to it? They won’t have this treatment in the cultured La Liga or tactical Serie A. Referees brandish cards like those at Christmas. I for one couldn’t blame Ronaldo when he left for Madrid. And I wouldn’t blame Torres or Tevez for joining him.
Written By Rob Edwards
Holy Crap – its live fantasy football! Become part of the Arsenal v Partizan match and play Picklive for FREE Watch and bet live – spices up any game!