Gooner Talk

On last week’s Match of the Day, BBC pundit Mark Lawrenson claimed that if tackles like the one Gael Clichy received at Bolton were banned, the game would be ‘for the jessies’.

The former Liverpool defender’s words will certainly come back to bite him.

First Gael Clichy. Now Man United’s Rodrigo Possebon. Both players were extremely lucky to escape without a broken leg after horrific challenges by Bolton’s Kevin Davies, and Middlesborough’s Emanuel Pogatetz – the latter apologised for his actions and admitted he committed a reckless tackle on the promising young Brazilian. As for Kevin Davies, well, surprise surprise, there was no apology from Wanderers’ renowned fouling frontman.

Lawrenson missed the point entirely – while the physical nature of the game must remain, tackles like the ones stated above are simply not acceptable when they run the very real risk of breaking someone’s leg. Pundits like Lawrenson do not help the matter with their consistent line of ‘Arsenal don’t like it up ‘em’, as if that somehow excuses the sometimes violent challenges that come our way.

My point is, no one wants to see tackles being kicked out of the game, they are the mainstake of our wonderful sport. If you can identify a dangerous tackle then it should be punished by a red card, no one would argue with that. But tackles are starting to get out of control, players walk on the pitch with their main objective to kick the players off the park. Someone needs to tell the likes of Mark Lawrenson that comments like his are no help at all to football, and like I said earlier, his words will definitely, almost certainly, come back to bite him.

Big mistake Lawro, big mistake.

Arsenal left-back Gael Clichy has NOT broken his leg during this evening’s Premier League win over Bolton Wanderers after the official website confirmed that the Frenchman only suffered “shin bruising”.

The 22-year-old had be taken to hospital following a challenge from Trotters striker Kevin Davies, who was booked for the tackle, and Cesc Fabregas claimed after the full time whistle that his side had come in for unwarranted special attention.

“We know every time we come here it’s going to be a tough game, very physical, they only look for corners, free kicks and throw-ins,” Fabregas told Setanta Sports.

“The tackle on Gael Clichy, I remember last year Abou Diaby was sent off for even less than that.

“But we know we are Arsenal. When we come to the North we know something like that is going to happen, and we have to cope with that.”

Gael was able to join up the rest of the Arsenal squad for the coach journey back to London Colney and will be avaliable for next Saturday’s game at home to Hull City.