I hear many people saying it should have been a straight red but I'm confused. It was a dangerous lunge but ultimately it didn't touch the bloke. So what is the rule here? Is it straight red whether or not there's contact? I think it would have been harsh to give him red because surely a tackle with contact would have been more dangerously performed? Also, if that got a yellow with no contact then why did the tackle by James, which was identical in style and actually made a painful connection, only get a yellow also?
Not 100% sure, but would imagine that the intent is what is important. If a player threw a punch at someone but missed, that would be a red card right?
The referee was inconsistent yesterday, which I and several other posters highlighted. O'Neil's effort was 'over the top' with studs showing with both feet, that is a straight red, it is the intent that the ref will punish. O'Neil cocked-up and in his frustration jumped in both feet first, there was minimal contact but it could have been a leg-breaker...
I think a higher caliber of ref could well have sent him off. His only saving grace was he didn't make contact. But he launched with two feet, and one foot went over the ball, but if there is any professional footballer who doesn't know that that type of tackle is usually treated with a straight red then they're pretty thick. We could well have finished the game with only 9 yesterday, but one of their players put in a similar sort of tackle. But overall anything could have happened, there was just no consistency, not that it changed the result, we just seemed to reel after their goal and panicked in the second half.
I was expecting it to be a red, to be honest. Players have walked for far less recently. Look at Sterlings tackle yesterday, excellent committed tackle winning the ball and he got a yellow. Tackling is being banished from the game, to tackle soon you must be standing up with one foot on the ground and the other foot pointing downwards between 0 and 15 degrees from the perpendicular with a force of less than 20 pounds per square foot, hands tied behind your back and with a smile on your face. Apologies for the rantings of an ex centre half.
Guys, James' tackle was much worse. He made contact and could have broken Simpson's leg!! Inconsistent indeed.
As a former sweeper I totally understand this. There is an art to tackling properly and as long as you take the ball first it doesnt matter to much if you go through the player. They are trying to make it almost a non contact sport and that f**ks me off. Lets be honest...both those tackles were red cards
And before you ask..role models include Paul Parker des Walker beckenbauer gullit hoddle and others Not a bad line up if i say so !!
Shouldnt even be a foul, his leg only went high because it bounced off the ball. But its probably a red today as tackling is banned as it might hurt someone, its the responsibility of the other player to get out of the way if the tackler wins the ball and has a natural follow through.
I don't think an injury occurring should come into it. You can have a horror tackle that causes no damage and an innocuous one that breaks a leg.
I think the rules are something like this... The player mustn't do it and, if he had half a brain, he'd be able to recognise the great responsibilities he has towards his opponent, his teammates, the club and the fans that comes with his magnificent wages, and consequently keep his head and play with the maturity you'd expect of a grown man. Likewise Mr Barton.
Of course it should...thats why they make it a red card !!!! Its not for fun but protection from serious injury! Its intent, and lunging studs up into a tackle wil do you no favours!
Deary me O'Neill wasn't in control of his body. Its the type of tackle that can give players very bad injuries. The force was there and he should have walked. If Knockaert hadn't got out of the way then you'd all have heard a nasty crack. Not nice to see, doesn't belong on a football field. James' tackle was in control but it was full blooded and he did go in hard. The QPR player made a meal of it and probably got him booked but it's never a red and probably barely a yellow. You can tell a lot of your players have vast PL experience, they have experienced heads and they know how to play a referee (Barton aside )