[Archived] Eduardo

[LeChuck]

Do you think he meant to do it?

Of course he didn't intend to hurt him like that, I know it kind of sounded like I thought that with my first post.

I think he meant it to be a cruncher though, and hurt a bit. Probably the old centre-back attitude of 'letting the striker know you're there in the early stages of the game'.

It's down to whether Tiny intended to hurt Eduardo, or whether it was accidental.

I don't think it does though. If he did intend it then it would become a police matter.

From a professional point of view, incompetence is what matters, that's how it would work in any other industry.

[BiggusLaddus]

Fair point. What if I narrowed the argument to working on a building site and suffering an injury? You'd accept the risks of working on a building site, but I'm sure you'd still be just as outraged if someone's incompetence injured you.

On a site, if you put yourself in a position where a split second lapse from someone else could lead to that kind of injury, then it would be your fault just as much as theirs. It's obviously very different in football as Eduardo deliberately put himself in danger, because winning the ball and keeping possession was more important to him than the risk of injury.

The ball was there to be won, Tiny made an overexuburant and maybe wreckless attempt to win it, Eduardo knicked the ball away and put his leg into the path of the committed Tiny. Could have been avoided if either of them had been less committed and had pulled out, but neither of them did.

[bob fleming]

I think he meant it to be a cruncher though, and hurt a bit. Probably the old centre-back attitude of 'letting the striker know you're there' in the early stages of the game.

In which case Taylor has changed a hell of a lot since he was at Rovers then. As has already been mentioned his lack of aggression was the biggest weakness in his game. The photo does him no favours but when you see it on YouTube it happens very very quickly, over in a split second, I can't tell if there's intent or not. I'd be very surprised. Just one of those things unfortnately. If it makes Arsene fell any better I'm sure the Premier League will look to have Taylor taken away and shot.

[Paul Mellelieu]

Looks like an accident to me. And as Den says, a single photo tells you little.

[andrew92]

did u hear Arsene Wingers comments!!! saying TINY should never play again!!! what a prick!

[RovertheHill]

It's a real shame for Eduardo - he's a great player.

But reading Wenger's comments again, plus the various hysterics from Arsenal fans on other sites, you realise what a shocking bunch of hypocrites this lot are. All this in the same week where they attempt to justify intentional assaults on a player because he kept the ball up in the air 2 or 3 times in the middle of a game and was therefore disrespectful. They really are full of it.

[mrsjansen]

Im sure it was an accident and there was no intent there. I dont think Tiny went into the game saying "whos leg can i break today". The tackle was a split second in time, and sadly in this incident has ended somones season.

I do wonder, however if the roles where reversed, whether arsene would be saying Eduardo should never play again.

All the best to the lad. I hope he does recover from this.

[Ben-2000]

Banned for life?!... If Roy Keane wasn't banned for life for his 'tackle' on Haaland then it will be a sad day if it happened in this case. Shut up Wenger!

[Hannah]

It is a few years ago now but I went to watch Rovers reserves play Man Utd reserves at Gigg lane. Nicky Marker made a hard takle on Ben Thornley and injured him pretty badly. Ben Thornley ended up trying to sue Nicky Narker didn't he? Nothing ever came of it though. It is a really big can of worms to start opening up the whole injuring yourself at work, banning for life, suing each other. If that starts then football will become a non contact sport, similar to tag rugby that we teach the kids!

The whole banning for life that Wenger is calling for - maybe he should start a call for capital punishment to be returned! A life for a life and all that!

As I would say to the kids in my class! Two wrongs don't make a right!

What was a horrnedous accident can't be fixed by Taylor never playing again

[bluebruce]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgGNYcf3VBw

The other version doesn't seem to be working anymore. To me, that looks like a very stupid and inconsiderate tackle. I love to slide tackle, and the one thing I never do is leap at someone with a foot up like that when they've got the ball at their feet. It's very easy to cause someone severe damage like that. I might slide them in that situation with my foot firmly to the floor, but it's dangerous to launch at them like that with the ball at their feet. I'll reserve my final opinion for when I see it with a clearer picture though.

[krislu]

Give him a 10 match ban. A potential career-ending tackle should warrant a ban of 10-15 games imo.

To save Drog some time posting:

"you see this all the time in rugby, WWF, K1, kickboxing and schoolyards around the country...its not a big deal"

[philipl]

Desperately sad for Eduardo and Arsenal and Croatia- the kid is a phenomenal talent.

But I also feel for Tiny who is big soft lump of a lad.

He's toughened and sharpened up his game, won his place back at Brum and now will forever be remembered for that tackle which is badly judged but no way malicious.

[Anti Euro Smiths Fan]

Wenger demands lifetime ban for Taylor

It was a bad challenge from Martin Taylor and he was rightly sent off. However, as a few others on here have mentioned, I dislike the hypocrisy of Monsieur Wenger.

When Emmanuel Eboue stuck his foot into John Terry last December, injuring the Chelsea defender for six weeks, all Wenger said afterwards was: "I don't think Eboue wanted to 'do' John Terry. We do not want to injure people. Terry should not have been on the pitch at that time because he should have been sent off for a tackle on Fabregas."

This is in stark contrast to Wenger's strong words of condemnation for Taylor, calling for him to be banned for life. Wenger's attack in the media will ensure that Taylor now becomes a hate figure for Arsenal fans. If Arsenal miss out on the Premiership this season, many Gunners fans will pin the blame on Taylor for the loss of Eduardo and Martin is likely to get a lot of abuse in the future, maybe even death threats.

Wenger said after the match today: "The worst thing that happens after a tackle like that is people defending him, saying 'he is not the type of guy who does that.' "

I'd suggest that Wenger needs to be more evenhanded in his criticism and start to recognise a few of the bad challenges that his Arsenal players sometimes make, instead of always defending his players or saying "I didn't see it".

[Ozz]

Not quite sure why it's deemed worthy of it's own thread though - he doesn't play for us.

Lots of replies, think it does ER!

Obviously Tiny never set out to snap his leg, calling for a life ban is plainly Bonkers. Total accident, but really unlucky for Eduardo as he looked like a fantastic signing.

Good Article here on the lad.

Was impressed by him at Ewood on both visits this season, excellent finisher and looked very rapid. Will do well to make a full return after this injury, which looked like a compound fracture.

[Ben-2000]

Now there is a petition for him to be banned for life. Needless to say I have not signed it!

[broadsword]

jesus H, some people are just out of control, eh?

From what I've seen, there's been a lot worse tackles than that, believe me.

Got to have a scape goat though, eh?

[S15]

Wengers comments came at a very sensitive time, and for people to judge him from them is unfair.

What the harsh cold light of day will bring is that Eduardos' career at the very top has been ended by an inept cretin, who has been told to ''let him know you're there,'' so flew in with his studs a yard off the ground and has ended a blokes career.

I believe Taylor has gone in over the top, and therefore deserves to be punished in footballing terms as if he had committed manslaughter in ''real life.''

Den was saying how he'd played and seen examples etc etc, well I played at amateur level for 10 years or so, and I never, ever once went in for a tackle with my studs one yard off the ground. Why? BECAUSE I WAS TAUGHT TO TACKLE FFS!!!! NOONE ANYWHERE, EVER, WILL TEACH YOU TO TACKLE LIKE THAT, IT IS REDICULOUSLY DANGEROUS.

I think Taylor should be banned for the rest of the season minimum, to stamp out this over the top tackling we see too much. The incident is sickening, and at grass roots level you are taught to tackle properly. And for someone at Premier League level, he will tackle every day, and by habit will (or should) tackle properly. You can bet your life he doesn't fly in like that in training. So, with that in mind, he has broken habit while flying in on Eduardo. Yet people say there is no intent??!!!

It's a shame a top player with so much potential with never reach the heights he could due to some brainless nomad.

[Hasta]

who has been told to ''let him know your there,'' so flew in with his studs a yard off the ground and has ended a blokes career.

I've read this elsewhere that McCleish had told Taylor to get stuck in hard early. Is this reported anywhere or are people just presuming that is what was said.

I've said it earlier and I'll say it again. Until I see the moving video footage of the incident I am undecided. Still photos can make any tackle look bad.

As for Wenger, we know from personal experience that he shoots his mouth off as soon as he can to suit his team. If you never ever condemn your own players for their indiscretions (Eboue on Terry), then don't be surprised when your rant at Taylor is judged as being comically two-faced.

[S15]

Wengers comments came at a very sensitive time, and for people to judge him from them is unfair.

Infact he has just withdrawn his comments about Taylor.

[RibbleValleyRover]

Wengers comments came at a very sensitive time, and for people to judge him from them is unfair.

People are just sick of his hypocritical attitude. If a player of his gets injured he makes a big meal of it, calling for bans, yet when one of his players does something wrong he claims he hasn't seen it or it must be a mistake. Its a farce

What the harsh cold light of day will bring is that Eduardos' career at the very top has been ended by an inept cretin, who has been told to ''let him know your there,'' so flew in with his studs a yard off the ground and has ended a blokes career.

We don't know that for sure as the full extent of his injuries or his prognosis has been revealed.

I believe Taylor has gone in over the top, and therefore deserves to be punished in footballing terms as if he had committed manslaughter in ''real life.''

Den was saying how he'd played and seen examples etc etc, well I played at amateur level for 10 years or so, and I never, ever once went in for a tackle with my studs one yard off the ground. Why? BECAUSE I WAS TAUGHT TO TACKLE FFS!!!! NOONE ANYWHERE, EVER, WILL TEACH YOU TO TACKLE LIKE THAT, IT IS REDICULOUSLY DANGEROUS.

I think Taylor should be banned for the rest of the season minimum, to stamp out this over the top tackling we see too much. The incident is sickening, and at grass roots level you are taught to tackle properly. And for someone at Premier League level, he will tackle every day, and by habit will (or should) tackle properly. You can bet your life he doesn't fly in like that in training. So, with that in mind, he has broken habit while flying in on Eduardo. Yet people say there is no intent??!!!

It's a shame a top player with so much potential with never reach the heights he could due to some brainless nomad.

A bit OTT isn't it? You cannot compare Manslaughter to this...

Have you just seen the still footage of the actual impact, or an actual replay of the tackle itself? IMO it looks completley different. In the actual game footage it looked like he went in hard for the ball but was wrong footed by a turn by Eduardo and they collided.

[grizfoot]

Seen photos of the tackle and I think that's enough can't bring myself to watch the video. All I know is that Tiny Taylor would never do anything like that deliberately, he's probably the least aggressive centreback you're ever likely to see.

I don't take much notice of what Wenger says anymore anyways. Great manager yes no doubt, but his views are some what blinkered espeically after they've not won.

I also hope Eduardo manages to recover from this injury and play again, well wishes to him.

[S15]

MOTD showed incident close up.

What to say? Very sad.

[den]

Den was saying how he'd played and seen examples etc etc, well I played at amateur level for 10 years or so, and I never, ever once went in for a tackle with my studs one yard off the ground. Why? BECAUSE I WAS TAUGHT TO TACKLE FFS!!!! NOONE ANYWHERE, EVER, WILL TEACH YOU TO TACKLE LIKE THAT, IT IS REDICULOUSLY DANGEROUS.

Shillitto - all I was trying to say [badly], was that still photos are very misleading.

At the moment, all I've seen is the live video footage of the incident, on sky tv. To me, that doesn't look as though Tiny went in to break anyone's leg. So I don't agree with your post. If however, some other footage comes to the fore, that suggests that Tiny did indeed try to put Eduardo out of the game, then I'll agree with you. Until then - no.

[RibbleValleyRover]

MOTD showed incident close up.

What to say? Very sad.

Did it show the impact or the actual footage before it?

[Hasta]

I've said it earlier and I'll say it again. Until I see the moving video footage of the incident I am undecided. Still photos can make any tackle look bad.

Fair play to the BBC for showing the video replay from a different angle. As I said, the incident seems different again. From the photos it looks as though Taylors challenge was stamping down towards the guys shin. However he almost tries to flick the ball away and goes through Eduardo on the upswing.

It's a nasty injury but it's nowhere near the worst challenge you'll see.