Tackle Rant..

People often say football isn't a man's game and of course these people either do not watch the game enough or watch too much rugby.Then again,these people also say rugby is a real man's game,that rugby players do not dive,they are bigger and get tackled and hacked to the ground. I guess that makes them real men.I see their point however,it is easier to wrap my arms around your body than to use just my legs to collect the ball and try not to touch your body. Over the years,the injury list from tackles that have come on the football pitch takes real men to suffer those but then again some players will rather have scars on their thighs than noses shaped like a windmill.

The  debate about if Nani's tackle was a sending off has left me stupefied on what the word 'dangerous' means. From my view everything that happens or almost everything that happens on the football pitch is dangerous. Interestingly they go on about 'intent' and 'no intent'...the law about dangerous play was re-visited  after the incident at old Trafford. The law which seemingly showed the ref was right for sending Nani off but then you find yourself asking,for the most universal game in the world,why isn't there consistency. Why should the law govern one section and not the other? At this point you will be told it is at the discretion of the referee ..the man that steals a car and the man that steals fish....what is the difference?don't tell me the one that steals the car has bigger ambitions..

I instantly became a tackle expert just after Nani's incident and just a couple of days after that I watched chelsea 2nd leg europa league match against steaua bucharest and saw how David Luiz face was almost replaced by anothers player's studs,I would describe it more but I am guessing,a picture is worth a thousand words....see for yourself..

 
One of the major talking points this weekend was the tackle in the wigan v Newcastle game....Callum Mcmanaman went hard against the Newcastle left back. He initially made contact with the ball but his follow through was very reckless,leaving his stud marks just above the players knee.If you are looking for a definition of dangerous play,that was it right there. Callum Mcmanaman wasn't sent off,he wasn't even given a yellow card...where was the law then? The referee said he did not see the tackle and the FA have said,the player would not be banned. Now the next question is,did he intend to harm the other player?but that's not important if there's law against dangerous play.Instead he has been hailed as a young brave young lad whose passion for the game cannot be questioned. Bruce lee would have made it as a footballer then

 
Then we go to beloved Africa if you follow African football,particularly the nations cup,you will see how players automatically become lawnmowers,tackles against peoples waist not legs and the beauty is how the referee still says play on....I would ask where is the law of dangerous play but the question when you watch is really whether there is any law?
 
The inconsistency from referees round the continent hasn't made justice to certain football laws. If a law is applied with respect to particular incident,it should be brought in for every other one.The term dangerous play should be re-phrased because once the whistle is blown for the game to start,almost everything becomes dangerous. In Spain players drop like flies at the slightest touch and in England they batter each other and the referee says play on. In Italy,its like fencing with ones legs as the weapon. 
And there is suppose to be one law for all these nations and their football? ....I could go on and on but my leg is twitching,I might tackle myself..
 
Anyways,its international football this weekend so we will probably see some tackles that will be settled by the rule book as it always seems different depending on where you are playing,rant over....cup of tea?

In more words to come..Sabi Boi