Two-footed tackles

[Gooders]

I haven't seen the incidents from last night's Arsenal-Liverpool game so I suppose I'm not best placed to comment but never mind.

I understand that two of the dismissals were for two-footed tackles?

As far as I am aware, two-footed tackles have always been against the rules and definitely against the spirit of the game.

There is no place in football for these wild lunges, where one player launches himself at another with intent to maim. That's all they are.

As a footballer, there is nothing you can do with the ball once you have flown in with both feet - there is no element of control involved at all.

A few years ago, any two-footed tackle would have been rewarded with a yellow card, at least, irrespective of whether or not the ball was taken cleanly (and I use that word in it's loosest possible sense).

It seems to me that because intimidating players like Roy Keane, Denis Wise and yes, Patrick Vieira have been perfecting the "art" of jumping in two-footed without necessarily maiming the other player, this has become a bit of a grey area.

Why don't the authorities simply return it to black and white? If you jump in two-footed, you will be sent off.

If this isn't sorted, a well-known player will have his career finished prematurely this season.

[Statto]

Personally as a defensive midfileder I'm in favour of them as long as you win the ball and take the player second (as Viera did).

You can tell when somebodys done it on purpose or in revenge by there posture and eyes etc.

Lets keep the one decent part of traditional football going before we lose it.

If your on 50 grand a week it doesn't matter if you sit out for 6 weeks anyway!

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Does anybody else think DJ EZ is SH!T?!

[Fester]

Whilst Viera may well have got the ball first, you could tell from his eyes, posture and general demeanour from the previous 30 seconds that he had entered headless chicken mode and was out to hurt someone. He got what he deserved...twice in three days!!

[James TaylorNye]

Two footed tackles are NOT against the law.
The rules actually mention them as fair but contact must be made with the ball first and the challenge must be safe and not from 6 feet like a mad man like Mr Viera.

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CPIFC No.1

[Gooders]

I've seen both tackles now (on MOTD, Wednesday).

They were not the Roy Keane/Denis Wise type of "launch yourself in the air and fly in like an exocet missile" two-footed tackles.

McAllister got mostly ball and only the tiniest bit of player. Vieira got ball and nothing else.

How Poll can admit that he was wrong to send off Hamann (which is true) and yet say nothing about the other two terrible injustices he came up with, is beyond me. The man has no shame.

Having said all of that - this constant haranguing of referees by Managers has got to stop.

There was a time, not so long ago, when if a Manager so much as said the word referee after a game, he would be up on a disrepute charge.

They need to restore such rules. It's people like Ferguson and Wenger and Souness and Graham CONSTANTLY bemoaning the standard of officials that causes the lack of respect players show to referees in the first place.

You would NEVER have heard Bill Shankley or Brian Clough moaning and whingeing about refereeing decisions - they realised that mistakes are bound to occur now and again and they told their players that they should just get on with it.

Those days are long gone, more's the pity.

[This message has been edited by Gooders (edited 24 August 2000).]

[John 24]

As much as I hate Viera, he really didn't deserve to get sent off. He won the ball cleanly and fairly and didn't touch the player at all. As highlighted on MOTD Haaland's challenge was far worse and refs today are very inconsistent.

[Statto]

Viera won the ball as Hamann stamped on him what are you on about?

Is you racialist or sumptin?

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Does anybody else think DJ EZ is SH!T?!