Mick Hartley

Here's former Arsenal goalkeeper Bob Wilson, quoted by the BBC:

"The game has moved forward but the Football Association and the Premier League are content to have a brutal side to the game.

He added: "In my opinion this is born out of most managers and coaches facing Arsenal, plus media pundits and even ex-players, instructing their players to get in their faces.

"Arsenal are a relatively small team. Opposing players are told to shake them up, get in their faces, tackle hard, bully them. I would defy coaches and managers to deny that is the case.

"The tackle by Ryan Shawcross was at best mistimed, at worst reckless and desperate."

The picture at the top of that BBC report was initially shown in full on Saturday: that is, with Aaron Ramsey's ankle bent down at a horrific angle as he lay there in agony. The report below stated that he was stretchered off with "a suspected fracture of the leg". Suspected? Jesus Christ.

As an Arsenal supporter I won't claim to be impartial, but the familiar excuses get a little sickening about how poor Ryan Shawcross doesn't have a malicious bone in his body, loves his Mum, and is kind to stray animals. One of Arsenal's most promising young players – only 19-years-old and already hailed in some quarters as a genius - has had his career threatened: out for a year at best, and who knows what after that. Bob Wilson's right: there's a culture of hitting Arsenal hard, of putting all that fancy-dan passing and jinking in its place with some good old English hard-man tackling…"they don't like it up 'em". Abou Diaby in 2006; Edouardo in 2008; now Ramsay…

Arsene Wenger can be a pain at times with his moaning, and I can understand why he might get up people's noses, but this interview seems to me a dignified performance, and his complaints entirely justified. Or try this excellent Arseblog post from yesterday.

Of course Shawcross didn't mean to break Ramsay's leg. If he did he'd be up for criminal charges. But that doesn't make it OK. And it's not the first time he's smashed someone's leg. His punishment? A call up for the England squad. And the pundits still don't get it. Tony Cascarino in the Times today (not online, as far as I can see) didn't even think he should've been red-carded (which, frankly, is what prompted this post….you what??).

If someone causes another player serious injury, such as a broken leg, the punishment should be commensurate: a lengthy ban, a year even. Maybe then players like Shawcross would think twice before charging in recklessly with boots up in the air. As it is, hard tacklers like him are encouraged.

And here's the statement Shawcroft issued:

"There was absolutely no malice in the challenge. I would never, ever go out to hurt a fellow professional. I am deeply upset that Aaron has suffered such a bad injury and my thoughts are with him. I would like to send him my best wishes too for a speedy recovery."

Do you see an apology there? I don't.