Eduardo Leg Break - Should Taylor Face Extra Punishment and Is It The End Of The 'Tackle'?

I think we would all agree that the injury suffered by Arsenal striker Eduardo Da Silva is one the worst injuries ever to be witnessed in football. So I would like to start by wishing all the best to Eduardo from everybody at FootballFancast.com.

The question which I ask myself is what punishment should Birmingham defender Martin Taylor receive? Should he be handed an extra ban or fine for the horrific tackle which left the Croatians leg broken in three places? Also, what does this mean for the future of the ‘tackle’, a part of the game English football is renowned for?

Taylor has issued a public apology to Eduardo and I doubt that he deliberately lunged at the Croat to intentionally injure him, but the question must be asked should he face an extra punishment?

If walking the streets or after a night out on the town for example, and somebody was a victim of a vicious attack, the offender would face allegations of Actual Bodily Harm or Grievous Bodily Harm, whether or not the attack was premeditated. So should the police investigate the incident with a view to punishing the Birmingham centre-back?

I believe not. Not for the reason that Taylor is a good man or that he did not intend to hurt Eduardo, but as it is part of the game. I do not mean to sound ignorant or inhumane about the injury, but it was pure bad luck. After a tackle such as the one in question, the attacker would be either lucky or unlucky. He would get away uninjured or suffer a horrendous injury such as Eduardo has. It was a bad challenge yes but I have seen worse this season. Taylor’s foot was not particularly high as he collided with Eduardo’s ankle; a shin high challenge is normally considered too high and dangerous. If Eduardo’s foot was half-an-inch off the ground he could have rolled away from the incident unhurt as he may have rolled the challenege. Taylor must face the consequences of a red card and live with the fact that he has broken somebody else’s leg.

The result of the tackle is sickening and I feel so much sympathy for Eduardo, but I believe he is the victim of serious bad luck. I hope that he bounces back soon and that this is not the end of a talented footballer. I am calling out to fans everywhere to not get on the back of Martin Taylor as it was not an act of malice. I am a fan of tough tackling and believe it is a part of the English game and it always part of a football match which can get big cheers when it is done right. This is a tough issue to tackle (pardon the pun) as we all like to see crunching tackles, however at the same time we all wish referees would punish the bad challenges.

Once the dust has settled over the extent of Eduardo’s injury, attention will turn to the tackle. This incident will make players aware of the dangers of tackles which may be a little late or a tad bit robust, and whilst I am sad of the injury but happy that Taylor received a red, I hope that this doesn’t deter players away from making the tough tackles which are part of our game.