Cynical Challenges

[NTFC Nut]

Just had an interesting (probably a bit too heated considering it was about a trivial load of crap) argument with my old man about cynical tackling in football, prompted by Milner's tackle in the England game tonight.

He reckons all cynical challenges, where the offender takes out his man knowing he has no chance of getting the ball, should be a straight red, regardless of whereabouts it is on the pitch, or whether it's a goalscoring opportunity. He says it would wipe out the most cynical part of the game ("players wouldn't do it if they knew they'd get a red card for it"), and points out that tripping an opponent in most other sports gets you removed from the field of play. He also claims it would stop teams setting up negatively, trying to use all the little tricks to get a result, like Torquay and Burton at Sixfields this season.

I reckon that's a load of bollocks and a massively disproportionate way of dealing with a minor problem. How can you justify giving the same punishment for tripping a player up off the ball in your own half, as you do for a two-footed lunge or denying a goalscoring opportunity?

Just thought I'd put this to you all. I know I often get made out to be an idiot on here but I'm confident the vast majority would actually agree with me on this one.

[Wolvo]

I feel a red card is too harsh of a punishment, where as a booking seems meaningless as the player will be unconcerned. Maybe a booking and a 5 minute sin bin could be introduced?

[wazzacobbler]

The sin bin would never work in football. The difference between football and rugby, where a sin bin does exist, is that the one man disadvantage wouldn't count for much. How many times do you see teams go down to 10 men and then come away with a draw or nick a 1 goal win? The 10 man side would just sit back and defend for 5 minutes. In both codes of rugby, a one man disadvantage means there is a hole in the defensive line that can be exploited by the opposition. This means there is more chance of a score being made by the attacking team. In football, you would sub a striker and play a system similar to 4-4-1 which gives you exactly the same amount of defenders as were originally on the pitch.

I agree with NUT on the original point. All these dangerous tackles that are worthy of a red card would almost be diminished if you could be sent off for tripping a player on purpose in the other half of the pitch. The punishment would have to be distinguished by the length of a ban. a 1 match ban for the cynical trip, 3 matches for a tackle ala Jonny Evans perhaps?

[Power Football]

Personally, I would have had no complaints if Milner had seen red for his challenge last night.