Comments on: Chelsea vs Reading – video of Cech and Cudicini injuries

By: Ahmed Bilal

Ahmed Bilal — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 11:44:34 +0000

Bill – that site is now offline (blogfc.com). Read this instead

By: Bill Vector

Bill Vector — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 10:40:08 +0000

Ahmed Bilal
The videos posted at YouTube have been removed by YouTube because of a DMCA complaint filed by the FA Premier League. You can read more about it here:
http://blogfc.com/premier-league-comes-after-football-bloggers/

You can’t – and I wonder why they’ve been removed. I was trying to find the YouTube clip of Chelsea cheating last season away at Reading – anyone know where that one is?

By: Ahmed Bilal

Ahmed Bilal — Sat, 21 Oct 2006 18:22:09 +0000

The videos posted at YouTube have been removed by YouTube because of a DMCA complaint filed by the FA Premier League. You can read more about it here:

http://blogfc.com/premier-league-comes-after-football-bloggers/

By: Marcus

Marcus — Sat, 21 Oct 2006 08:55:55 +0000

Mourinho is understandably upset by the Cech incident and although outspoken he often says it as it is.
Hunt had no chance of wining the ball and could have easily jumped over Cech but decided in a moment of stupidity to leave his leg in there.
I have no doubts that Hunt did not intended to seriously hurt Cech but he obviously wanted to foul the keeper and nearly killed him by millimetres by suggested reports.
There is a difference between a strong challenge and a stupid mindless lunge or elbow which is only going to cause harm to an opposing player.
Di Rossi in the world cup blatantly elbowed McBride in the face, Thatcher blatantly forearmed smashed Mendes in the face, Brown of Fulham this season has thrown himself with late lunges at a number of players and now Hunt has nearly killed Cech with a stupid moment of madness.
Not just Keepers should be protected by thugs on the pitch, all players should be protected and for those who commit these horrendous horror tackles should be kicked out of the game.
The days where players are able to express themselves or their skill are gradually fading of late for the fear that some talentless thug will end their career with a leg breaking lunge or brain damage collision.
Action should be taken and new rules in place for those who find the need to want to hurt an opposing player with intent.
Reports suggest Cech’s fracture to the skull was millimetres away from a death blow so yes Hunt’s challenge almost killed him and only S.Hunt himself knows if he deliberately went in with the knee to the head.
Hunt could have easily jumped over Cech who had both hands on the ball but decided to collide with the keeper instead.
Whether he meant to knee him in the head is debatable and only he will know that himself and if by chance he did do it intentionally I hope he is realising his mistake for he almost killed a man over a game of football.
Reading approached the game in a highly physical manner which at times went beyond the mark of acceptance.
Hunt’s challenge on Cech was stupid and reckless but did he learn straight after that incident?
The answer was no because throughout the game he was diving in late with two feet at times and on a couple of occasions he got lucky for he missed his man.
It’s a pity he didn’t miss Cech’s head don’t you think?
Perhaps video evidence can now be justified during a game for incidents like these.
Not going into the accusation of deliberate intent by Hunt on Cech with his late challenge but most will agree he was late and reckless in the foul on the keeper.
For this reason alone, backed up with video evidence Mr Riley would of have no doubts of sending Hunt off for serious foul play.
Whether it can be adjudged as violent conduct is debatable and as I already stressed I hope this is not the case.
If Hunt was rightfully sent off perhaps the game would have been less temperamental and the rather hard approach by Reading Fc would have been tamed.
I hear people saying that Chelsea players were diving around but I also saw this game and can honestly say Reading players were diving in and snapping at the Chelsea players at every opportunity and because Mr Riley showed a lenient approach towards early encroachments, when he should have laid down the law and took appropriate action on, only resulted in creating a battle zone of late tackles and chaos which he later struggled to cope with.
If Riley had sent off Hunt and shown total early control of the game, perhaps at least Carlo Cudicini’s injury would have been avoided.
I hope Mr Riley learns from this and next time acts with more wisdom.
People keep claiming that Chelsea players dive and cheat, trying to con the officials of decisions yet every club have their play actors and all fans respective of the club they support will always moan about a decision against their team and view incidents from their team’s perspective.
Chelsea however are on the receiving end of some hard football played against them for reasons of being Champions and fielding a team of superstars which lesser teams like Reading Fc (no offence) who obviously lack the ability of talented players need to set their team out to physically battle Chelsea or suffer defeat by being outplayed by better opposition.
Now I can accept hard but clean tackles which at times can be mistimed and look foul but clearly the intent is to get the ball but I cannot accept thuggish challenges which intent is to get the player rather than the ball.
Look at Ben Thatcher’s challenge on Mendes. This sort of act is no different to what you will see on a Saturday night outside some notorious nightclubs.
The FA should take necessary action and re introduce some new laws to protect players from serious foul play or violent conduct.
It was only a couple of weeks ago that Cech had Brown of Fulham diving at him with both feet which on this occasion thankfully did him no real harm but extent of the foul was as bad as Hunt’s. I cannot remember who the official was for this game but he too failed to take appropriate action against Brown which gave him licence to commit foul after foul in that game where A.Cole too took a two footed lunge from Brown which went unpunished. To add weight to this point, Brown lunged at Ryan Giggs in a previous game which too could have easily broken a leg.
It seems to me that certain tactics are being put forward for teams of lesser ability to do whatever it takes to win a game. If physical methods are being asked of by managers which can be compared to that of a UFC title challenge then what the hell is the modern game turning out to be?
Reading Fc used these sort of over the top physical tactics against Chelsea in order to get something out the game. If this is the way they need to play in order to acquire points to keep them in the premier league for another season I can sadly say the sooner they’re relegated the better.
Chelsea are labelled boring by trying to play football when other teams are trying their hardest to upset the flow of a game by constantly fouling then have the cheek to point the finger accusing Mourinho of not playing entertaining football.
I would rather watch players like Robben, J.Cole, SWP, Henry and Walcott using pace and skill to dance around defences which is pleasing to the eye instead of some team whose game is based on hard play and putting 10 men behind the ball which is far from entertaining

By: Trendy

Trendy — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 12:03:30 +0000

It is blatently obvious from the videos that Hunt was trying to check his run when he realised that Cech was sliding into him and the only reason he went over and caught Cech in the head was because Cech then spun around and took out Hunts right leg. Anyone that can read anything different into this solid evidence is as biased as Mourinho.

By: Ahmed Bilal

Ahmed Bilal — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 16:54:22 +0000

Read what Mourinho ACTUALLY said, before calling him a whining cunt

http://www.chelseafc.com/article.asp?hlid=422106&m=10&y=2006&nav=news&sub=latest+news

By: Toby

Toby — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 11:12:32 +0000

The Hunt knee to the head was definitely a worse challenge than two players jumping for the same ball. Hunt was over-keen rather than malicious, however it is a players responsibility to be careful as at the speed they play it could end someones career. This season seems to be throwing up quite a few rash challenges so far…

Before the World Cup, when Sven unveiled his squad I remember wondering why we had three keepers, when we could have sent King instead of one of them in the hope he’d get fit. Now I know why. Can you imagine if that happened for England?

I’ve got a lot of respect for Petr Czech and wish him a speedy recovery.

By: hanif

hanif — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 01:03:20 +0000

strange comment?what wrong with mourinho comment?cech is lucky to be alive you know…the injury was worst than what Thatcher has done..

http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,1923287,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=5

By: blumoon

blumoon — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 21:54:47 +0000

no way is that a 50-50 ball. hunt knew he was never gonna get the ball. he even takes a staggered step to lower his knee into position. hunt’s a c*nt. he knew what he was doing.

By: Peter

Peter — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 18:21:49 +0000

I think people need to understand Mourinho’s comments in the light of the fact that two of his players ended up in hospital, one with a very serious head injury. He was angry and upset, not playing mindgames – in this instance.

And although I don’t think Hunt tried deliberately to injure Cech, he also made no attempt to get out of the way, or jump the keeper as is customary in this position. He was a young player, making his first start of the season, over-pumped, looking to make an impact, probably told by his manager to get in amongst them, cos that’s how teams try to play Chelsea. Incidents like this will always be the result of that sort of mindset.

Best of luck to Petr Cech – the rumours aren’t good.