Ban Danny Guthrie until Craig Fagan is fit
Guthrie's scythe on Fagan
Newcastle midfielder Danny Guthrie’s vicious scythe on Hull’s Craig Fagan on Saturday had many commentators and pundits saying the Tigers striker was lucky to escape without serious injury. Well, it turns out he didn’t. Despite jumping straight up to remonstrate with Guthrie, it has now emerged that Fagan broke his leg in the incident and will be sidelined for up to three months.
Hull manager Phil Brown is leading the calls for Guthrie’s suspension to be extended beyond the three-match ban he will receive for being sent-off. It was a horrendous tackle - and what is more he had two attempts at Fagan.
The former Liverpool player is claiming that frustration at Newcastle’s plight was the reason for the tackle. He said: “I want to speak to Craig in person to apologise and wish him a speedy recovery. I hope to be able to do that as soon as possible. It was a challenge that came purely out of frustration towards the end of Saturday’s game, but anybody who knows me will accept it was totally out of character on my part.”
That apology will be scant consolation for Fagan. Things are tough at Newcastle, fair enough, but Guthrie still picks up his pay packet at the end of the week. He is still playing football every week (or he would be if he wasn’t getting himself suspended).
An understandably furious Phil Brown said: “[It] was a direct result of a reckless and callous challenge from a player that decided to take the law into his own hands, obviously affected by the situation that’s going on at Newcastle.”
I am with Brown on this. If Guthrie wanted to prove his commitment to the Toon Army, there are ways of doing it without breaking a fellow professional’s leg. If there was any justice, Guthrie should be suspended until Fagan is fit to play again. Football is a contact sport and unfortunately these injuries happen from time to time, but this one was totally avoidable. Fagan spent a season full of frustration at Derby County last season, but I don’t recall him breaking too many legs out of this frustration. The authorities should make an example of Guthrie and show that ‘tackles’ of this type will not be tolerated.
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I have to agree with you on this one but there might be a small problem with such a punishment.
Say Steven Gerrard, or Wayne Rooney, or John Terry or Cesc Fabregas lunge in similar tackles, do you think that the FA would ban any one of those four for any perdiod of time longer than three matches? Get serious! These are the players who must play every game they can. So of they are going to punish Guthrie this way it would mean that all similar tackles in the future would have to result in similar disciplinary action. That is not going to happen, so it would be unfair to Guthrie to be given a three month ban.
No similar tackles in the past were punished. Especially those against Arsenal(so andrei please cut off Fabregas from that list). Remember Taylor on Eduardo(where in the following week we saw the ultimate hypocrisy of the English press), Dan Smith on Abou Diaby a few years back(following which Diaby has been rarely fit), there are more, a newcastle player (forgot who he was) on Robert Pires (same outcome as Diaby’s) in the 2001-2002 season. Why hasnt there been anyone proclaiming loudly about guthrie’s mental state and the psychological trauma he and his family are undergoing (list Taylor’s did last season)? What is the newcastle manager doing? Oh sorry, newcastle has neither a manger nor an owner……………..
But at least Taylor, for example, was trying to play the ball albeit it was too slow. Guthrie had no intention of playing the ball.
english prefers to play football the hard way, but from time to time, some players turn hard to dirty, then broke others leg. some time it’s unlucky, but this one, should be banned more time other wise other player wont stop do it
Iqnadirshah congratulations for providing the most bitter and biased post that I’ve read in quite some time.
The reason that people are looking for Guthrie to be banned for longer is that it was practically assault. No attempt on the ball. He’s lucky the police arn’t looking at it.
Eduardo was unlucky. Tayler was clearly looking to win the ball. Guthrie was trying to injure a fellow professional, that’s why he kicked him twice. Didn’t injure him the first time so he made sure he did the second.
I’m also not impressed that Guthrie makes statements like “but anybody who knows me will accept it was totally out of character on my part.”
Character references only mean something when they come from someone else. There’s nothing like writing your own reviews Danny.
R3000, I’m glad you can read Guthrie’s mind. Last time I checked, football was a contact sport - complete with questionable tackles. Was Guthrie wrong for making that challenge - sure. Did he intend to break Fagan’s leg? Only he knows that. (My best guess is no… but I’m not a mind reader.)
If you’ve ever played the sport and never made a challenge you regretted your a better person than most of us.
Rob, you obviously didn’t remember a little over a year ago Fagan himself was banned for 4 games for purposely “stamping on” Liverpool’s Alvaro Arbeola’s leg. His leg wasn’t broken but clearly in the video Fagan did it on pupose. The normal 3 game suspension was given plus an additional game’s suspension for appealing the decision when he was clearly in the wrong.
Would you be less outraged if his Fagan’s wasn’t broken?
Absolutely. Solely because of the manner with which he went in on him.
I appreciate your views on this, and and you make some interesting points. But you also contridict yourself.
I’m not a mind reader, but often a person’s actions will go a long way to spell out their intent. You said “but clearly in the video Fagan did it on pupose.” So you criticise me for appearing to read Guthrie’s mind, and then make a similar statement about Fagan.
Are you a mind reader too?
I’m a footballer, and I can honestly say that I have never gone in on anyone with any intent. I’ve hurt people and people have hurt me. That’s football, and that’s life.
I didn’t see fagans stamp on Arbeloa, but you say that there was no intent to get the ball. If you’re right, then a three game ban doesn’t seem like a stern enough punishment.
If i walked up to someone in a nightclub and hoofed them in the shin and broke their leg I’d be on an ABH charge. Does it make it more legal to do it on a football pitch? Because Guthrie was nowhere near the ball, he only had eyes for the player.
The FA made the ruling about Fagan after the game - the center ref did not see the incident. The video is still up on you tube if you’d like to look at it. Search fagan arbeola and you’ll get it. The ball was out of bounds when he “stamped” on Arbeola’s leg. The FA also gave him an extra game’s ban for making a frivolous appeal in addition to the 3 game mandatory suspension. It was their opinion I was siting, not mind reading.
How upset were you most of you when Rooney stomped on the Portuguese player’s privates during the ‘06 World Cup? Should he have gone up on charges?
I guess what I’m saying is that if every bad or illeagal tackle ends up in court it would really effect the way the game is played. The rules are a 3 match suspension and that’s what Guthrie got and Fagan last year as well.
There is a difference in a football pitch and a nightclub. On the pitch bad fouls and poor decisions by players are part of the game. Maybe I’d have a different view if Guthrie was a repeat offender but I think his record shows that he is not.
I was talking with a few of my friends about this matter and asking their opinions as well. One of them came up with an additional punishment that could help and that’s fine the player with 3 games’ pay in addition to the ban. Most people react to their pocketbook being punished better than anything.
Good. So the FA are mind readers too. I’m glad i’m not the only one. Maybe you’re right that the game shouldn’t change. And i’m pleased that fagan got banned for longer, because it shows some discernment is exercised. I was annoyed by rooney’s challenge. Did you expect me to like that one because it was a portuguese player’s privates? Citing other incidents of mindless violence won’t change my opinion that violence, and trying to injure other players, is wrong. And it’s bad for the game. I’m leaving it there though. Have a good one.