Nick Wright previews this weekend's clash between York City Knights and Hull FC
Alex Reid looks at whether the once ever-present appearance of English clubs in the later stages of the Champions League is set to become a thing of the past
Craig Dobson looks at QPR's decision to sack Neil Warnock and replace him with Mark Hughes
James Tompkinson reviews an excellent pre-season victory for the York City Knights against Yorkshire rivals Leeds Rhinos
The Crux; "Martin Taylor is the biggest, gentlest man.
"There will be nobody more upset and sickened than him, there is not a bad bone in his body.
"He would never, ever do anything malicious. He has mis-timed the tackle, and I've seen it. Some would say it is not even a yellow card."
"There will be nobody more upset and sickened than him, there is not a bad bone in his body.
And I agree with Steve Bruce. The referee has only sent Taylor off because he could see the damage that he had unwittingly inflicted. Taylor went one footed, and had his eye on the ball - not Eduardo - by the point of contact.
This was not the 10 yard sprint and two footed jump that we have seen from the likes of Carvalho in recent weeks. This isn't Hunt breaking Cech's skull when leaving his foot in. This was an accident, something even Wenger has now come to admit.
Eduardo will heal, in time he will be back to his best. But can the same be really said of Taylor?
One cannot underestimate the psychological damage that will have etched an irreparable scar on the gentle giant. McLeish was frank after the game, saying "he's distraught."
Taylor could easily never be the same again. Every game he plays there will be a fan booing his every touch, for the rest of his career he will be known as a leg-breaker. He has already received death threats.
All this for a clumsy tackle against a player who was simply too quick for him. Professional sportsmen pick up injuries, this one is clearly particularly traumatic, but think how long Johnny Woodgate has spent on the sidelines before getting too upset over Eduardo spending 9 months out.
Taylor might never recover for the rest of his career.
I think everyone knows Taylor didn't go into that challenge with the intention of breaking Eduardo's leg, but having watched the incident several times it did strike me as a rather reckless lunge. I don't think Taylor should be victimised, but nor should he be absolved from blame completely. Both Eduardo physically and Taylor psychologically seem to be on the road to recovery, all we can hope for now is that people remember this incident and tackle a little more carefully.
I'm pretty sure Taylor isn't going to be an emotional wreck - luckily, apart from Wenger's heat-of-the-moment comments, it was dealt with pretty well. Obviously fans are going to have a pop at him now, but so what? Time will heal both players' wounds (especially Eduaro's). It is unfortunate, but he's a professional footballer doing a job, and has to get on with it. Anyway, the £15-20k a week must always help...
The pathetic defence of Taylor's tackle is ridiculous. Yes, he has been unfortunate in the sense that worse lunges are made with the victim emerging unscathed, but the fact remains that less than five minutes into a match, Taylor had his studs up and his foot half-way up Eduardo's leg.
It was a straight red, regardless of how nice a guy Taylor usually is. As #1 has said, he probably wasn't looking to break the leg of a fellow professional, but it seems clear he was trying to let the attacker know he was in for a tough match at St Andrews. Sadly, his awful technique led to an incredibly dangerous tackle, resulting in a very bad injury. To make him out to be an innocent bystander is laughable.
Oooo George, you have created a debate! Gotta say it was worthy of a red, but not the death threats.
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