Martin O’Neill in warning on tackle menace
MARTIN O’Neill believes the authorites are right to stamp two-footed or dangerous challenges out of the game.
And he has warned his players not to step out of line in view of a referee’s crackdown.
Sir Alex Ferguson was fuming about Middlesbrough skipper Emanuel Pogatetz’s high challenge on his young striker Rodrigo Possebon in midweek.
And O’Neill is keen for such challenges to be brought to book.
He said: “Everybody knows what is a legitimate tackle and what isn’t.
“Referees have been pretty strong this season in cutting out two-footed challenges.
“When both feet are off the ground that is a real potential danger. Even if someone slides in off one foot and then follows through off the ground with the other – then again that is a really dangerous tackle.
“It was dangerous in any era and nowdays it is something that should be clamped out of the game.
“I don’t think anyone would want to be injured from a challenge where people are coming in at a rate of knots with both feet flying.”
Meanwhile, O’Neill has revealed that Bulgarian midfielder Stilyan Petrov was close to leading out the Villa side in midweek against QPR.
The armband eventually went to Gareth Barry which stole some newspaper inches but was not significant in the manager’s eyes.
“Gareth’s view was a bit like my own”, O’Neill said. “I was not sure what all the fuss was about. It was a natural choice was Martin Laursen didn’t play and Nigel Reo-Coker was rested.
“I could have passed it on to Stiliyan Petrov who would also have been a worthy candidate.
“Gareth Barry at the moment is playing exceptionally well- as well as he has ever played. Whether he was captain or not makes no difference to his performances.”
