But whether it was his shin or not, I’ve never seen Scholes slide in, studs up, crashing so high up on a player’s leg like that. We see him catch people’s ankles all the time, but those are stupid challenges at ball height. To plant your studs in so high up someone’s leg is a rare kind of tackle, usually committed by the thugs of the game, not the shit tacklers.

And is use of the word “awesome” a sure fire give away that one is American?? haha I guess so because I use it all the time.

Actually, Scott, Pogatetz went in a shin height not knee height. That doesn’t excuse him but it does provide some perspective – Scholes regularly “misses” on his tackles and while I can’t provide a specific example there have been so many occasions where you can only cringe at his “tackling” that I am sure a survey of the archives would bring to light a similar example.

But, whether I am right or wrong about that, the main point I wanted to make is that the break-neck speed of these modern, EPL games almost guarantees this kind of “accident” or “mistake” is going to happen on a regular basis. It’s not that the foul-er is aiming to injure his opponent but, rather, that a split second is not a long period of time to make an adjustment when the ball (and the player) are moving in unpredictable ways.

I am not trying to “excuse” Pogatetz but simply pointing out that the general tendency to suggest that this was the result of dirty or reckless play is debatable.

On a much more positive note, I am very happy and relieved to have learned that Rodrigo Possebon hasn’t suffered a really serious injury. This kid is the real deal – he exudes calm and control on the ball that one rarely sees in other players and never sees in a teenager breaking in at this level. I think that he has a chance to be the very best of this new bunch of kids – Anderson, Nani, Fabio and his brother Rafael, Danny Welbeck, and so on. I am expecting huge things from Rodrigo and expect that by the middle of next year he will be teaming up with Anderson as the first choice central midfielders – even ahead of Darren Fletcherinho. A serious injury would have thrown his future into the most serious jeopardy so, thankfully, he will just move on from this incident.

Great! All round awareness, chasing down the ball, skill, passing, I was really pleased for them.

thought we looked pretty good last night, particularly the first half. rafael was mint and we knocked it about well. now lets get some fucking momentum going boys!!!!