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Post by stokeharry on Aug 30, 2015 12:13:53 GMT
I'm not suggesting rolling around holding his face. Lineker just lay on the floor to gather his thoughts and get his breath back. He responded to a slight touch with a little, girly "watch it, mate" tap. You'd think he'd hit him like Frazier hit Ali! Game for pussies now, March. This
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Post by timbstoke on Aug 30, 2015 12:40:58 GMT
At 29, all of his football has been outside the UK where players' and referees' attitudes to physical contact are possibly much different. That will mean a short, sharp learning curve of what goes in the Prem. This is not to excuse his 'red mist' response today and I hope the club will straighten him out. I just wonder how some of our English players would react to the cynical tackling, hair-pulling, skin-pinching that would be their lot if they went to play in the South American leagues? They would have to learn to control their responses just as Afellay will. In both cases, players are being required to almost un-learn everything from their previous career. This. And look at the lessons he'd already learned about appropriate behaviour in that British game. Just a few minutes earlier he was pushed into an advertising hoarding. That's perfectly acceptable behaviour. He's fouled and then slapped by another player. At this point, he's being taught that "the toughest league in the world" doesn't mind getting its hands dirty now and again. I kinda get Oliver's approach. It's a Pulis side against Dirty Stoke. Stick to the rules rigidly, punish minor infractions and make it clear that This Shit Won't Fly. He didn't see the slap from Gardner, so he didn't punish it. Fine, whatever. But if you're sticking to the rules, Gardner should have seen a second yellow when he deliberately kicked the ball after the Offside whistle. Dawson should have seen yellow or red for pushing Affelay into the advertising, and another for the foul that led to Charlie's red.
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