Would people be so forgiving if it had been Rooney on the end of Taylors tackle?

I believe that if it would have been Wayne Rooney on the end of Martin Taylors "tackle" then the reaction from certain people would not be so forgiving. There is a "little Englander" attitude from us English at times and this is one of them. Many people have different opinions on the Eduardo incident, most feel what Martin Taylor did was a complete accident and that he is feeling huge remorse and is not the sort of player who would intentionally injure someone. I think he DID try to injure Eduardo.

Now I don't think for a second though that he tried to break Eduardo's leg and I do feel that he feels terrible about what he has done, but I do feel that he set out to let Eduardo know "that he is there". It's a mentality that is brought through the ages of British players. Even now on a sunday morning when I play the general instruction is to "get in hard" "show them your there" "give it too them first and play later". An injury like this was due, especially with some of the flying stud's up challenges that have been seen this season.

If the tackle had been on Rooney then there would be a huge outrage and Martin Taylor would certainly be the English Public Enemy Number 1. If Rooney was sitting in hospital now with his career in the balance we wouldn't be hearing how it was an unfortunate accident. Look at how the public and media treated Ronaldo in 2006 and all he did was "apparently" help get Rooney sent off.

The media have an xenophobic attitude to this incident. Because it seemed a horrible accident and that Taylor wouldn't do such a thing then Eduardo's welfare seems to be swept under the carpet. Lets not forget who is the REAL victim here, it's Eduardo NOT Martin Taylor who the English media and people like McLeish, Gold, Hansen and Lawrenson seem to think. They seem to think that its OK to kick Arsenal off the pitch because they can't match them football wise. It's not OK and if I did it in the street I'd get arrested for some of the tackle's I see.

Rooney is the jewell in the England crown, just as Eduardo is the Croatian crown. Now if England had qualified for the Euro's in the summer and Rooney was the victim of a tackle bordering on assault, and would miss the Euro's and the rest of the year and maybe even have his career ended would the attitude of the press and others who dismissed the incident as an accident react the same? I doubt it somehow.

The simple fact is that tackles like that are dangerous and lengthy bans should be brought into practice to cut them out. It is something that is through all the English game into grass-roots level and something needs to be done to sort it out. The "little Englander" attitude of kicking and rushing needs to be rectified then hopefully tackles like this will be a thing of the past.

People should remember that Eduardo is the victim here NOT Taylor, but had Taylor done the same to Rooney then would the reaction be the same?

Keep it Goonerish.............