Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Purse wins red card appeal. Hmmm....

Image courtsey of BBC website.

So, City defender Purse wins his appeal against his sending off last Saturday against Burnley, so ensuring that he's available for the FA Cup final on 17th May.

Now call me a cynic, but let's look at a few issues here - and remember I should be on his side as a City fan....

  • Dave Jones (Cardiff City's manager) says it was never a sending off offence, despite Andy Cole needing 10 stitches in a leg wound, but then managers defending (sic) their players nearly always say that - except Arsene Wenger who never sees the offence taking place.
  • Andy Cole says it was a rash challenge and says that he should know because he's spent so long playing at the top level. With the likes of, err, Burnley. Still 10 stitches suggests it wasn't handbags at 12 paces so he might have a point.
  • It's the Welsh FA that hear these appeal cases even though City are playing in the English league system because the Bluebirds are of course currently affiliated to the Welsh FA not the English FA.
  • If this had happened in the middle of the league campaign I'd have rated Purse's chances of winning the appeal at slightly less than never in a million years.....but
  • Oh, Cardiff have an important date on 17th May and surely we wouldn't want to do anything to jeapordise City's chances of putting out the strongest possible squad (even though the chances are Purse would be on the bench)....would we. Surely not.
  • There are those that might say City would be better of with Purse banned as it would reduce the chances of him making a calamitous error, but I think that's unfair. His heart, and effort are in the right place, but on this seasons form he's a poor third behind Johnson & Loovens.

No comments: