Hull Boss Phil Brown Defends Bolton Striker Kevin Davies Tackle on Arsenal Star: Was the Challenge a ‘Disgrace’ or Fair?
Last weekend Bolton’s Kevin Davies was vilified for a challenge on Arsenal’s Gael Clichy in his side’s 3-1 home defeat to the Gunners. The young left-back had to leave the field which left Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger enraged. The Frenchman said, “We have no problem with people being physical when they play us - that is a charming part of the game.
“But I don’t call kicking people being physical. That kind of thing is outside the rules of the game.
Bolton tried to intimidate us.”
His Centre-half Kolo Toure called the tackle a disgrace whilst Trotters boss Gary Megson countered, “”Kevin’s tackle was nothing - in fact he shouldn’t have even been booked.
“Yes, he’s an aggressive player but he played the ball fairly. It was a proper football challenge.
“But we always hear the same thing when Arsenal come here.”
Has the Bolton boss got a point when the player clearly got the ball only for his momentum to lead to his trailing leg catching the left-back?The manager of the Gunners next opponents Hull is also right behind Davies. Phil Brown had this to say, “For me, the Kevin Davies tackle, there was nothing wrong with that.
‘If you take that out of the game Hull City might as well not play at the Emirates. If you allow Arsenal to dictate that that tackle goes out of the game, then we are finished.
‘We have got that tackle on our side - they have got the technical side of the game on their side.
‘If they are allowed to express that technical side without tackling, without physical contact, we might as well not turn up.’
Even Football Pools pundit Alan Hansen suggested Davies had done no wrong in this incident, “Arsene Wenger and Kolo Toure have both been outspoken in their condemnation of Bolton’s Kevin Davies following a challenge on Gael Clichy at the weekend. Now everyone has a right to their opinion but for me Davies made contact with the ball and the challenge was a fair old fashioned one.”
So do you agree that Arsenal have cause to complain about the challenge or that the tackle was a fair one and a welcome part of the English game? Let’s hear your view.
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Tags: Arsenal, Arsene Wenger, Bolton, Gael Clichy, Hull, Kevin Davies, Phil Brown
September 26th, 2008 at 11:46
Completely fair challenge…when will Arsene Whinger stop moaning?
September 26th, 2008 at 12:13
Suggest you put your glasses on next time. You obviously only saw his right leg, which did win the ball, but at the same time the left leg was nearly a foot off the ground, studs showing - awful.
It’s like saying it’s a fair challenge to win a header even if you’re elbowing or even punching the other player at the same time.
Get real - the tackle was a disgrace & until the useless FA clamp down on it you’ll get more incidences like Eduardo & Possebon
September 26th, 2008 at 12:19
ridiculous to claim it was a foul…only Arsenal would
September 26th, 2008 at 12:21
PHIL BROWN SAID THAT THE TACKLE OF THE BULLY DAVIES WAS FAIR,AND IF YOU TAKE THAT FROM HULL.WE MIGHT AS WELL NOT PLAY AT EMIRATES…….SHAME.
PHIL YOU MUST BE ASHED OF YOURSELF!!!!
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO THE EMIRATES FOR????RUGBY..OR FOOTBALL??TAKE MY ADVICE PHIL AND TRY TO LEARN THE GAME OF FOOTBALL AND THEN GO TO THE EMIRATES TO ENTERTAIN SUPPORTERS OF BOTH TEAMS.
September 26th, 2008 at 12:23
are Arsenal fans deluded? he won the ball momentum took him into the player. it was not malicious in any way…grow up
September 26th, 2008 at 12:25
Are tackles no longer allowed? or is that just Arsenal games?
September 26th, 2008 at 12:26
When will Arsenal fans stop going on about Eduardo. Just because one terrible tackle broke his leg, another player isn’t going to break his every time they go in for a challenge.
Diaby’s tackle on Steinsson last season was a lot worse and Bolton didn’t make any big deal out of it. You get up and get on with it, move on.
September 26th, 2008 at 12:26
Fair challenge, I went for the ball, got the ball, cannot see any problem in that. In the good old days, were men were men, that challenge would have been classed as powder puff, these days players go down simple by tickling thier ribs.
September 26th, 2008 at 12:28
Arsenal may play great football but Wenger and your players plus it would seem fans are letting you down with such ridiculous complaints…fair tackle boy got slightly injured…move on…Guthrie’s tackles were 100 times worse and Eboue likes a few real nasty challenges when not diving and trying to get players sent off!
September 26th, 2008 at 12:29
fair? davies goes in with a stretch leg and studs first. Does’nt matter if he get’s to the ball first! And you can’t just write it off as an “old school” tackle, because fotball has moved on, mate.
The day some of the “physical” teams start to consentrate on playing fotball, they actually might have a shoot at places in the european cups, but now i senserely hope teams like Bolton, Blackburn gets to play their “physical” trade i the championship!
September 26th, 2008 at 13:10
That tackle from davies may of got the ball but like ppl are saying on here, he other leg was high with studs up with took clichy out. That is not a fair tackel, he mayb an old school tackle but times have changed. By all means tackle the oppent phil brown u idiot but just do it fairly. This tackle was very smiliar to the one on the man utd player the other day, he got the ball but followed through and took the player out shocking tackle. The rules have changed jus because arsenal are to good doesnt mean u have the right to take em out. Megson a idiot also bolton were much better few years ago.
September 26th, 2008 at 14:20
There was nothing wrong with the challenge. Davies won the ball. Abou Diaby broke Ivan Campo’s foot a couple of years ago. Arsnenal fans rejoiced. The hypocrisy is laughable.
September 26th, 2008 at 14:47
One word ‘Eboue’ how have Arsenal fans got the front???
Lehmann tried to constantly hurt players too!!!