Murphy blames the bosses

Fulham skipper wants repeat offenders punished

Last updated: 10th October 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

The pace in which some players go into tackles now is ridiculous. There's no brains involved in the players who are doing that

. Danny Murphy on dangerous tackling
Quotes of the week

SKY SPORTS ON SKY

There's more live football on Sky Sports than ever before, including the Barclays Premier League, UEFA Champions League, Clydesdale Bank Premier League, England away Euro 2012 qualifiers and La Liga. With four live Sky Sports channels, as well as Sky Sports News, you'll never miss a moment on Sky. Click here for more.

SKY BET ODDS
Danny Murphy is 25/1 to see red when he faces his former club Tottenham. Bet now.

Related links

Teams

Players

Also see

Fulham's Danny Murphy believes managers must take more responsibility for a rash of dangerous tackles that has blighted the Premier League in recent weeks.

Murphy believes the managers at Stoke, Wolves and Blackburn are to blame for sending out their players too pumped up for action.

Cottagers striker Bobby Zamora suffered a broken leg in a challenge by Wolves' Karl Henry and the same player was fined two weeks' wages by his club after another savage tackle on Wigan's Jordi Gomez.

Newcastle have written to The Football Association to ask for action to be taken against Manchester City's Nigel de Jong for the tackle which left Hatem Ben Arfa with a double leg break.

Murphy called some tackles "ridiculous" and "brainless" and said managers had to take responsibility.

"Your manager dictates what your players do and how you behave," said Murphy at Leaders in Football Conference.

Pumped up

"You get managers who are sending their teams out to stop other teams playing, which is happening more and more - the Stokes, Blackburns, Wolves.

"They can say it's effective and they have got to win games but the fact is the managers are sending out their players so pumped up there is inevitably going to be problems.

"Every ship has a captain and that's the manager who is in charge."

Murphy said there should be tougher sanctions for dangerous tackles - especially for repeat offenders.

No brains
"The pace in which some players go into tackles now is ridiculous. There's no brains involved in the players who are doing that," added Murphy.

"I don't believe players are going out to break another player's leg but there has to be some logic and intelligence involved.

"If you are going at someone at a certain pace and you don't get it right you are going to hurt them.

"Players should be culpable for that, in terms of punishment I don't know what - but they need to show a little bit more intelligence, especially the ones who are doing it repeatedly."

Fulham always topped the Fair Play league during Roy Hodgson's time as manager and Murphy says that was no coincidence.

"If you have a manager like Roy Hodgson in charge you don't get discipline problems," noted Murphy.

"If you have a manager that's in control of the team and doesn't allow these type of things to go on then you are going to have a more disciplined team.

"I'm not saying tackling is a bad thing but we want to watch the best players on the pitch.

"Under Roy Hodgson at Fulham we were always top of the Fair Play league because he wouldn't accept talking back to the referee and he wouldn't accept stupid tackles."

Comments (112)

Steve Taylor says...

It''''s all very well talking about dangerous tackles, but while players are getting sent off for attempting to block the ball, and catching players with their trailing leg like Joe Cole against Arasenal and people who are breaking legs are getting the same punishment at worst, where do you cross the line regarding DANGEROUS TACKLING, by the letter of the law, they both get the same punishment, however only one form of tackle results in long term injury. The FA should look into their idea''''s of what is a dangerous Tackle and reduce punishments for silly things like a slide tackle.

Posted 12:57 9th October 2010

Andrew Townsend says...

This has nothing to do with managers! All managers have played football at some level and no professional manager would say to his team to go out and break an opponents leg. Danny''''s comments about managers setting their teams up to stop the opponents playing is down to backs to the wall defending, two men closing down the opponents danger man, every man behind the ball type tactics, not about breaking someones leg. That all comes down to the individual and no one else. A late timed tackle, a 50:50 that they want to win, or the fact that they are in the team to win the ball and give it to those more skill ful. The tackle on Ben Arfa was hard, and unfortunately he broke his leg. The one on Gomez was wrong, but he rode the challenge a bit so it looked at lot worse than it was. Bad tackles are all down to the individual..... end of!

Posted 12:44 9th October 2010

Michael Smith says...

well said danny also harassing officials has been encouraged by some managers for far too long we all know who thay are its about time someone spoke up.

Posted 11:54 9th October 2010

Darren john Sutton (Stoke City fan) says...

MY lady used to work for a boot manufacturer.The shin pads are thinner and slimmer than they used to be and boots are now bladed instead of studded,.The blades me players actually slide more especially on hard pitches that are watered b4 ko.THe boots do not protect the feet as they are like carpet slippers.this is why there are more ankle injuries.The boot and shin pad companies love it because players replace their boots at least 3 times a season and shin pads don''''t last more than 2 matches.funny how the injuries are not as bad at lower levels as players buy stronger and sturdy equipment to last longer as they are not sponsored and cannot replace them as often.

Posted 11:11 9th October 2010

Tony Dain (Liverpool fan) says...

Danny raises an issue that has long needed to be discussed in the open. Tackling has its place in football, just as much as passing, shooting, dribbling etc. It is like the others a skill. There do seem to be more and more challenges (i wont call them tackles, as in my mind this denigrates the art of tackling) of a reckless nature, that while not setting out to break a players leg, will almost certainly result in some degree of injury. Maybe ranging from a light knock to a break. The real issue here is what is tackling and what is just an out of control or dangerous challenge. Pundits/managers often make excuses for some horrendous challenges and quote the cliche, you cant take tackling out of the game. A pointless statement - no sane football lover is suggesting that and just deflects attention again from the real issue. This could also relate to the use of elbow as much as some of the challenges with feet. People often say he has to use his arms to get into the air - fair enough but if you are unaware of a fellow professional and elbow him, then you are guilty of dangerous play and should be sent off - no argument. A good number of players need to learn how to tackle properly, its a skill. Consider two world class left backs - paulo maldini, one of the best defenders of all time, his tackling was exceptional, and you rarely saw him making dangerous or wild challenges. What about stuart pearce a truely committed player, yet one who could tackle with power and skill and again rarely made a challenge that could be called reckless or dangerous. makele one of the best ball winning midfielders.. again rarely off his feet. The best tacklers tend to stay on their feet, although a good sliding tackle is also key, i guess what im saying is much of these challenges are not tackles and should be dealt with accordingly - while the art of tackling should be encouraged and celebrated! Its football not UFC

Posted 00:34 9th October 2010

Richard Hubbard says...

Listen Guys -This is just what Mr wenger wanted to influence refs.When his team was sucessfull many years ago it didn''''t matter his team getting stuck in but now he''''s under presure to deliver he just wants teams to roll over and let him win- Get real football is a contact sport and just beacuse his team are lacking fitness and physical power other stronger teams shouldn''''t hold back to help him.

Posted 23:16 8th October 2010

Ross Carpenter says...

The problem lies (again) in the current system in place at the FA. Look for instance at De Jong breaking Ben Arfa''''s leg. As Martin Atkinson saw the challenge, but somehow failed to punish him during the game, no retrospective action can be taken and Ben Arfa misses 6 months of football. I think the rot set in at the world cup final when De Jong (again) karate kicked Xavi Alonso in the chest and only got booked! No wonder players go in so recklessly when the punishment never fits the crime. Maybe De Jong should be made to miss the same period of football as Ben Arfa? This is not a rant at De Jong or Man City, he is just the most high profile example of poor tackling recently and proof it isn''''t just the so-called "bully boys" of Stoke and Blackburn who dish it out.

Posted 21:16 8th October 2010

Norman Salvesen says...

As an amateur playing centre half in my first big game against a professional team, I was instructed by my manager to kick the player I was marking, so that he could not go past me. We won the game, the marked player was fouled by me and I was yellow carded after 10 minutes, but he never came near me for the rest of the game. We won, but I never was comfortable with the tactics demanded by our manager.

Posted 21:00 8th October 2010

Thomas Garland (Leeds United fan) says...

Football is a contact physical sport and of course there are going to be injuries thats part and parcel of the game. Yes some of the tackles that are being made are over the top,and no player goes out with the intent to injure another. Tackling is what the game is all about and thats what the supporters want to see an exciting game with strong fair tackles. Many of the players who played twenty or thirty years ago would probably be getting sent off every other week

Posted 19:39 8th October 2010

Paul Dawkins says...

How come Mr West Ham in his comments this morning on Sky was allowed to go of on one about Gallas tackle a year ago and and then Tony Adams and Steve Bould totally unsolicited by the presenters,no mention of the tackle at Fulham recently objected to by Hughes or the tackle on Ramsey that broke his leg or Eduardo that effectively ruled him out of Premiership footall or the one on Diaby that went unpunished for its severity. It would appear that Arsene Wenger because of his stand on dangerous tackles is an easy target even when he is not involved in the incident,and pundits like Tony and many others have a biased view and I have yet to hear them critisize any manager except Benitez as much as Wenger. Luckily there are two pundits that can stand on their own two feet and have no care what any Premiership Manager thinks of them Charle Nicholas the great!! shame he wasn`t English and Graheme Souness who was a tackler but lets have more of their honesty and less of the (old pals brigade)

Posted 19:34 8th October 2010

Lez Cole (Wolverhampton Wanderers fan) says...

Please see Danny Murphy''''s disciplinary record since 1997 in the Prem! These stats do not include his yellow and red cards in Europe or pre 2007: Anyone remember his red card in stoppage time against Shakhtar Donetsk last season Red Cards 2 Yellow Cards 46 Total Cards 48 Fouls 268 (Stats from: www.premierleague.com) People who live in glass houses should not throw stones??? It is also to note that I do not condone Karl Henry''''s Tackle on Gomez and he should be punished accordingly.

Posted 19:21 8th October 2010

Marc Smith says...

To Graham Lear. First of all your''''e right, there is nothing wrong with tackling in football but it is wrong to tackle when you have no chance of playing the ball. You say Stoke are higher than Arsenal in the fair play league, you may be right but there is a clear difference between the fouls arsenal make and the fouls stoke make. Arsenal have had 2 red cards this season: song for 2 yellows and koscielny for a handball. How can you honestly compare those with shawcross'''' disgraceful leg break on ramsey or wilkonson'''' horrific tackle in the 93rd minute in game stoke were winning 2-0 on dembele. Arsenal play the 2nd best football in europe, only behind barcelona. Stoke on the other hand play a dirty,ugly game(delaps long throws, what a joke, trying to throw the ball into the net.) To call it football is an insult to football. Wenger was right, stoke play rugby but i''''m sure rugby fans will be insulted then. One question, how can stoke fans really pay to watch that kind of football? Beyond me!

Posted 18:56 8th October 2010

Joseph B (Blackburn Rovers fan) says...

I think people are confusing three separate points here, as there is no definite link between the three. 1. Players making terrible and dangerous tackles - this is true and it needs to be stamped out. However, to my knowledge Blackburn have yet to have a player sent off this season and to my knowledge, haven''''t had a player that has broken another players leg this season. Everybody has to taken some responsibility for this. Fans, don''''t moan when a referee stops play because of an injury, managers tell your players to take responsibly, pundits needs to favour the player with the ball, players need to tackle responsibly, clubs need to avoid buying dirty players, referees need be more harsh on dangerous tackles and the Premier League and FA need to introduce rules to ban dirty players for longer. 2. Teams are getting too physical - this again is true, but it is the referees responsibility to apply the laws of the game. Challenges on the goalkeeper are getting too common for us to say that the referee just missed it. They need to be more strict and too realise that applying a strong laissez-faire attitude can promote immoral football in order to prevent the game flowing. Blackburn are guillty of this, but I would argue that other teams such as Chelsea are very physical, but the referees need to find the right balance and make sure the laws are applied and too my knowledge, Chelsea haven''''t broken anyones legs this season. 3. Teams play unattractive football - I don''''t think any person can tell a team how to play. As long as a team abides by the rules, then that''''s all you can ask. To conclude, I think there are several different issues here that are being brought under one sole argument. Danny Murphy has no right to lecture anyone on those three points. Fulham hardly have a great disciplinary record this season and his personal disciplinary record was terrible last season.

Posted 18:53 8th October 2010

Jon Carvalo (Atletico Madrid fan) says...

at last a pro talking some sense !! these kind of stupid tackles will put players off playing in the epl and who can blame them, if its not stopped now the epl will go the way of the scotish football league well done danny

Posted 18:14 8th October 2010

Sarah Smith (Blackburn Rovers fan) says...

Blackburn were a far dirtier team when fulhams current manager mark hughes was in charge, he brought most of the team we have now to ewood and before you start mentioning our name look at the foul play leauge and your own record last season, six yellows one red not exactly glowing is it danny..............................

Posted 18:09 8th October 2010

John Smith (Arsenal fan) says...

so now it''''s ok to complain about reckless challenges when wenger did it a month ago he was villified tut tut.

Posted 17:36 8th October 2010

N C (Stoke City fan) says...

what a load of rubbish Danny Murphy and the other people who support him on here are saying. Footbal is a game of passion and you have to have a will to win, would you want one of your players to pull out of a tackle ? that is the way you do get hurt, Im glad my team stoke dont roll around on the pitch trying to cheat free kicks etc. If the ball is there to be won then a tackle can be made with no intention of hurting a fellow professional as these 3 teams do.To Bob Smith didnt fabregas break his own leg diving for a penalty against BARCELONA of SPAIN not against an english PL team. Some people dont like that stoke are well organised ugly at times traditional english team but we have some fantastic players like pennant,etherington, fuller ,tuncay,gudjohnsen ,kenwyne jones etc so carry on moaning about us so called lesser teams but they have all earned the right to play there football in this league good luck to them as they have all the media and sky presenters hating them being there, go on Stoke

Posted 17:31 8th October 2010

Jody Burkin (Crystal Palace fan) says...

I love the way its Arsenal fans moaning the most, A tackle on Walcott so on and so forth. Do they seem to forget that they have had one of te highest ratios of yelow card in te prep since Wenger has been in charge. And is it he same arsenal fans when they used to win trophys with Adams,Keown,Campbell,Toure,Petit,Parlour ,Viera and Bergkamp in there team, all good players yes but tough or evan naughty in a tackle. You never heard a moan or groan out of them no..why because they were winning!! Yes tackles are mistimed but one of the worst tackles that was perpously times and out to hurt someone was Gallas on Mark Davis of Bolton. Any player going in with a high foot and studs up is a coward and purposly trying to hurt anouther pro so get of your high horses you gunner fans n take it for wat it is a physical contact sport were accidents will happen. You know if you were winning trophys like Man U or Chelsea you would not say boo to a goose.

Posted 17:28 8th October 2010

Graham Lear (Stoke City fan) says...

There is nothing wrong with tackling in football, its all part and parcel of the game of Soccer. its interesting to note that the goody two shoes Arsenal are at the moment laying 20 in the fair play stakes and Stoke City are 14, Arsenal have had two players sent of, Stoke none Song on 14 yellow cards for the Arsenal, Wilkinson for Stoke 12. We seem to forget that Arsenal are quite capable of kicking opponents, this is because Wenger plays the, we play fair card and everyone else is out to get us card. I hope now that we can see how Arsenal are not the nicy nice football club that they would have us all believe that the officials will take this into consideration when ever they play.

Posted 17:23 8th October 2010

Paul Bosson says...

Stoke''''s style is gradually evolving as we establish ourselves in the premier league,some of the comments on here are just ridiculous.Real bruisers arnt they Etherington,Pennant,Tuncay,Whelan,Gudjonsson? Mark Bushnell do me a favour,Arsenal dominated Europe for 5 years,so what year was it you won the Champions League,i must have been asleep during this domination.

Posted 16:27 8th October 2010

Add Comment*

Send us your views

Are you a Sky Sports subscriber?

*All fields required, your email address will be kept private