Moyes bemoans dying art of tackling

Greg O'Keeffe, Liverpool Echo , 21 January, 19comments | Jump to most recent

As a former defender himself, Moyes shares the sense of sadness at how the famously physical element of British football is being erased by most tackles being considered automatic fouls in the Premier League — such as the red card given Jack Rodwell's faultless tackle on Luis Suarez at Goodison Park last year.

“There is a change in the game, the emphasis is on less physical contact but not every tackle is a foul, and not every foul is a booking,” says Moyes as he prepares his Champions League-chasing side for the visit to the South coast.

“I actually think the referees know that but the crowd plays a big part. Every time a player goes down you get a big shout from the crowd. Maybe the refs need to turn around and say they won't be giving everything.

“It's part of the British game people have enjoyed over the years, that toughness. People will keep playing and refs wave play on, that was always part of it. You wanted to be tough and carry on. Now it's turned the way were you want to get an advantage for your team maybe? It'd be good if the referees tried to halt that a bit.

“I think it does impact on your coaching. There are technically gifted players coming in which is great, and we want to encourage that, but that means if they're better on the ball, with better control, the way you intercept or tackle needs to change.

“So yes it does affect the tackling. How do you slide tackle now? They say you can't follow through but how do you not follow through with a slide tackle? I don't know. We all know when we see a tackle which is too aggressive or over the top and dangerous. But I don't see the thing about following through.

“We're actually having to say to our lads be careful. We don't want to get to the point where there's no contact. I don't think it suits us. And I don't think we'll get to the point where Britain has the level of technical ability across the board as in the Latin countries. We shouldn't get rid of a lot of the good traits in our game.

“The crowd is liable to cheer a good tackle when they see it. I think we should be careful it doesn't disappear from the game completely. I think I've seen recently that the referees are trying to let it go, but for them it's a case of maybe educating the crowd. Saying, ‘Every time there's a tackle were not going to give a free-kick'. They would gain confidence from knowing every time it happened they wouldn't get berated. I go and watch a lot of football and the referees do it well but there is an affect from the crowd's reaction to every tackle, it puts pressure on refs.

“We don't want to go back to when it was big tackles from behind and people getting hurt,” he says. “It used to be that you were allowed your first tackle ‘free', whatever you did. We don't want to go back to that level but there is a difference in how the generations of fans see it.”

Quotes or other material sourced from Liverpool Echo

Reader Comments (19)

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Richard Tarleton
1 Posted 21/01/2013 at 14:08:23

With him all the way. Not only do we have no players like Alex Parker now whose tackling skill made you gasp, but we've also abolished the offence of obstruction, it's now called being strong when you block another player.

Patrick Murphy
2 Posted 21/01/2013 at 14:14:47

It depends who you play for, look at Ramirez's tackle in the lead up to the first Chelsea goal during yesterday's game between Chelsea and Arsenal

But generally Moyes is correct: the art of tackling is disappearing from our game. I put it down to the players costing so much that they are treated like precious jewels; the more expensive or more valuable they are, the better protection they get. Jelavic and Pienaar hardly get any protection from the officials despite regularly getting lumps kicked off them in almost every game.

Nick Entwistle
3 Posted 21/01/2013 at 14:15:47

I don't think the emphasis is on less physical contact, the emphasis is on placating prima-donnas who role around clasping an ankle without reason.

The refs seriously need to man up and take charge of this.

I forget the Spanish ref but every game I've seen him officiate, be it in Europe or tournaments, the players all complain to begin with but when realising they ain't getting nothing the matches become well contested full blooded affairs and are a feast for the eyes, all because the ref is having the biggest say in the match – by doing nothing!

Richard, 'obstructing' the player from the ball when it's going out of play (if that's what you're referring to) is all fair and square. It's shielding the ball when it's within a suitable distance from the player where he can readily bring it under control should he wish. It's not pretty but I don't think it's wrong.

Jim Harrison
4 Posted 21/01/2013 at 15:11:07

I think the problem is that perfectly good tackles are getting penalised, whilst obvious fouls are going unpunished. Rodwells, Kompanys just to name a couple, Suarez stamps on at least one player a month and rarely gets properly punished.

James Marshall
5 Posted 21/01/2013 at 15:19:04

I've always that was a grey area, shielding the ball out of play. Defenders hold their arms out and hold players off (blatantly) but it's never given as a foul. If you do the same thing in a middle of the pitch, it's a foul.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but there's no written rule about this, is there?

Russ Quinlan
6 Posted 21/01/2013 at 16:31:09

For all his faults (and there are a few) the best recent tackle was Captn Pips on Ronaldo AND he did it fair and square AND it took the cheating Red off the park!!

Excellent stuff! AND see how it galvanised the team afterwards. Bring back 'Proper' Football!!!

Paul David
7 Posted 21/01/2013 at 16:36:04

Recent? How long has it been since he even played in England? Gibson made an excellent tackle recently which he was booked for (Spurs I think). It's a joke the way the game is going.

Tony J Williams
8 Posted 21/01/2013 at 16:38:06

James, this "shielding" lark gets right on my tits in games. How can a player be "protecting" the ball when he has never been in control of it?

It happens all over the pitch and Distin is a master at it, but I hate it.

James Marshall
9 Posted 21/01/2013 at 17:23:10

Agreed Tony - Distin has arms like a Condor and could hold off an entire team on his own, but never gets pulled up for it.

Its a weird rule and irritating as you say.

Paul David
10 Posted 21/01/2013 at 17:29:26

I don't see anything wrong with shielding the ball (as long as arms are not used), you don't need to touch the ball to have control of it. I seem to remember AJ was good at worming his way past and keeping the ball in play.

James Marshall
11 Posted 21/01/2013 at 18:04:52

The thing I don't like about it, is that the defenders never give a foul and attackers are basically not allowed to tackle them. If you did the same in the centre circle, it would be a foul. Odd.

Andy Callen
12 Posted 21/01/2013 at 18:37:03

The one that gets on my nerves is when a penalty is considered soft, yet if the foul occurred anywhere else on the pitch everyone would agree it's a foul - if it is a foul and it happens in the penalty area then it's a penalty! Who cares if it's soft! NSNO

Ray Roche
13 Posted 21/01/2013 at 18:40:55

Paul David @319

"you don't need to touch the ball to have control of it". So, sat in my seat in Row AA in Gwladys St I'm as much in control as Distin? Would you like to think that through? ;-)

Brent Stephens
14 Posted 21/01/2013 at 18:44:40

I've always thought the law is about whether you are in playing distance of the ball - if you can touch the ball from where you are, then you can "jockey" your body between opponent and ball. But not by preventing him getting to it by stretching your arms out wide.

Richard Tarleton
15 Posted 21/01/2013 at 18:48:58

You used to be legally allowed to shoulder charge a player in the back if he was committing obstruction.

Kevin Day
16 Posted 21/01/2013 at 19:20:14

That's Tony Hibbert fucked then, probably the best tackler in the game.

Brent Stephens
17 Posted 21/01/2013 at 19:25:49

Richard, don't remember that law. You did used to be able to duck witches in a pond though.

Julian Wait
18 Posted 22/01/2013 at 06:12:53

LOTG: "Shielding the ball is permitted. A player who places himself between an opponent and the ball for tactical reasons has not committed an offence as long as the ball is kept within playing distance and the player does not hold off the opponent with his arms or body. If the ball is within playing distance, the player may be fairly charged by an opponent."

Note on charging: The act of charging is a challenge for space using physical contact within playing distance of the ball without using arms or elbows. It is an offence to charge an opponent:
• in a careless manner
• in a reckless manner
• using excessive force

So Brent above nailed it pretty much ... I don't like the rule either, I would rather a player have to make a touch on the ball to be able to shield, but that IS the rule ...

Richard Tarleton
19 Posted 22/01/2013 at 08:55:53

The offence of obstruction used to be punished by an indirect free kick. When did anyone last see an indirect free kick? And Brent, it was in the laws that a player could legitimately shoulder charge a player who was obstructing him. However, I agree once we became part of Europe the whole business of shoulder charging disappeared and one only has to think of Lofthouse's goal in the 58 Cup Final or Gray's goal against Watford to see why.

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