Coleman suffers awful leg fracture in Wales clash

I wish Seamus the best on a long road to recovery.

All the best to our future captain for a swift recovery.

And young Mr. Holgate, you're on.

He will be a massive miss for us especially with the momentum we've got and the games we've got coming up!!

Wishing a speedy recovery to a genuine Everton player!

He could actually make a full recovery from the break in 3 to 4 months if all goes well, with further rehabilitation for muscle strengthening etc.

He's young, super fit, a fighter.

Don't be surprised to see him back by September.

Somebody needs to take a tire iron to that player's kneecap though. That was pathetic.

I really hope he can come back from it, but it's a long way back.

Seamus's story was the veritable Cinderella story, I hope it still has a happy ending.

If it's not the case, he can be considered as one of the best Irish Internationals, along with Sheedy, that has ever sported a blue shirt for Everton.

Bale should have seen red seconds earlier for a wild lunge. It was a bit like a game from the 70s. The ref let an awful lot go. People who feel nostalgic for those times and the likes of Norman Hunter, Peter Storey, Chopper Harris etc, should remember that these are the consequences.

If it had been a Sunday League game, Taylor wouldn't have got off the pitch in one piece. Sickening.

Win the Derby for him boys...

One very honest and humble man has been dealt a vicious and cruel blow. The man is a credit to our club.

So don't write Seamus off.

It can go either way mate. With what the doctors would call a "good" break it can be quite a straight forward recovery.

I'm being positive til we get told otherwise. It's served me well doing that!

How about Neil Taylor gets put away for ABH and the Welsh FA and FIFA share a bill of 㿞m in compensation to cover those costs to both Seamus and Everton Football Club?

With a further 㾻m fine to the Irish FA for persistently calling up an injured player (McCarthy) against the wishes of his club and on EACH occasion (4 times) causing further damage to the injured party.

He's been such a main stay in the side it's going to be odd not seeing him on the pitch for a while. Big chance for Holgate to come in and get a run of games till the end of the season.

Go across the park and get 3 points for the lad!

Can only hope Seamus comes back from this, and plays again. Not just for Everton's sake, but for himself. A top class player, and a role model both on and off the pitch doesn't deserve to have his career ended in this way.

Best wishes and speedy recovery, Seamus.

But, can Holgate fill the spot? He used to look lively down the right side when he was not filling a CB spot.

Watching fellow left-back Luke Shaw break his leg in September last year was no different. But news of his return to training last week, not even seven months since the event – encouraging as it is – was something I met with more than a little caution.

All the best to Mustard for his recovery.

So far everybody has said Holgate and I suppose he's the likely choice to cover for Seamus. But nobody has mentioned Jonjoe Kenny, who's been training with the first team. Isn't he arguably more of the RWB type player we might need to come in, especially if playing 3 central defenders...?

How long will he be out? In my opinion, it'll be 2018 before he's back.

As for McCarthy, I have said it before and I will say it again, there is no way he should play for his country first before his club when coming back from injury.

If he hasn't played for us then he can't play for his country, we always have to put them back together again. Ronald will be livid!

Very likeable, hardworking, talented bloke. Look forward to seeing him in a blue shirt again.

I am sick to the back teeth with these silly meaningless internationals. The players don't need these games. Maybe just before a major tournament but not in mid-season.

I'm also fed up with the Martin O'Neill and Roy Keane putting our players in jeopardy. McCarthy had to pull out before kick off, as he was feeling his hamstring. He should never have been called up.

It is far too early though for anyone to be making estimates as to how long Seamus will be out and certainly too early for him to be written off.

I was reading the article the other day about him meeting up with Down Syndrome kids and how he was with them all; next thing you know, this happens to him. Sometimes, life is not fair especially to good human beings like Seamus.

All the best and my heart goes out to you.

O'Neill and Keane? If I was Ronald, I would ban them from the club, I would never let another injured player (or returning from injured) play for any international team..

Club or country? Club first every time... as I said on a different thread, he should tell Barkley to throw a sicknote in tomorrow... especially if he is only on the bench.

Fucking disgrace of a tackle. Seamus will never be the same. Let the memories live long.

I agree with the sentiment regarding these low value-adding international qualifiers. These tournaments now include such a higher number of starting teams (48 for next world cup) – do we really need all of these qualifiers?

It will be a long time before he is back on the pitch sneaking behind defenses. I hope it's a 6 month injury but it could be well past a year. It was a bad injury. Apparently, it's not the first time Neil Taylor has done something stupid to another player. Didn't he crane-kick Kyle Walker in the head last year?

We may not see Macca again this season either. We should be okay in the midfield without him, but depth-wise, we may need to call up Walsh or Dowell. I could not imagine this stuff in my darkest daydream.

Holgate, don't get hurt out there, son. You're up and we need you to be stellar... and you will be.

Who plays instead of Seamus now? No disrespect meant like...

They get to the ball at the same time, Taylor has his leg outstretched, and Coleman's leg comes in full tilt into Taylor's calf – it's the collective impact that does the damage.

I actually think Taylor isn't entirely to blame, and it looks more of an accident. It certainly wasn't an 'assault' as some are saying – Taylor himself had his leg broken 5 years ago and he isn't a dirty player.

Yes he will come back it takes a long time to recover from that type of injury though. Barkley, who also had a near career-ending injury on international duty, lost two years of his development after his injury and it's only recently he has stopped shying away from physical contact.

I wish Seamus all the best for a speedy recovery.

That's football, I suppose.

He looked sick and upset about it too, as you would expect of anyone.

Get well soon, Seamus. Slainte.

Although everyone is talking about Oviedo and Shaw here, remember, Seamus is a few years older, so I'm hoping he has the recuperative qualities as someone younger. He deserves nothing but good luck for being such a wonderful young man, besides a great player.

Get Well Soon, Seamie

Not good for Everton either, of course. BTW, does anybody know if there is any form of compensation from the International Body/Country to players and their clubs who suffer such awful injuries?

The real underlying problem is with O'Neill and Keane with McCarthy injured – aka, not really fit enough to be there – in the kick about. That pair need fucking right off.

Taylor didn't break his leg, it was an accidental coming together as I've mentioned. There was no 'bad tackle' at all.

As you say, you see way worse that don't cause any injury at all.

I hate he modern media and the way everything is manipulated and then lapped up by the public. Yes, Coleman has suffered a dreadful injury, I just wish it was reported as it happened.

Of course I do agree that Seamus striking the ball also added to the injury. Do I think it was deliberate? Definitely not, but it was still a high tackle. The guy shouldn't be made a villain, though.

You do see worse every week – it was just bad luck. Really fucking bad luck. I really hope he recovers – his age is a worry though, but time will tell.

No mitigating factors whatsoever – Chris Coleman and Hartson's totally blinkered comments are a disgrace too.

An extremely lengthy ban is needed to prevent other stupidly reckless players from thinking they can get away with potentially career-ending tackles like this.

Poor Seamus – one of the bluest blues we have – he spilled blue blood out there!

An absolutely disgraceful comment. So untrue it's simply not true. One of the worst posts I have ever seen on here for its utter crassness and 100% inaccuracy.

It actually makes me sick to my stomach thinking of Bryan and now Seamus.

Okay Lev – actually do you mind if I call you post 40? – can you provide one – ONE – piece of evidence to show that "We slagged off Oviedo from the moment he tried to come back after his double leg-break."

This was a horrendous reckless challenge by Taylor with absolutely no regard for the safety of Seamus and with no prospect of playing the ball. As a professional, he is completely aware that this type of challenge can end a fellow professional's career, but he still launches himself into it, totally out of control.

Agree with Chris Leyland, Taylor should be banned for as long as it takes Seamus to recover. Looks like it could 12 to 18 months on similar assaults in the past. We see these type of reckless challenges every week and sometimes the red card is challenged by the pundits. Idrissa could easily have suffered the same from Huddlestone last week and some 'experts' were saying that it was only a yellow. The penalty for these challenges has to increase. We see too many of these lunges every week.

Seamus is an absolute credit to Everton, County Donegal, Ireland, EitC and to football. I am absolutely gutted as an Everton and Ireland supporter. So proud that Seamus is an Evertonian and such a decent, likeable and down to earth person. Get well soon. Well done Shane Long on comforting Seamus in his moment of unthinkable unbearable pain.

I have no wish to see Taylor become a target for abuse or further punishment as that won't help Seamus in his long road to recovery and we can only hope that the extremely likeable lad does make a full recovery and that he can continue with his career.

The media don't set the tone, they react to whatever happens to be the zeitgeist at any particular moment and the mood of many non Evertonians was that this tackle was a bad one, not necessarily pre-meditated to injure but it was intended to stop Seamus in his tracks with the ball being an afterthought in Taylor's thinking.

There are some very intelligent and thoughtful people who post on this site, but that doesn't mean that they should not write what they feel about any given situation in an outspoken and passionate way, particularly when one of their favourites suffers a horrible and horrendous injury. Those that overstep the mark will be called out by others and they often are, but please can we stop this idea that Everton supporters should behave beyond reproach no matter what the circumstances. Other fans don't make allowances for the previous good character of our players if they make a bad tackle or behave badly in some other way, so why should we?

Hopefully we will all continue to call things as we see them without the help of the media or anybody else.

Get well soon Seamus, we will miss you whilst you are out.

Ironically, Bale also should have been sent off for dirty play – ref totally bottled it.

I've never heard of this guy Taylor before – but I will in the future.

Taylor (1) not being a dirty player (Are you sure about that?); and (2) having his own leg broken – does not change the fact that it is a terrible tackle and one of the clearest red cards you will see. It would be if Coleman had broken his leg or not.

As it is, Taylor's reckless disregard has robbed Coleman, Everton and Ireland of one year of football (and that's the best scenario). Taylor deserves an extended ban, and football must do all it can to rid the game of high tackles and two-footed tackles.

Got to say though, I don't see how perfectly valid comments pointing out that when two committed player's go into a full-blooded challenge on a football pitch these things can and will happen (without there having to be an 'intent to injure' from either party) can be pulled up for 'stupidity', when there are other's claiming the injury means Coleman's career at Everton is basically over, before a doctor has even clapped bloody eyes on it long enough to confirm anything other than "leg break"

If there's one thing we know about Coleman, he's a battler and gives everything he has got. That sort of fight can only serve him well on the road to recovery.

On the subject of 'stupidity', is there any chance of calling time on the use of 'emojis' on here? It seems to be creeping in more and more. There's surely something inappropriate about news of a serious injury to a highly respected Everton player being met with the same half-arsed, crest-fallen, cartoon face, a gormless teen who thought he was 'on a promise' might text to his girlfriend after she's just let him know the lift doors have opened once more at The Overlook.

I've sworn to behave meself regarding this. I will. Despite some utterly vile crap from the other side. Had this happened to Easter Island's full back, Milner, frankly I'd feel the same. Wish no harm.

You just can not post on the same website as Dr David & Elizabeth France and Becky Tallentire and resort to abuse, difficult as it may seem. You just can not. We're better.

Utterly agree about them emojis.

'Shocking tackle. Has to be 40 years since I've seen one anywhere near so bad.'

Come off it, Bob. It was a bad challenge, I've seen literally hundreds worse. Here's Ryan Ledson against Liverpool. An absolute masterclass of how to break legs...

https://youtu.be/vFdXDrP4yIA

As for a replacement, I see Holgate in a back 4. But Ron played Davies there too, early in the season or was it pre-season. In a 5, I think he's showed that he would actually consider Lennon there.

I wouldn't rule out Lennon playing not only wing back, but also right back. So much of Seamus's game is attacking, and that's where Lennon has more of the qualities than Holgate.

Just tried to watch the video, about 15 attempts in several different places. The machine has been hard at work – all blocked, attributed to UEFA. No matter, the photos show enough.

I won't be seeking pundit comment, I know exactly what I'll hear. Time to stop the bullshit:

- poor tackle
- attacker's tackle
- late
- player too quick for tackler
- misjudged
- slipped
- lost the movement of the ball
- not that kind of player, and worst of all,
- momentum.
Plus any other garbage.

Anyone that's watched much football, everyone that's played it, and for certain every past and current professional footballer, knows exactly what they're seeing in every tackle. The doubt and uncertainty that is always introduced into the discussion of these events is disingenuous.

To make a tackle like that, you have to mean it. You can even make the contact in the intended place and "soften" the impact at the eleventh hour. Nothing that happens in tackles is faster than the speed of mind and control of finely tuned professional players.

It's lamentable (in my opinion) that hard and competitive fair tackling has been virtually wiped out of football. This kind of thing is something else altogether, yet it still happens too often. There is no excuse.

Of course they never "mean it". The old managerial clichés will be rolled out, "He's a lovely lad." "That's not in his game." Well it obviously fucking well is or Seamus wouldn't be lying on a hospital bed in agony... Wo's leg and the sob stories and excuses being rolled out. Didn't he perform the same trick a few weeks later as well?

I am gutted for the lad, truly gutted.

The outrage should be tempered remembering both Barkley and Funes Mori have in recent derby games committed tackles which looked far more intentional than the challenge tonight. Both deserving of red cards.

All players including Evertonians can and have committed poor acts in the name of football. If you see tonight as a truly intentional act, then that's a valid opinion... but then perhaps the challenges above should carry the same weight of disgust and sanction? Objectively, they should; if not, well that's a questionable rationale to my mind.

Taking the 'Everton' out of it is hard but the last word goes to the player himself. Totally committed always is Seamus, and that's what many love about the fella.

To go in like this, weight off the ground, foot high, getting the leg locked straight right for the point of impact, is classic leg-breaking stuff. No viable tackle is ever made this way.

Not saying his mind was carrying the thought "Break the leg". You could call it a rush of blood – but it was aggressive and nasty in intent.

I was trying, politely, to say I thought some of comments were over the top, and it could just as easily be an Everton player in the dock for a bad tackle and perhaps a slightly more objective view might be worthwhile.

I didn't see the same condemnation, or the scale of comment on these pages when Barkley went through Henderson; I will say, in the spirit of objectivity, that Funes Mori did get some stick on here.

Sorry to come over a bit Hollywood but wouldn't this be a wonderful time for the rest of the squad to come together, develop a bit of the "us against the world" mentality, and really stick it to the RedShite next weekend rather than raise the white flag as per usual? Let's do it for Seamus ! If only.

Get well soon, Seamus.

I would have thought anyone who has played and watched football for any amount of time would know that it's very hard to gauge intent. One man's assault is another man's accident. We offer opinions. No single person on here has the monopoly on what is 'rubbish' and what isn't. I'd suggest that comments such as 'rubbish' are intended to inflame rather than add to discussion. Of course you're welcome to think something else – I can't claim to know your intentions!

Lord knows I've been accused of some things in my time and I never went out to hurt anyone (badly).

I did say "that I have seen". However, I still think there are differences between this and what I saw by Taylor on Seamus. Before I can comment further, I probably need to see as clear a recording of the Taylor tackle as is shown of the Ledson tackle.

We will miss you and the chaos you cause when you are charging forward, and all your fight.

Proud to have you at our club, you have a heart of a lion.

Such behavior is odd considering we're in the best positive situation since 2004. Plenty of reasons to be content.

You can mend these things and Seamus will recover the fitness levels he has now and play again, but I don't expect to ever see the same player again. There will be mental scars he will start to think a little more, especially given his age...

Then there`s the other niggly injuries which always result from recovering from such a bad one..

I don't wish to offend anyone here, I really don't, but to me, these Irish, Welsh, Scottish, African, European, American players all seem to have a greater pride in playing for their national side than a lot of English players. A lot of us fans don't give a fuck about the England team either. I'm no fan of Keane or O'Neill, but our guys could easily produced a sickie if they were not desperate to play.

John (Daley)

You're probably right in saying there was no intention to do damage on Taylor's part, but the same can be said for the boy racer who causes a pile-up when undertaking on the M62 because he thinks he can get to the Rocket 10 secs earlier. It's not the intent that has done the damage here. It's the recklessness and it's the recklessness which warrants a lengthy ban.

I think anyone who has played the game competitively (surely that doesn't include James Marshall) will tell you they would rather have faced an out-and-out Hatchet man, than a thick twat who completely loses control of his own body by raising his feet too high. At least with you know what to expect from the hatchet man.

Really gutted for Coleman and because he's seemingly everyone's favourite player, the tendency will be to want to see the "culprit" strung up by his balls, but I believe a ban is warranted here, a lengthy one. It's happening too often and the only real surprise is that so few are actually badly injured.

Somebody has to call time on players who can't tackle to save their lives, diving in with little more than enthusiasm, momentum and stupidity. If I hear another manager whine "He`s not that type of player"...

It is possible to go over the ball "accidentally" – especially if the tackler's standing foot slips, but 99% of the time it's intentional, an act of cowardice, self preservation, an unwillingness to risk pain in the same way your opponent is. The only way we can eradicate it from the game is to issue lengthy bans.

Taylor launched in, off the floor and straight-legged Seamus. He intended to go in that way. What was he trying to do that he "Accidentally" got wrong?

If you wish to say/think he was trying for the ball, and he would say that, it doesn't excuse whatsoever the aggressive, dangerous manner in which he went about it.

Obviously, no-one is ever going to come out and say they tried to seriously hurt someone. It's just that actions like this have a very high chance of doing exactly that, and he intentionally took that action. That's why he got an immediate red card.

Everyone at the club will be in bits following this news and rightly so. This couldn't be more of a 'downer' considering our next two games. Wishing him the very best in his recovery.

As for the Irish 'management', what a pair of Neanderthals! O'Neill just about finished Gibson's playing career at Everton starting him in two games in a week while he was in recovery, the result he broke down (again) and was out for nearly a year.

His insistence of pressurising McCarthy to play despite being warned by Everton medics has now in all likelihood stopped any chance of him being considered for the derby and who knows if he will play again this season.

Seething at the fact that we are having to go into the derby and Man Utd matches certainly without Seamus (this season and next!), most probably without McCarthy for the rest of the season and possibly without Schneiderlin. Let's hope the rest of the squad members get back from these wretched mid-term International games without injury and without being played into the ground ahead of a busy and decisive week of football for the team that are actually paying these guys!

Only minutes before the challenge on Seamus, Gareth Bale went in with the exact same tackle on O'Shea in the penalty box. Bale got a yellow card for that challenge but he should have been sent off. If Bale had seen red, that would have impacted on the other Welsh players, and that could have avoided the injury to Coleman.

The referee can't pick and choose yellow or red just because a player earns 𧷤k a week and plays for Real Madrid.

The World Cup hasn't produced a decent match since Cruyff was playing and the Champions League is I expect, dire. (I have as much interest in Italian Spanish, German, or Moldovan football as in Americans playing rounders and netball.)

If the referee had shown Bale a red card, as he should have, the sequence of events would not have happened in he way they did and that challenge on Seamus would not have happened.

Agree completely about the refereeing (double) standards.

This will test the resolve, character and resources of this team. The next two games are massive and I'm sure the squad will galvanise in this adversity and wretched luck. Face these games with true grit and guile and put on a good performance for 90 plus 7 minutes in each of these games.

Best wishes to Seamus and his family and a speedy recovery to someone who could be our future captain.

In the past, this would be a career finisher but let's hope modern medical technology and the hope and prayers of the club and fans, see him back at Christmas.

Calling for the punishment to match the length of Seamus' injury doesn't make sense to me. I've seen people do worse things on a pitch and walk away from it because the opponent was relatively unscathed. Barkley in the derby springs to mind.

It's a bad challenge and a gutting outcome but that's part and parcel of a physical contact game. We say it all the time, serious injuries can and do happen. The only way to eradicate it would be to ban tackling altogether.

Taylor was out of his league and was an accident waiting to happen, his lack of skill, timing and professionalism caused an horrific break. Let's tell it for what it was, gross incompetence bordering on wilful aggression.

I think it is Darren who used the analogy of the boy racer on the M62. Couldn't have put it better, he's not meaning to harm anyone but knows what the possible consequences of his action could be.

Earlier in the game, Whelan deliberately elbowed Allen in the face. He would not have meant to break Allen's jaw but that was a possible consequence of his actions. If he had, then in my view, he should be banned for as long as Allen is out injured.

Football is indeed a physical game and should stay that way. Deliberately reckless tackles and elbows don't need to be part of it.

If the player bleats about his loss of livelihood then too bad, you deserve nothing less! It was plain assault and it makes me, a placid man, mad!!!

Bale's tackle was nearly as bad, but I'm guessing the lack of contact was the difference between yellow and red. There is a case for saying that the ref was letting the game get out of hand, but at the same time, how often are they berated for not letting the game flow?

As supporters, it is a bit hypocritical to get on the old high horse here. Most of us will have gone in for a challenge we shouldn't have in the heat of a match, sometimes trying to pull out of it too late. The fact that Neil Taylor tried to argue with it suggests that he wasn't really thinking straight. I would imagine he sees things differently now.

Anyway, I'm gutted for Seamus. Arguably he's the best of our players, certainly in terms of effort and consistency. For all that other clubs chase Barkley and Lukaku, if they had sense, the top clubs would get in Seamus. I for one am glad that their money is in inverse proportion with that common sense. Fingers crossed (for us and him) that he's back for pre-season.

I don't believe any player at that level goes in with the intention of damaging a player but that doesn't change the fact it was a naughty one.

Coleman out basically fucks our run in but the real problem is McCarthy – clearly not fit enough to play... yet the pricks in charge of Ireland argue the toss to get him involved. And he breaks down in the warm-up – making him also less likely to be available next week.

And for what? A poor game between two average teams towards a World Cup that no one wants to go to.

He seems to live the right way. So, as long as his leg can get back to full strength, hopefully he can go on to captain his country, in Russia, next summer, which must seem like a million miles away for the kid right now.

Reckless tackle obviously, but as Shane long said, Taylor has been on the wrong end of one of these injuries himself, so he seemed to hesitate, which has caused him to be late. (I'm taking Long's word for it, because it's not something I really want to watch again.)

It doesn't really matter what I think, but I know the fans at Goodison Park love a full blooded challenge and as bad as it is for "Our Seamus" right now, I think football becomes very boring to watch if players can't tackle, so I don't really know what can be done to enforce change for the better...

Sorry to reduce it to monetary terms but, if Seamus was ever going to leave us, it probably would have been this summer, signing a 5-year deal for mega bucks somewhere. That will never happen now and I feel sorry for him having been robbed of the next best five years of his career. (Obviously I would much prefer him to stay with us.)

Agree Mike, and as you say, it's not just because it's Seamus, I was equally disgusted when that other snivelling, cowardly "hard man" Dele Alli made a similar tackle in a European match the other week. He was very lucky he didn't cause a similar injury that night.

Hard, full blooded tackles, yes. Nasty, sly, cowardly over-the-top tackles, no.

If determination is the yardstick to recovery, then you have it in bucket loads. Also, best wishes to your family as they help you through this tragic injury.

I hope the rest of the team "do it for you" against the rednecks next week, they surely need no more motivation than to think of you at this terrible time.

Get well, Seamus, every decent respectful football fan on the planet wishes you a speedy recovery.

We have to be as positive as we can be – assume he'll be getting the very best of treatment and hope that he can make a full recovery.

He's probably my favourite Everton player, really comes across as a terrific lad and seems to have genuine, un-Premier League, down-to-earth way about him.

Whatever his plusses and minuses as a player, he's NEVER been guilty of what all football supporters see as the biggest crime – not giving 100% for his team.

Good game or bad game, he always shows up and never hides.

Fingers (and everything else) crossed for him.

As for the rest of the season (Liverpool, Man Utd, where we'll finish etc) losing two players to injury is tough, but feeling sorry for ourselves won't do us any favours.

The players who will replace him and McCarthy have to see it as an opportunity for themselves, to be grabbed with both hands (I'm sure Mountfield felt sorry for Higgins but it didn't stop him stepping into his boots and claiming his position).

Imo, we should go at the remaining fixtures like the 7th Cavalry – no fear, fuck reputations and past results, no heads dropping, just... chaaaaarge!

Up the Toffees!

The referee has much to answer for here. The game was a throw back to the seventies. a spiteful dirty game where skill gave way to violence.

Nobody seems to mention that Long left a foot dangling as Williams cleared, Nasty and cowardly and it set the tone. I saw 3-4 similarly nasty incidents with players from both sides leaving a foot in. I saw a couple of well aimed "unintentional" elbows.

The tackle from Bale was also a disgrace, luckily O'Shea didn't have his foot planted like Seamus and the impact wasn't quite as full on.

I love a bit of blood and thunder, but this wasn't a hard game – it was a nasty one full of out-and-out shithousery.

I don't think for a moment that Taylor intended to do this but he sure as hell intended to win the ball or make sure that Seamus could not move forward with it. Reckless is almost as bad as deliberate because it can have the same effect and some players – wound up by events on the pitch, or the management team on the touch-line, or of course the crowd – will have a rush of blood and steam in to this type of tackle without thinking. Maybe some education by the PFA on when or how not to tackle would help?

Whatever, all best wishes to a thoroughly decent bloke and let's be positive for him. Siege mentality required for the derby I think – boy do we need Morgan to be fit!

This makes me get perspective on Lukaku and his constant whining about his ambition – it is lads like Seamus we should worry about and not prima donnas who do not appear to have feelings for the club.

Come back soon, Seamus – we are all rooting for you.

Let's stick together now boys, the collective psychological pull may help us move on. #COYB

On the playing side, I expect Holgate to show what a talent he is, adding pace and anticipation, and I agree with those who say that Kenny also has a chance. They both have much to learn but this is their time.

We can assume McCarthy is out for next week. Let's hope Barkley is on the bench again tomorrow and, I'm sorry to say, stays there.

One of the issues I have with modern refereeing is that, in search of consistency, they've reduced the decisions to black and white, without regard for actually understanding the moment. But you can't really argue with how they got rid of the tackle from behind – players got used to it and the game moved on. We lost some good tackles with that rule change but also prolonged some careers.

A player leaving the ground to challenge head-on always places the opponent at risk, no matter how good intentioned or careful they are. Your weight is going straight through the opponent coming the other way. If it goes wrong, people get seriously injured.

If you can't tackle with the top of your foot from the side, stay on your feet?

Get well soon, Seamus.

I'm sorry but all this stuff about 'assault' is pure fantasy. It was an accident caused as much by Coleman's own momentum as it was Taylor's. If you care to seek out the slow-mo video online, you can clearly see it.

Have you seen it real-time? It was full-blooded, 100-mph football and one hell of a tackle from both players. Yes ,Taylor is lunging, but he actually misses Coleman completely, and Seamus kicks the back of his leg. Coleman was attempting to kick the ball full-pelt, running at him and Taylor got there first (albeit he missed the ball) but he wasn't trying to injure Coleman.

This is all being whipped up by a blood-thirsty media and people lap it up and agree with them – it's the same with everything these days, sport, politics, celebrity, you name it.

I don't mean that as a dig, just an observation.

"I didn't know the gun was loaded" wouldn't protect you in a murder trial.

I actually agree with you that Taylor didn't 'mean' to break his leg. But, whilst it wasn't in the Roy Keane "I'll get you, Alf-Inge" category of assault, it was the type of tackle you see all too often that basically says, "I don't give much of a shit if you get injured either way."

That is why Taylor deserves a good dose of vitriol, though I'll admit I've seen more than my share of Everton players commit similar tackles.

In any case, claiming Coleman 'caused' the effect in any way is a somewhat bizarre way to frame the issue. I actually blame his parents – if it wasn't for them, he wouldn't have even been on the pitch.

Whilst Taylor was at fault I cannot help but notice how wild, high tackling is becoming more a part of the game especially with studs showing noting how Huddlestone was wild in the Everton-Hull game.

I suppose it all comes down to the big money to be gained or lost on the outcome of games and the pressure being put on individual players, especially the defenders who do most of the tackling and ball winning.

I see many games every week and see a lot of late challenges, especially with the studs across another players instep when the ball is being passed or cleared, almost like it is the expected norm. These challenges should be straight red cards.

It was a reckless tackle, one of the worst. I don't know if he intended it or not; nor do you. That's the point. I would hope that he didn't. I wouldn't call it an assault, and sometimes these things happen in football, it's true, but mostly a poor or reckless tackle is involved, like in this case.

The only thing that counts is the effect.

You're entitled to your view.

I am thinking now it is less reckless and more the vicious scummery others spotted earlier.

Lunging tackle, made WAY worse by momentum. Anyway, we're all blue in the face by now – I just hope he gets back. Sadly most players don't, and at 28 his age is against him.

Only one player arrived at the scene with a chance of finding the football. Seamus 'kicks' the leg of Taylor because said leg is not where it should be (ie. near the football) but coming at Seamus' leg full pelt.

Is this what the kids these days call 'victim blaming'?

There has been a huge pour-out of sympathy and well-wishing from all corners of the sporting world. A lot of quotes of 'everybody loves Seamus'.

Personally, I honestly can't understand how he was never made captain of his Club, sooner rather than later. A more enthusiastic trier for Club and Country you are less likely to find.

Huge respect to Seamus and I really hope he comes back to be the player he has always been. Get well soon!

The tackle is made worse by the obvious injury which happens because of the timing of Seamus kicking the guys leg – which in turn makes the tackle seem so violent and terrible. That's the point I'm trying to make.

Hope he mends as quickly as possible and then gets back to full fitness as soon as possible after that - and we'll have him back on the team.

Mason Holgate can deputise for him for now.

Good Luck, Seamus.

Hope the op goes well and Seamus is back marauding down that right wing asap. Good Luck, Seamus, we are all with you, mate.

If I was playing hockey and was wildly running around with my hockey stick and badly injured someone, whilst I may not have purposely struck someone, they'd be right in saying I was being reckless and caused the injury.

I also can't stand this "He's not that sort of player" rubbish. It deflects away from (a) it was a reckless challenge (b) it resulted in a leg break. It's disrespectful towards Seamus.

People can debate about what type of challenge it is all day long. But what happened – Coleman has a broken leg. I think that settles the debate.

The 'great lad' is one of many players happy to put in dangerous challenges that are more likely to hurt opponents than win the ball (and the list includes some of our own players in recent derbies).

Somebody mentioned 'duty of care' earlier on here. In rugby, the tackler has a duty of care to the player he is tackling. Elliot Daly got an instant red card and a three-week ban for a dangerous mid-air challenge in an international recently – not displaying sufficient duty of care to the player he challenged. This duty of care doesn't seem to exist in football.

These tackles are reckless because there is little expectation of getting the ball and no thought for possible consequences. What was going through Bale's head just before his mad lunge? He could not have thought he would get the ball. Does he want to show his commitment to the cause? Intimidate the opponent? What?

Some players are happy to put in these reckless, front-on lunges at high speed, they are not tackles – a tackle should be with a good chance of making contact with the ball not the opponent.

Rugby players have had to re-educate themselves about how they play the game and think about the way they do it on the field. Footballers often can't see what's wrong – look at the arm waving when they are penalised – and Bale apparently thought there wasn't much wrong with Taylor's tackle!

Footballers should re-educate themselves. The 'heat of the moment' argument is no defence. It's not taking tackling out of the game, it's taking bad tackling out. They have to learn to think, in game time, about the kind of challenge they are making.

As for Coleman, I am looking forward to the day his name is read out in the line-up at Goodison Park again and the roar that will follow. He is the most admirable player, for his attitude and effort on the pitch and the work he does off it. Get well soon, Seamus, and if you have any skills in stadium designing, we need someone to do that over the next few months.

Wish him nothing but the best of luck.

Various 'famous' tackles that you all loved at the time have been celebrated over the years and every one of them was dangerous and over the top.

I'm all for debate but please, shut the fuck up.

Anyway, I'll shut the fuck up now.

If he'd snapped his cruciate he'd be in trouble but a break, as bad as it is, is a better injury to sustain in terms of his recovery. He'll be back and he'll be in our thoughts until he returns.

Let's not argue amongst ourselves about the tackle, we need to forget about it. It doesn't bear thinking about. The game was turning nasty and it's best forgotten.

Not too much of the black stuff whilst you're in Dublin Seamus. Best of luck on your road to a full recovery

Nobody likes it, nobody wants to see it, nobody does it deliberately and the game was very physical last night played at a high pace. The stakes are often very high and modern football is extremely fast-paced so things like this will always happen unless they completely outlaw tackling – in which case, you can't really play football at all.

Seamus is man enough and professional enough to know the risks, and I suspect he'll come out at some point and not lay blame with Taylor – he's that kind of guy.

Sadly, devious players and feeble referees are more part of the game than ever before. I firmly believe the linesmen with their communication devices and fourth officials have done nothing to improve the game regarding that issue.

It is condoned by other players, coaches and pundits – "It's a man's game", "You can't take out tackling". "He's not that kind of player" – he is, he just proved it. It's still a physical game without this reckless, front-on, high boot lunge. Try tackling properly, it works.

All this talk of "there goes our season" is silly. I'm sure Seamus isn't looking at it that way. He's fighting to recover and I've no doubt he will offer words of encouragement to his replacement.

We can't go to Liverpool and Man Utd with a defeatist attitude. We've a small enough allocation of tickets as is. Let's get 100 percent behind the team, 100 percent behind Seamus, and show that we can overcome adversity. COYB

I even broke my back playing football but it didn't stop me making tackles or going in hard later in my football career (I wasn't a pro!).

The tackle from behind has all but gone – is the game worse because of it?

Rugby is different compared to professional football insofar as serious injuries are likely to occur in badly managed scrums which has led to several paralyses. Football is perhaps less serious in that there are likely to be relatively few serious injuries such as paralysis but obviously broken limbs are more likely.

No matter what the law is, the liable party – the tort-feasor, ie, the one who was to blame – would be liable for any compensation, or usually it would be the football club indirectly. It seems more likely though that there were insurance schemes to cover these foreseeable problems.

I don't have a ticket but I know that all fellow blues will be singing for Seamus throughout the whole game and any goals, fuck it, all the goals Everton score will be celebrated with Seamus.

Never seen him trying get players booked... yeah, you sly Swedish bastard, or rolling around with feigned hurt, but he's got massive love of all Blues which will no doubt help.

Neil Taylor flew in like an exocet – had no idea what he was doing or where he was going – that makes him and players like him far more dangerous.

We don't need the video posting on this site! Or anybody pretending to be a Neil Taylor apologist – all this "It's all part and parcel of the game" shite, "Seamus will understand!", "I've been injured meself like" shite, "Reidy did a bad challenge 32 years ago" like!

I doubt Seamus will be sympathising with Neil Taylor ("I feel so bad about it, Laaaa!").

We love Seamus because he's a nice community-minded guy – he's one of US!

And he deserves ALL our support – no more no less!

What happened last night was worse, it was definitely intentional, possibly career-ending and bordering on criminal. "Not that type of player" – my fucking arse, the twat should get at least a 6-month ban. Get well soon, Seamus!

Breaking a fellow footballer's leg with a dreadful tackle proves he is "that type of player". How many legs does he have to break to convince his manager this is the case?

Keep it to yourself James, sometimes it's better that way.

I don't know how in the name of God you or anyone else can defend that tackle! Is it just to be controversial?

The twat knew what he was doing. I played football for 10 years in the Manx League as a forward and, if I hadn't have been aware of the dirty bully bastards who were only to happy to try and injure an opponent, I would have been crippled.

This fucker should be banned until Seamus plays again. Fucking undefendable!

He will be missed for the season now, but hopefully Mason Holgate will prove to be an able replacement.

It appears to me, many people do believe a player can tackle head on with studs showing and should just get a yellow card. These extremely dangerous tackles should always receive a red card even if the tackle misses the player's legs. This is the only way such tackles can be eliminated from the game and save players' careers.

Seamus kicks the guys leg, and it's that which breaks his leg – the guy didn't catch him full studs up and snap his leg – hence the slow-mo video.

You said repeatedly. Now stop with the Gary Neville bullshit and give it a rest.

People genuinely don't want to hear it because they are feeling upset.

It deals with the context in which this tackle took place and some wider issues too.

Well worth a read.

I'd attach the link but don't know how.

Patrick?

I wish people talking shite about O'Neill, Keane and the FAI would shut up but it ain't going to happen. Hopefully Seamus will be back to lead us to Russia in summer 2018. Oh and hopefully he'll be back to play "real football" and "the only football that matters" too.

You are in a majority of 1 on this site as a Neil Taylor apologist and the other 150 posters (approx) are all wrong. - As you see it.

I think earlier you said you would shut the fuck up. You can't even get that right!

Genuinely so many people are feeling very sad for Seamus – you do spoil the mood somewhat!

Hope you don't mind the effort at helping, but your recommendation deserves me offering a hand with it.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2017/mar/25/seamus-coleman-broken-leg-republic-of-ireland-wales

Also, the David Squires cartoons are well worth a look too, for those who haven't seen them before.
Frequently chucklesome..
https://www.theguardian.com/profile/david-squires

We are all feeling quite emotional about this as a true blue and decent bloke has been badly hurt and now is not the time to be defending the other guy when no one knows what was in his mind and never will.

My thoughts are with Seamus and if Taylor gets a load of grief (not threats or abuse but fair criticism of what he did) then maybe he will think twice next time.

Those two have continually slagged off our club for not wanting them to destroy our players, and now McCarthy, who could have done with another week's rest, is crocked for the derby – do those morons think that Macca wouldn't at least be on the bench if he was fit? We had it with Gibson too, and you can bet, the minute Seamus starts walking, they'll demand he attends training sessions... pair of total scumbags.

For me, I think it paints Taylor in a worse light, as it betrays the true path of Taylor's right leg: not only higher than the ball but well to the side and past the ball. His leg went where Seamus was going. It was a true clear-everything-out tackle, except he was never going to even touch the ball.

Ironically he was well placed and early enough to have directly attacked the ball without going near Coleman. It was a shocking tackle, beyond reckless.

It's obvious that Ireland need him, and I also know that Martin O'Neill can be a very persuasive man who can also make you feel very wanted, but McCarthy definitely should have known better and, as well as carrying on like an 18-year-old kid, I also feel that it could well be the end of the road, in having a professional relationship with a man who seems to have been trying to look after him?

Sorry I was late on parade and I realise that others have linked it already but here you are.

Step one copy and paste your link and it will appear as follows

https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2017/mar/25/seamus-coleman-broken-leg-republic-of-ireland-wales

Step 2 highlight that whole bit and click on the green URL button below and hey presto you should have created a link.

Guardian Link

My hatred towards them couldn't get any higher!!!

I also said that I wished people would cease with it but it won't happen. Carry on.

Good to know you know how much rest McCarthy needs.

McCarthy wasn't on the bench last weekend. Is it impossible to recover in six days? Is it worth having this conversation with you?

By the way, I was actually referring to comments such as "qualifying for a tournament that nobody wants to play in" from one poster and another that wants the FAI banned from Everton, whatever the fuck that means.

I think after playing for Martinez for so long, that when Koeman came in and ruffled a few feathers, then too many players at Everton didn't really know how to initially react and I think McCarthy was one of them.

He looked like he was really fuming to be sub at Spurs the other week, but then he never even made the bench for our next game because of injury. So it seems to me that the only one being totally professional with regards to James McCarthy is Everton's manager, which is a bit crazy really when you take everything into consideration.

If you don't think it's irresponsible to select a player who has been suffering hamstring problems all season, when he's only had a fortnight's rest, then you need to re-evaluate your allegiance to Everton FC.

"What about Phil Neville tackling Ronaldo that day? Peter Reid in the cup final going right through Steve McMahon? Various 'famous' tackles that you all loved at the time have been celebrated over the years and every one of them was dangerous and over the top."

Then you mentioned something like "it's part & parcel of the game".

Banging on about other tackles, we don't care about other tackles!!!! And the "It's part and parcel of the game" is up there with the equally annoying "He's not that type of player".

Stop being so crass and put your spade down, ffs.

'Blue calling for justice. They shut him up by saying that Everton fans have short memories.'

What an idiot John Hartson is.

The selection of McCarthy was disappointing but, it seems to me, that it was a decision made in good faith by a man for whom I have the utmost respect. I am upset as an Evertonian but we have an injury prone player and sadly he is hurt again.

I played football, as did many on here, you're reasons how it happened are pure crap. Taylor's studs were 12 inches off the ground. That was intent, I don't want to hear"He's not that type of player" anymore... BULLSHIT!!!

Tell me this. You're the Irish manager. You rate James McCarthy highly. You've got an important World Cup qualifier that you feel McCarthy's participation in is important. You couldn't give two shites about what club he plays for because, well why would you?

You call him up. He hasn't played in a few weeks but two days before the game he trains and reports no ill-effects. He wants to play. He trains on the penultimate day, same story.

What do you do Mike?

Don't you know that an attempt to disagree just gets in the way of the mob mentality working itself up? The process is that the mob starts talking about the incident, then elevates the challenge from reckless to intentional to premeditated. Then the frothing-at-the-mouth posters, those who can see through the red mist of hatred to still type, start on the personal attacks on a player they do not know.

Then, they move beyond that SOB player and continue the escalation to the managers, their reputations, and the "they ain't British" line. Finally, punishment is discussed in this state of irrationality and the talk goes from a red card, to a 6-month ban, to a lifetime ban, to "someone get a rope and a ladder and let's lynch the fucker!."

See, no-one in a lynch mob wants to hear reason or possible contrary arguments. That is why we have disgraceful posters on here telling you to shut up. Never mind they could just skip your posts if they disagree.

Coleman's injury is bad. Posters on here cannot do anything for him so they start to ramp up the blame game. Guess if it stops them from kicking their dogs or beating their children and wives, then it has some useful purpose.

I've read some shite in my time but that's right up there.

There's no lynch mob and I can't speak for others but I don't beat my wife and children (that bit was especially ludicrous).

Even if James's argument has any merit (and personally I think it is bollocks), it's just winding up lots of people who will be genuinely upset at the sight of one of our most admired players being terribly injured.

Go and discuss it on a non-Everton forum but don't come here and tell me I should have some balanced view of this thing. If you don't get that, well I can't help you.

People are upset and they have every right to be. Personally I hope that they continue to vent their anger and frustration. It was a shithouse tackle with devastating consequences.

I'm coming to it late, and had only read a few of the comments without seeing the game, but assumed – given the reaction from most on here – that this must be an absolutely horrific tackle.

After finally finding some video ("wide angle, because we can't show you the close-up for reasons of taste" – uh?), I'm not so sure... it's two players going in far far too hard for a wide-open 50/50 ball. In the context of the match, such a combative situation was perhaps not unexpected, but the horrific result certainly was NOT expected.

However, it appears to me from the video that Taylor, in a split second, realizes Coleman is going to welly it, stretches, and goes over the ball at the very instant that Coleman puts his foot through it with tremendous force. I think Taylor was trying to block the path of the ball rather than tackle the man but the impact of Coleman striking the ball and Taylor's leg is what creates the horrific result.

But the challenge? I hate 50/50 balls for this very reason. But how many do you see in games like this... or any game for that matter, where two players go for a loose ball with only the intent of getting the ball, not the man? But it's a contact sport... and contact in those circumstances is 100% inevitable – unless one or other shits out of it.

Don't get me wrong here – I'm totally horrified by the result, but I have seen far far worse real horror tackles, especially from the likes of Suarez. This was actually more of an over-exuberant coming together in an effort to win a loose ball. Unfortunate in the extreme. But either player pulls out of that encounter, and their own fans would immediately be calling them a shithouse.

No idea what the solution is. But putting all the blame on Taylor, or unloading on James Marshall (and now me probably) does not help in any way at all.

And why won't they show the close-ups? Is this some horrible secret of what can happen in real football, and they don't want to show it because it's too graphic??? WTF? What a load of garbage. Perhaps if it was shown in all its gruesome detail, players might feel less compelled to dive in for those horrible 50/50 balls, even though this result is admittedly very rare.

Can we now agree that a player deserves every penny he pushes for in his contract, due to the hazards the sport entails!

However, saw an image of the result of the tackle in a newspaper today. That was enough for me. Don't want to see a re-run of the incident.

Brings home how a flourishing career as a pro can change in an instant and why, in my opinion, any player should make the most of every opportunity they have and if that includes playing for your country so be it.

However aggrieved we feel as fans, I am sure it's nothing to how Seamus Coleman is feeling just hope he starts feeling better soon and makes a full recovery.

I watched the game and saw the incident in full speed.

Like I said before, I don't think for a second that Taylor tried to even foul Coleman, never mind injure him.

If others think otherwise, it won't keep me awake tonight.

What I don't get is why everyone gives a shite what James Marshall thinks. It's just an opinion. He hasn't denied the holocaust. He just gave his view on a tackle.

'Allegiance to Everton? They're an English football team that I follow for no logical reason'

Maybe a little clue?

But I'm surprised that you won't be loosing any sleep – because to be honest I think you're having a nightmare.

"I agree, Will, but McCarthy, who is obviously not fit, should have been man enough to have told Martin O'Neill".

You're right there - so we need a way that takes it out of the player's and team's hands. Sense over motivation.

Shane (#220):

"You call him up. He hasn't played in a few weeks but two days before the game he trains and reports no ill-effects. He wants to play. He trains on the penultimate day, same story".

That, Shane, is probably exactly what happened. McCarthy's history recent and longer term though, points to this as a risky way to go, as evidenced by him breaking down in the warm-up.

I'm no medical man but surely modern soft-tissue scanning technology can see just about everything now. This, coupled with the highly developed speciality of modern sports physiotherapy, could prevent this... couldn't it? (Acknowledging the need to not bombard players with scans every week.)

It just seems like a circus now. Anyone here with any knowledge?

The reason why James is winding people up is not because of his opinion (that he thought it was a 50/50, though that alone would annoy people) it's the afters he brought. The 'Oh what about Neville's challenge on Ronaldo', no need for all that. Guy was starting to sound like that idiot John Hartson on 5 live earlier... Jeez.

What the fuck is Roy Kean, a proven leg breaker and deserter, doing in the Irish set-up? This scumbag deliberately and successfully ended Alf Haland's career, with a leg-breaking tackle, after harbouring a grudge for nearly four years.

He deserted the Irish camp during the World Cup in Spain in 2002 due to a strop over training ground facilities... As if he never played football on the street. At a time, might I add, when Ireland lost in the quarter-finals to Spain on penalties after Spain had equalised to 1-1. It could have been different had the mighty 'Keano' been on the pitch to defend that 1-0 lead.

That year, the World Cup was there for the taking as the countries that were left were all jittery. But the mighty 'Keano' was back in In Cheshire taking his dog for walkies!

As I say, no logic. That psycho should have never been allowed back into the Irish set-up. I suppose he is unavailable to comment on the tackle on Seamus.

He was going to stop him no matter what, knew he was always second best, it was a disgraceful challenge.

People have every right to respond to the many posts that James Marshall put on here if they see fit, hardly merits the holocaust analogy!

Andy, I've only played international football, not sure if that qualifies.

I disagree with your analysis of the tackle. I can see, which doesn't require me to have played any sport.

I never said anyone doesn't have the right to respond to James Marshall, I said I find it odd that so many care so much about what he says.

I didn't use an analogy, I said what he hadn't done. Have you ever studied English? :-)

You say WTF! Garbage! – I say that certainly applies – but only to your comments.

50-50 ball? Taylor was a yard behind in distance and the ball was well cleared as Taylor's foot connected with Seamus. So I make it 95-05. Maybe a bit generous tho with those odds.

Aaaaah! I've just realised, Seamus cleared the ball and struck that wanker's studs with his upper shin as he came flying in so dreadfully late. So it's Seamus's fault then? Some logic eh? You couldn't write the script.

A 50-50 ball infers some equality in the attempt, between the two players, to get the ball. Only one player was getting that ball – and the other was way too late. Criminally reckless.

I know that a lot of the vitriol on here for Taylor (and James Marshall and now Michael Kenrick) are feeling for Seamus. I am too. But some of the people on here that are arguing that Taylor should get a 6-month ban – or that he should only be back playing once Seamus recovers – are looking at a very nuanced thing in a very black-and-white way.

Football is a contact sport, and sometimes that contact is horrific. Intent to cause injury is rare (Roy Keane on Haaland, Aguero on David Luiz), and sometimes accidents happen. Most weeks pundits cannot agree on disputed penalty claims or even offsides – and yet there are people on here who are not prepared to concede that the incident that ended in a tragic double leg-break could have been an accident? It's not cut and dried. If any of you end up doing jury service then I hope you keep more of an open mind then...

It doesn't change if you put the video in slow motion. It is a disgraceful tackle that caused a broken leg because it was too high and too reckless. Tackles like that have no place in modern football, and they are capable of wrecking careers. Why on earth would someone defend such a high tackle?! Ffs.

I wasn't defending what was a poorly timed and executed attempt at a challenge, but when people start calling it "a cowardly and shocking assault" and saying "somebody needs to take a tire-iron to that player's kneecap" (and on the McCarthy thread: "dirty disgusting twat", "people have served time for less" and "if a dog did it, it would be put down") then it is clear the insinuation is Taylor went into the challenge with intent other than to win the ball.  

In such a situation, I don't see how it is "stupid" for someone (whether that person be Ernie, James or whoever) to try and inject a bit of reason and remind those who are reacting with righteous indignation and making the sort of demands for instant 'justice' that normally accompany a death threat fired off by some lock-jawed loon on Twitter, that we're talking about two blokes who were taking part in a fast-paced, physical sport, in which every participant is fully aware injuries can happen at any time and even the slightest miscalculation, moment of hesitation or over-eagerness on their part could lead to someone getting mullered.  

[nb: It's for that reason I don't think the 'speeding joy boy' analogy really fits, unless we're talking about two competitors playing chicken in Death Race 2000. Fact is, travelling at a relentlessly fast speed, constant physical contact and repeated head-on collisions are (or at least should be) rarities on the road for any normal motorist not named Max Rockatansky, whilst in the Premier League they are part and parcel of a professionals chosen career, occurring countless times throughout a season. Someone smacking into you in a car isn't a 'normal' occurrence. Someone smacking into you on a football pitch is. There's therefore much greater scope for something to go awry and for an expected run-of-the-mill action (two players going for the ball) to suddenly escalate into unexpected serious injury without some degree of 'recklessness' being a required element.]

We don't have any way of knowing what... if anything... went through the player's mind in the split-second he had to size up the situation and react, but we do know for a fact these things happen in football from time to time. In this case it, regrettably, happened to one of our own. To claim that doesn't make a difference would be disingenuous.  

If it happened the other way around, people on here... even those prepared to admit it was an awful challenge... would be falling over themselves to point out how Coleman was "not that type of player", was a "cracking lad" and couldn't possibly have set out to crock an opponent on purpose. Certainly no-one would be calling for a lengthy ban, or advocating going Tonya Harding on his knee "with a tyre-iron", like they've been suggesting is the least Taylor deserves. It's therefore a bit rich for some to be pouring scorn from a spotlessly clean Pegasus when those familiar or associated with the offending player predictably pipe up with such sentiments.

Given some of the stuff said on here, when the derby game kicks off next week, I fully expect to hear the usual shouts of "fucking fire in at them from the first whistle" and "smash him, lad" to be replaced by "reign it in a bit boys" and "remember you owe that RS a duty of care".

"David Moyes, the club's manager at the time, used to regard Barkley as the closest he had ever seen to Norman Whiteside, utterly fearless in his tackling, but the injury changed him for ever. When Barkley did start playing again, those combative qualities had been diminished."

Looking at a video of the challenge, it happened so quick and my take is it's impossible to know if it was a rush of blood to head, seeing as it was an intense local World Cup qualifier, or blatant intent. We will never know unless the player comes out and says one or the other.

A quick recovery to you Seamus, and we are lucky to have someone like you, who transcends mere footy.

Pause and look at Taylor's body shape on 33 seconds. No way, by only offering his studs, could Taylor be injured from this position. Appallingly reckless.

I feel this is a by-product of the Keane - O'Neill rage machine tagged with Coleman refusing to back down. The players just happened to be the conduit for this outlook.

Tears Of a Clown – Smokey Robinson
Death of a Clown – Kinks
Send in the Clowns – Van Morrison
Ha Ha Said the Clown – Manfred Mann

Again, I haven't watched the incident again close up, but do know through my own experiences on a footy pitch that the man coming in from the side will never get hurt, unless he gets there too early.

Let's face it, it's their profession, so I would say anyone who has really played the game will also know this, and Coleman will be absolutely kicking himself now for being way too honest, which is what the kid undoubtedly is.

Christy Ring, you've a tremendous name to live up to which you've failed to do miserable. Spare me your "as an Irish man" bullshit. If you have something of note to say, then say it, rather than call me an asshole.

As I live in Swansea, I have also met Neil Taylor on a number of occasions and I have say, he too is a very nice genuine guy! He was reckless and stupid but there's no way he would have wanted this outcome!

Whatever your opinion, now is the time to unite behind one of our best players and get some good results to make him feel better!

Gutted for Coleman who is an Everton legend in my eyes. He will be back though, I have no doubts about that.

As for Taylor, he will have to live with this one. What this does show, however, is that all players are very vulnerable to this type of injury. In the game's current mantra of buying high-value players, irrespective of their quality, and allowing those players to play against poorer opposition in the likes of the two cups and some internationals, will only contribute to situations like this.

"Let's not compare Oviedo to Seamus. Oviedo was never in the same class of player. By my reckoning, Oviedo has fully recovered from his horrendous injury and has now actually reached his full potential."

What are you trying to say? Is it because you rate Oviedo's ability lower than Coleman's, so therefore Bryan's HORRIFIC leg break, in case you have forgotten the images, was less important, somehow less meaningless?

Please explain, if you can be arsed?

Holgate has an opportunity to show what he can do between now and the end of the season, if he performs like he did early on in the season, he will be fine.

'There's no way he (Taylor) would have wanted this outcome.'
What a thing to say.

As no one other than Taylor knows what went through his mind we can only guess what he thought the outcome might be.

My guess is that he thought to himself something along the lines of 'I'm not getting the ball but I'm making sure he goes nowhere'.

He knew what the potential outcomes of his hitting Seamus high and late could be yet went ahead and made it anyway.

On another point, perhaps Coleman or Hartson could identify the players who are 'that type of player' to make high, late dangerous tackles. I'll start them off with Gareth Bale.

He goes in with the inside of his foot intending to block tackle, gets there early and plays through the ball with the inside of his foot. The other player looks after himself by coming in studs up, he can't get hurt that way.

The point has been made that Seamus connected with his studs causing the break. If the studs are not there, he can't connect with them.

I still play regularly and know players who go in studs-up and, despite advice from myself, still continue the same actions. It is reckless and shows a lack of care for your fellow sportsman. The only defence I can think of for Taylor, is that he was trying to get something on the ball after it was coming off Seamus's foot – a block in flight.

There was nothing Coleman could have done to avoid it, but Tayor made a split-second decision to go in this way and is responsible for the outcome. The nonsense spouted by the Wales manager and that imbecile Hartson is cliched crap. Would they have been so quick to admonish one of the Irish players? I doubt it.

Finally, this is a discussion thread, and I think that the likes of James and Shane are entirely within their rights to explore the details of this incident without the personal attacks witnessed on here. We all want Seamus to recover, and we all want Everton to succeed.

We need to control our emotions and not direct the angst felt at the injustices of the occasion onto fellow posters, unless they are completely out of order.

In no way am I condoning the tackle, as despite being Welsh, my loyalty is to Seamus I just don't think he would ever have wished this on a fellow player! Just my opinion!

Being angry and disappointed and frustrated is absolutely correct. Sèamus Coleman is OUR MATE! And ANYONE who tries to explain to me what I should see, when I can see with my own eyes as plain as day. In slow motion, over and over and over? Just shove your pseudo intellectual psychobabble, and shove it in dry.

As for this piece of arrogant nonsense: "I've only played international football, not sure if that qualifies." Yes, it qualifies, it's still fresh from the bull, tuck in, it's all yours.

The reason I haven't viewed footage of the tackle more than once is because the only time I watched it was more than enough to be sickened at the consequences of the tackle: Seamus' very obviously shattered leg, hanging like that of a rag doll. For the same reason, I have not searched for still images of Seamus's suffering.

Now quite possibly James Marshall and others may be offering a legitimate view of Taylor's challenge. Some comments and suggested punishments are clearly reactionary, rabid and extreme.

What I do know is – for myself – I cannot understand a mindset that quite evidently has watched slow-mo replay after slow-mo of the incident and posted links of the same to 'back up' his claims, as James Marshall does.

I'm sorry, but I plant myself firmly in the Tony Abrahams camp on this one. I find that rather ghoulish and ignores what should be the primary concern for supporters of Everton and Seamus Coleman: his state of mind and health.

I can understand others being nauseated by both the incident itself and comments that can be interpreted as exonerating Taylor and making Seamus somehow culpable.

Oh! And Jim Hadin @ 221. Like Graham, may I tip my hat to you? That post really is up there with the stinkiest pile of shite I have ever read on this forum.

For a long time I felt a rule needs to be imposed requiring when a player commits a foul, which injures an opponent and such foul is adjudicated by the ref, or after review, to warrant a red card, the guilty player remains suspended from club or international competition until such time as the injured player fully recovers.

Thank goodness you are not in control, because that is just plain silly.

Other than me pointing out the very obvious, maybe you explain why it isn't?

Very simply, where a player fails in their duty of care to another professional, this is where Habib is quiet correct.

We've all seen innocuous, fair, 50-50 tackles that leads to terrible injuries. Not those.

Reckless, dangerous, over-the-top challenges that didn't need to happen – those ones.

And how do you prove that a player has failed in his duty of care in a contact sport?

Are you saying that in this instance that Taylor knew he was going to break Coleman's leg, or he just got it horribly wrong trying to win the ball, or somewhere in between?

I'm no lawyer but I guarantee you that, if your thinking is the former, any decent lawyer would rip that theory to pieces.

Maybe as much as to prevent Seamus looking down at his leg more than anything, but a touching moment just the same.

Oh, before I forget, I thought it's the case that you want to play, you follow the rules. You don't like the rules, you go play another sport. Or you become a fan.

You follow the rules... and they are exactly?

Chris,

Yes, I am aware of that, but that's not what you were asking me first time round when I expressed my opinion that Habib suggesting any offending player that injures another, leg break or whatever, should be served with a ban as long as the injured player, which in Coleman's case could be a year or more for all we know.

To me, that is silly because it could not be enforced; it would be challenged time and time again by Clubs' lawyers, David!

Oh, and by the way, I've never heard of any football player being banned for, let's say a season, because he / she got a tackle wrong, intentional or not.

I guarantee you any panel that has played football would never agree on banning a player for the length of time the player he has injured is out of action.

I would like a lengthy ban for him though; I'll leave "the powers that be" to decide that one!

Somewhat vitriolic at times this thread. I think it shows the passion we have for the club and one of its great servants, Seamus Coleman.

The Guardian article is a "must read" –well written, well balanced and says it as it is in a non-antagonistic manner.

I don't get it? People, a lot of people, asking for a change or review of the rules to introduce lengthy ban for incidents such as this.

And your argument? "I'm no lawyer but I guarantee you that, if your thinking is the former, any decent lawyer would rip that theory to pieces."

Hence my post. Get it?

In their "sport", there is a manoeuvre known as a "crackback tackle", to deliberately force a player's knee backwards. Their deliberate open enforcement of post-match action has been very effective. Punish the guilty.

It's not bloody rocket science, is it?

A lot of punters (me included) are upset because Seamus Coleman was on the wrong end of a bad tackle. I accept that, but to try and argue that Taylor should be banned until Seamus takes to the field again is just plain fucking silly.

If Taylor or another player had history of breaking opponents legs, that is a different story... but it is not the case.

If Seamus Coleman had broken Taylor's leg, would you be on here shouting for a change in the rules? Probably not – right ?

It was a bad tackle and it goes on in contact sport – that is my argument and if you don't get that by this stage, I give up.

Years ago, it was a chance to see players we very rarely saw but nowadays we see many of the top European players every week.

Of course, the most important consideration is the welfare of Seamus but, as a club, we have once again suffered because of these meaningless matches.

Who can forget Southall's broken ankle, playing for Wales, that probably cost us the double in 1986?

The only positive is it may give young players like Holgate and Kenny a run of games and a chance to show the manager what they can do.

Tell your above thoughts to Seamus: 'Bad tackle, eh Mucka, oh well, contact sport, happens, eh!'

*Oliver hits the ground. 'Nothing wrong with my fist though, eh, Olly, old chap' 'Sorry, Seamus, I shouldn't have been so flippant.'

I said it was a bad tackle, I also said he had his leg broken so keep up. And regards your wishful thinking...

Oliver hits the ground with a fist from a Donegal man saying " old chap "
I can assure you would never hear a Donegal person use that phrase unless it was in a 'take the piss' situation... as I said, keep up.

"Yes you fuckin' are" – Jimmy Husband.

From Habib @ 277 down and you should get the jist of what my opinion is.

Did he mean to break his leg? Probably not, but I'm sure many people get hurt by people not meaning to do it. Drivers of cars don't mean to get into a crash, but if they were drunk, distracted or on their phone, it is still negligence leading to the consequence.

Intentional or not, the tackle was awful, and Taylor may be sickened by it but it was HIS fault. People are never "That type of player" But he is now...