by Svlad Cjelli »
11 Dec 2011 13:52
Yahoops Svlad Cjelli
You're thinking like a fan, without understanding how players (or ex-players) think.
To fans these are the opposition so it's OK to mock and abuse them. But to players they're fellow professionals and there are expectations in how they treat each other - there's an understood level of mutual respect (no matter how badly they're winning/losing) and an unwritten rule that you don't publicly take the piss.
Kebe stepped over the respect line (knowingly or otherwise) and this gave a young and hot-headed player - who was no doubt on the edge anyway because of the way the game was going and his own performance - the red mist. And he'll be punished appropriately.
He shouldn't have done it but he did - and Kebe's behaviour on the pitch is the explanation. Note the word is "explanation", not "excuse".
I'm not sure what you are thinking like!
We are expected to believe that;
1 There is an unwritten code of chivalry amongst players who think nothing at throwing insults at each other week in, week out;
2 That Kebe was doing anything other than wasting time/drawing the players to him. We actually don't know what was in his mind because, as far as I am aware, he hasn't said.
1. But the fact that when they so throw insults at each oater it's newsworthy - and a recent phenomenon - proves that it does exist.
2. I have no idea what was in his mind - but it pro ably wasn't deliberate provocation, no matter how it was taken by Collinson. This is where the "not-English" thing comes in.
It's not rocket science - all I'm saying is that a footballer who takes the piss while playing can expect to be clattered.
It's not right, it's not the way it should be, but it's simply the way the game is. In the same way that if someone did something like that to our players we'd all be screaming "Parks gonna get you" - and he would get them, and we'd all cheer him as he walked off the pitch after his red card.
Collinson reacted to what he saw as provocation and will get the punishment - and I expect his ban to be increased from the norm as it was obviously an intentional, violent, foul.