J J needs protection

[MAD_MAGPIE]

I am no spring chicken and have watched football over many years and I am sure you agree JJ needs protection from the dirty players in league 2. If the refs let the dirty player after dirty player kick lumps out of JJ and take no action the only alternative is for JJ team mates to provide such protection. What do I mean over the years teams had a enforcer to protect their star players from unfair tactics (like kicking lumps out of them). At the first dirty play against the star player the enforcer would ensured that player got punished (IE plenty left on during a tackle or a crafty punch to say to the kidney on the blind side of the ref). He would then be informed in no uncertain terms that any player trying any dirty tactics again would leave the field on stretcher. The enforcer would have a reputation as a hard man I do not know if Notts have such a hard man. COYP.

The modern game seems to have gone away from the spoiler types or as you refer to them the enforcers. The last ones that come to mind that we had were the Bishop and Ravenhill central midfield partnership in our 2009/10 title winning season. The nearest I think we have today is Robertson.

It's officiating that needs to protect players more in my opinion. A tough clean challenge seems to be a dying art as players are now brought up on the technical aspects in academies. When you have technically fast quick players then they are going to be prone to being fouled especially in the lower leagues as opposition players are slower and traditionally used to be much more physical. JJ and other players will know this comes with the territory. Jack Grealish when on loan to us was another example where he was constantly fouled.

There is a fine line between safety of players and a well intentioned solid challenge. The game the other week where JJ had to go off for me was where the officiating was inconsistent and too lenient from the start. A yellow card needed to be brandished sooner to calm it down, but later on there was the cynical foul on Gordon which could have been deemed a red card. Then later Abbott got booked for something that in my view was nowhere near as bad as others that had gone unpunished earlier in the game.

[Notts78]

The problem with all of this so called protecting players is that folk would soon moan when fouls and cards are given when there is minimal contact. Like in the Prem.
I want JJ protecting. However, if he?s on the end of a fair but robust challenge, then it?s fair game IMO. We?d soon moan when our players put challenges in and get penalised - which already happens more than it should.
What I hate is the interpretation by referees. It?s somehow more acceptable the further down the league you go that hard tackles have higher tolerance levels.

[midshipman]

What I was saying where a ref ignores a cynical foul the only way for a team to protect their player is to police the game. I do not expect this to happen often during the season I enjoy hard fair tackling but reckless dangerous cynical tackle must allowed to go unpunished.

[i961pie]

but reckless dangerous cynical tackle must allowed to go unpunished.

Should that be a NOT BE or BE to go after must?😋

[bufordpie]

He'll need it on Tuesday if he plays.

[SinceSept1959]

I am no spring chicken and have watched football over many years and I am sure you agree JJ needs protection from the dirty players in league 2. If the refs let the dirty player after dirty player kick lumps out of JJ and take no action the only alternative is for JJ team mates to provide such protection. What do I mean over the years teams had a enforcer to protect their star players from unfair tactics (like kicking lumps out of them). At the first dirty play against the star player the enforcer would ensured that player got punished (IE plenty left on during a tackle or a crafty punch to say to the kidney on the blind side of the ref). He would then be informed in no uncertain terms that any player trying any dirty tactics again would leave the field on stretcher. The enforcer would have a reputation as a hard man I do not know if Notts have such a hard man. COYP.

In my playing days in the EMRL , we had a player manager who had a lengthy career playing for Derby County .
We had a tricky, young winger , who sustained a broken leg in a horrific tackle.
The gaffer calmed everyone down and ordered no retribution but he would sort it.
The opportunity arose and a strategically placed elbow , from an apologetic
" mistimed " challenge saw the perpetrator carried off in great pain , with broken ribs ala Paul Mullin in the USA tour.
No video recording / cameras those days.