Lukas Podolski gets himself sent off and then grabs his own
coach by the throat to ensure a lengthy ban and the avoidance
of injury until his move to Arsenal, yesterday (this really was yesterday)
There was a time about eight or nine years ago when Arsenal were vilified by the press for being too dirty. That seems ridiculous now, but back in the day the boys were getting sent-off left right and centre for all sorts of violent conduct. Sometimes, if Gary Neville was close by, they couldn't even wait until they were on the pitch so started scuffling in the tunnel.
Mostly it was Patrick Vieira and Martin Keown. But like the goal scoring, they spread the red cards around the team. It could be Dennis Bergkamp, Lauren, Jens Lehmann and sometimes even Robert Pires.
Arsenal players were considered so dirty they even brought in a rule for us where by you could get sent-off just for intent to foul so they could get our chaps off the pitch before anyone got seriously hurt. They got Dennis on that charge against Liverpool if I recall correctly and Patrick against Man United for swinging a leg at Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Total football is nice and everything and it's impressive watching a bunch of teenage Spaniards whizzing about the pitch, putting five past Blackburn every year, but with the recent acquisition of Per Mertesacker and tapping up of Lukas Podolski I much prefer the idea of taking a squad full of unhinged squarheads up to Stoke and seeing how their midfielders like compound leg fractures for a change.
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