I agree a bit of rotation is needed, but with Xhaka suspended for next week I'd rest Cazorla midweek and play Coquelin with Xhaka. Gibbs should definitely play.

Xhaka should play. He's going to be banned 3 games anyway.

One game, surely?

I'd play Elneny rather than Coq. Let Coq get another half hour to ease him back.

Rex wrote:

One game, surely?

It's going to be three games for that foul.

Now, that is wrong. Then again, I never quite understood how they came to the conclusion that a brutal assault leaving a player injured for months and months only warrants a three game suspension either. It is quite silly though that this challenge is equated with such an offense; clearly, punishments should be meted out case by case.

I won't have a problem with it if it is applied consistently. Hearing that the referees informed the players behind closed doors worries me as it seems designed to protect themselves from criticism when they do not adhere to this interpretation.

I don't have a problem with the rule itself, if it is applied consistently; on the contrary, I applaud it. Tactical fouling is destroying the game to an extent IMO. It still makes me angry thinking of all the games against Moron's Chelsea when we had promising opportunities to counter attack and Oscar, Matic or some other cunt just made a free kick to stop it.

However, that's not what I meant. I don't think all red cards are equal, and a three game suspension across the board for a straight red is a stupid rule. Sometimes an offense warrants a much longer suspension, and a situation as the one with Xhaka should certainly not be more than a one game suspension.

In Rex' formerly Humble opinion

I don't believe this new rule is real. I think people are getting it confused with the new laws around preventing a goal scoring opportunity. Xhaka is getting a 3 match ban for dangerous play, thats what his red card was for and that is ridiculous.

Rex wrote:

However, that's not what I meant. I don't think all red cards are equal, and a three game suspension across the board for a straight red is a stupid rule. Sometimes an offense warrants a much longer suspension, and a situation as the one with Xhaka should certainly not be more than a one game suspension.

Agree with that - missing three games for that foul is extremely unfair.

Yeah because its a yellow card tackle.

Qwiss! wrote:

I don't believe this new rule is real. I think people are getting it confused with the new laws around preventing a goal scoring opportunity. Xhaka is getting a 3 match ban for dangerous play, thats what his red card was for and that is ridiculous.

Agreed. Some of those who said it was a deserved red have somehow taken umbrage with the 3 match ban, possibly because they didn't realise the extent of the punishment. It's only a red card offence if you believe it was serious foul play, no other law applied here.

It was dangerous play though. There's no way around it. People may accept that or they may not; either way Xhaka will be missing the Middlesbrough, Reading and Sunderland games.

Maybe the coaches will use all that free time to teach him how to tackle properly.

Dangerous in a holier than thou world.

Dangerous in the reality where you can easily snap someone's achilles with a tackle from behind. After all the bad injuries we've suffered throughout the years it would be dishonest to condone that behaviour just because Xhaka happens to turn like a slug.

That's only relevant if you really think that's why people on here condone it.

I really don't care why people defend it. The rules are clear, and for a good reason. You punish the offense, not the outcome, otherwise there isn't much point to it.

This is an extremely boring discussion so I'm going to leave it here.

Nobody is condoning the tackle. We are saying it's not serious foul play or worthy of a red card. This can't be difficult to grasp. And contact was made with the shin not achilles.

Forward to the end of the video which shows the best angle.

Listen to the commentary - "that would be a card for Xhaka" followed by utter surprise when Moss pulls out a red.

This is far from a good example if you want to draw parallels with some of the horrific tackles we've suffered in the past.