Eduardo broken leg - breaks Arsenal's title hopes?

What a brutal challenge this weekend on Eduardo from Birmingham's captain Martin Taylor in the first 5 minutes of yesterday's game. If you have not seen it...don't. Taylor came in hard about 1/3 of the way up the tibia and when you come in with that kind of force and anger at someone's leg that is simultaneously blocked by the turf, you get what you had yesterday - basically looked like one of those "bendy straws" being bent 90 degrees. Taylor was shown a straight red, and if you see the reactions of the players, Fabergas in particular you can image how horrific it must have been to witness. No surprise, unfortunately, to see such a hard challenge. Birmingham is a team fighting for its life, hosting the leader of the Prem....do you think someone was trying to set the tone for the match? Too bad sometimes the unintended consequences of such acts is the injury to a fellow player.


The most important is that the young Brazilian - Croate has a full recovery. Maybe 10 years ago that would be highly doubtful, but with modern medicine there is not reason to believe he will not grace the pitches of the Prem soon enough. Having seen Djibril Cisse have two horrific leg breaks (one with Liverpool on another rash challenge and one with France on a very similar challenge as his first) and still being back on the pitch should give Eduardo hope.

While this challenge was absolutely brutal, unfortunately it is fairly common place in modern football. Just watch Michael Essien, the tackle he had against Hamann a few years ago was more violent but with less disastrous results - (in my opinion, had Eduardo not been hit just as he planted and put all his weight on that leg it would not have been so horrific, not to excuse the tackle). Or watch any of the infamous two footed tackles employed by defenders these days. I realize that these tackles are dispensed as players become faster, stronger, and overall more skilled. It is part of the game, intimidation...get the ball at all costs. Maybe part of the mentality is that since modern medicine has come so far, players are not as hesitant to dispense tackles that might break legs or tear ligaments since they are not as career threatening as they were just a decade ago. Therefore players become more bold, more reckless in their challenges....them again you hear old timers talk about the game they remembered with "hard men" that each team employed to protect their stars and avoid suffering reckless challenges. It is difficult to say.....however brutal the challenge and the outcome was to Eduardo, it is part of the game these days.

As for Arsenal and Croatia, the two teams Eduardo would be playing an important role for the next year, this is a devastating blow. For Arsenal, the Croat was starting to come into his own, becoming a real threat up front and good partner to Adebayour. His emergence allowed Wenger to use Bendtner as sub and since it appears the hugely talented but oft injured Dutchman Van Persie may not be back this season, Wenger could ill afford to lose a striker. With Manchester United breathing down Arsenal's back, it will be interesting to see what the "Professor" does with his line up and tactics to weather this storm. This might be an opportunity for the young Walcott to play in his preferred role up front, rather than on the wings or as an offensive midfielder. His two goals against Birmingham may be just the confidence builders he needs.

With regards to Croatia, this is a difficult pill to swallow. Watching Eduardo and his mates carve up England in Wembley, it was clear that they are a very smooth and well tuned team with Eduardo playing an important role up front. Not sure what depth Croatia have at striker, but at least Bilic will have some time to figure out his options.

Let us hope that Eduardo makes a full and rapid recovery. Maybe injuries like this will force some players to rethink their "take no prisoner" attitude when it comes to tackles...unfortunately I doubt it.