A horror tackle on Wes Hoolahan today had Tony Cottee calling it a "really wild challenge" - and few would disagree with that assessment.
Wes Hoolahan is a small guy. And he is remarkably good at football. Put those two things together and you're going to get battered around a bit. Since Wessi was tall enough to kick a ball, he's been putting said ball through the legs of opponents - and undoubtedly receiving the kind of 'treatment' usually dished out to what are commonly termed 'flair players'.
Perhaps today's tackle on Hoolahan was an effort at such treatment, but even the greatest hater of small, skilful midfielders would have to admit it went overboard.
Wessi's Norwich ended up beating Derby County 3-0 at Carrow Road in the Championship today and their cause was greatly helped by the sending off of Derby's Jacob Butterfield for a horror tackle on Hoolahan.
After 66 minutes Butterfield flew across and scythed through Hoolahan with a tackle that definitely fits into the "leg-breaker" category.
Luckily, Hoolahan emerged largely unscathed (apart from some torn socks) and finished the game.
The Norwich players didn't seem overly perturbed by the challenge - normally when you see this kind of tackle in a game the challenged player's colleagues come flying in to proclaim their anger - but Butterfield can expect a call from Eamon Dunphy at some stage this week.
