Deco - Good at Football, Bad at Tackling

By: Daryl | August 18th, 2008

Deco introduced himself to the Premier League with a brilliant display for Chelsea against Portsmouth. Playing alongside Joe Cole and behind Nicolas Anelka he had the playmaker thing down pat, making Cheslea look fluid than in recent seasons and capping the whole thing was a goal.

But he also introduced himself to Portsmouth midfielder Lassana Diarra by nearly breaking his leg in half. If you watch around the 1:15 mark of the above video, you’ll see Deco put his foot through Diarra’s knee in a challenge that was nowhere neat the ball and had the potential to be very very nasty.

Not sure if Deco was just trying to prove he could hang with in the rough kids in the Premier League, or whether it was just a bit of a clumsy effort gone wrong, but when we all freaked out over the mess Martin Taylor made of Eduardo’s shin last year and called for stiffer penalties for nasty tackles, this is surely exactly the sort of thing we were talking about. Just because Diarra was OK, doesn’t mean this wasn’t bad.

Let’s hope this was just a one off from Deco, because I definitely enjoy watching the guy score beautiful goals like Chelsea’s fourth than putting his studs into someone’s knee cap.

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Category: English Premier League

Tags: Cheslea, Deco, Eduardo, English Premier League, EPL, Lassana Diarra, Martin Taylor, Portsmouth, Premiership, tackle, World Football, World Soccer

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• Marco Pantanella |  August 18th, 2008 at 6:21 am

  
  
  

  Uhm… Paul Scholes anyone?

  Posted from France

  

• Rob |  August 18th, 2008 at 6:50 am

  
  
  

  I noted in my liveblog that it was quite a typical way for him to introduce himself. He’s a yellow card machine, but he’ll get away with alot more in the Prem than he did in La Liga.

  There seemed to be a desire from refs not to book anyone though in weekend one. Maybe part of this ‘respect’ stuff.

  Posted from United States

  

• BMatthews |  August 18th, 2008 at 6:51 am

  
  
  

  That had torn ACL written all over it.

  Posted from United States

  

• Laurie |  August 18th, 2008 at 8:30 am

  
  
  

  Um…Daryl? When you’re talking about my French boys being recipients of bad tackles, and you’re saying things like “nearly breaking his leg” and “see Deco put his foot through Diarra’s knee,” and then in the same breath mentioning things like Eduardo’s shin?

  You really need to put things like Just because Diarra was OK in flashing, twenty-four point type.

  I’m going to go lie down now until my heartrate gets back to normal.

  Posted from United States

  

• Aravind |  August 18th, 2008 at 8:33 am

  
  
  

  Deco was awesome anyway

  Posted from India

  

• Daryl |  August 18th, 2008 at 8:35 am

  
  
  

  Oops, sorry Laurie. Deep breaths, deep breaths.

  Posted from United States

  

• jon |  August 18th, 2008 at 9:57 am

  
  
  

  did not see that in real time…goodness.

  Posted from United States

  

• nobobomo |  August 18th, 2008 at 10:32 am

  
  
  

  Nevermind Paul Scholes that was a Roy Keane “tackle”.

  Posted from United States

  

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