The protection of keepers...

[Guest Bellers]

The protection of keepers has gone way too far. It's now got to a stage where a goal keeper can't be touched without the ref blowing on his whistle, it's ridiculous.

 

The Cech incident earlier encouraged keepers to call for more protection, but they were already getting far too much protection before the incident. The rule seems to be now, touch the keeper and they earn a free kick whether the contact was minimal or not. Strikers don't have a sniff, they're no longer allowed to go head to head in a challenge for an arial ball with a goal keeper and it has to stop.

 

If keepers but they're heads where they don't belong, they'll get hurt, it's part of the game. This is just one of many issues that is slowly turning football into a non-contact game, it's worrying. If officials continue to over react to minimal contact challenges, we might aswell pack up and go home because football will continue it's rapid fall into an americanised, non-contact sport.

[Optimistic Nut]

Mentioned this a few months ago. They get far too much protection from crosses, etc., and not enough when strikers go in feet first for the ball around them. Like it's just deemed acceptable that a striker, "had a right to go for it", even though the chances of him scoring are minimal and the likelyhood is he'll injure the keeper.

[Incognito]

Especially VD Sars "challenge" in the last minute of the Fulham game.Most blatant pen i've seen for ages.

[Dave]

Some views here: http://www.newcastle-online.com/nufcforum/index.php?topic=30713.0