The problem is that when teams deliberately go out to “put Arsenal off their game” the approach increases the likelihood of both intentional injuries and unintentional injuries, as in this case.

It is seen as permissble by the FA and referees. What they ought to realise is that their failure to act actually makes them an accomplice to such injuries (intentional or not) based on the laws of probability.

The game is called football, people who try to play football should be protected. Those who cannot play football and thus resort to “kickplayer” should be punished severely.

As an aferthought, if Ramsey had been awarded the stonewall penalty he deserved earlier in the game, this incident would never have happened. But I guess since Eduardo (may have) dived in a game last summer it’s right that Arsenal should be treated forever harshly by referees because it would be so terrible for football if we were seen to get more than a handful of penalties in a season.

From the Daily Mail 5/11/2008:

Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor will be out for three weeks with an ankle injury, Gunners manager Arsene Wenger has confirmed.
Adebayor was forced to leave the field after a tackle by Ryan Shawcross in Arsenal’s 2-1 defeat away to Stoke City.

Adebayor’s three-week absence will no doubt compound his fury at what he believed were the strong-arm tactics used against his players at the Britannia Stadium.

Adebayor sustained his injury in a heavy tackle by Potters defender
Shawcross, while winger Theo Walcott (shoulder) and right back Bacary Sagna
(ankle) were also hurt during the clash.
Wenger insisted he had no qualms about the result, he was incensed at Shawcross’s tackle on Adebayor, Rory Delap’s on Theo Walcott and Andy Griffin’s on Sagna.
The Frenchman raged: ‘Do you think Delap tried to play the ball when he tackled Walcott? Or that Shawcross tried to play the ball when he tackled Adebayor off the pitch. All the players have been injured deliberately.’