31st October 2006: On Saturday afternoon, Albion left back Paul Robinson was sent off after a collision with Birmingham City’s own hard man, Damien Johnson. There is no doubt that it was a sickening collision, and all genuine football fans will be upset to know that Johnson suffered a broken jaw and will be out of the game for several weeks, but I believe that the comments made by Blues manager Steve Bruce are entirely unwarranted and unprofessional.

Paul Robinson is a committed player who will never shirk a challenge, and it is true to say that he is occasionally reckless with his tackles suffering, from time to time, with from the same “red mist” syndrome that has afflicted such players as Dennis Wise, Robbie Savage, Wayne Rooney and Roy Keane. But with the exception of Roy Keane’s infamous challenge on Alf-Inge Haaland, I don’t believe any of these players have deliberately set out to injure a fellow professional, and Bruce’s suggestion in such blatant and uncompromising language that Robinson did so on this occasion is hard to understand.

I wasn’t at the match so I only have the TV replays to go from, but my take on the incident is as follows.

Firstly, they were both committed to the challenge. Johnson went in with his foot high and studs showing. Robinson saw this and jumped to avoid getting injured - as he jumped he turned. This could easily be a natural reaction as it is generally far less painful being hit from behind than from the front (compare when many footballers turn their backs when blocking shots). Robinson's arm is slightly away from his body, so he could be said to be leading with the elbow but there was no movement of the arm towards Johnson and fist was not clenched. A clenched fist is normally and indication that the use of an elbow is deliberate.

A red card can be justified if you take the worse view of the incident, and believe that Robinson deliberately led with his elbow. I personally don't believe he did, but I can understand why people do.

However, I think that Steve Bruce's comments were completely out of order, and could be seen as little more than a cynical attempt to liken the incident to Ben Thatcher’s challenge on Pedro Mendes, and bait the FA into taking further action, thereby depriving one of his club's promotion rivals of a key player for an extended period.

The comments will also ensure that the incident will live long in the memory of both clubs, and I expect the return game on St Patrick's Day to be ill-tempered as a result. There is also the danger that Damien Johnson could look for retribution in the way that Sheffield United’s George Santos did on Andy Johnson two years ago in the incident that sparked the infamous Battle of Bramall Lane. Bruce's comments will do little to encourage Damien Johnson to let bygones be bygones.

I think Bruce has been highly unprofessional in saying what he has done. I can accept a red card, but I do not believe it was a deliberate attempt to injure the player.

And let's not forget that had Johnson connected, Robinson himself could have ended up in hospital with a broken leg.

It is a horrible incident that we all wish had not happened. I think Robinson could have acted differently and jumped completely out of the way, but that is not the way he plays the game. However, I believe that the injury was accidental, although obviously serious, and I believe there is significant doubt as to whether it was worthy of a red card.

I sincerely hope that Johnson recovers swiftly, but I do believe that Steve Bruce was entirely wrong to say what he said.



Jon Want, 31st October 2006