Oh the footballing gods are a mischievous bunch. Sometimes they conspire to avenge a travesty or injustice in such a profound way that it leaves one speechless. Shawcross leg breaking injury in a recent friendly game can be deemed as a similar incident.
"God willing, there's no complications."
Ryan Shawcross has undergone surgery on a broken leg.
More: https://t.co/ccGmwnHiEL pic.twitter.com/Kf0n6muZMg
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 29, 2019
This is true of the sufferance and misfortune that has befallen Ryan Shawcross during Stoke’s pre season. Although some have criticised Arsenal fans for their attitude towards his injury, the bad blood between the teams and supporters is as legendary as the gunners inability to forgive Shawcross for his savage challenge on Aaron Ramsey in 2010.
You may recall that a pumped up Shawcross was sent off in for his barbaric, full on thumping of Aaron Ramsey, which resulted in the Welshman’s staring down at a leg bending upwards like a rubber prosthetic.
Ramsey commented on his injury in 2011,
“Before my injury, I was playing a lot of games for Arsenal, and I thought I was playing really well. So, it was a big blow to be told I wasn’t going to play for eight or nine months. That was very hard to take. It did not make it any easier seeing Shawcross, who was dismissed for the challenge, but it was a bit hard to take that he was playing again after a three-match ban, while I was out for nine months.”
Ramsey said he harboured no resentment, but admitted the pair hadn’t spoken.
The whole situation was made a million times worse when former player, Dave Kitson, revealed that although Shawcross was the messenger delivering the physical blow, it was the manager Tony Pullis who was the architect of the injury.
Just taking time to wish Ryan Shawcross a full recovery from what looks like a horrendous injury.
It’s times like this when we should unite as one and remove ourselves from the hateful tweets of the past.
We all love the beautiful game, and wouldn’t wish this on anyone… pic.twitter.com/EdFGc9lMZ3— 🔴⚪️Gooner Kev⚪️🔴 (@kevdavis736) July 27, 2019
Kitson revealed the hatred that the Stoke manager had for Arsene Wenger and his teams and that he would pace frantically up and down in front of the players shouting aggressively.
He recalled Pulis screaming on the training field : “Ryan go across the f*** front — if you miss the ball you f*** well make sure you take someone out”
So before passing judgement on Arsenal fans, we should perhaps examine the fact that a Pullis still manages to coach players legally and that Shawcross has not been able to eradicate his particular brand of reckless challenges from his game.
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The FA took no action after this revelation and to be honest, the pair deserve to be prosecuted for actual bodily harm, endangerment, loss of earnings and for bringing the game into disrepute. Pullis should be banned from managing another group of players with his destructive form of football and Shawcross should have received a seasons ban.
I’m not revelling in the Stoke man’s misfortune but I’m sure there are many that are and I can’t bring myself to criticise fans who witnessed a young Arsenal player with his leg bent to such a degree that he was gazing down at his upturned studs.
Best wishes to #StokeCity skipper Ryan Shawcross for a swift recovery. Anyone that thinks an incident or injury like that is funny, please delete your account. Club is irrelevant. That’s a person right there.
— Martin Tideswell (@MartinTideswell) July 27, 2019
I can’t begin to understand what Ramsey went through physically and mentally to get through the months that followed but Shawcross will certainly begin his own torturous journey on the road to recovery.
