Wigan Athletic manager Roberto Martinez has leapt to the defence of the Callum McManaman tackle that saw Newcastle United’s Massadiao Haidara stretchered off yesterday, deeming it “not that kind of vicious attack”.
The tackle, unpunished yet very much of the ‘horror’ variety, took to Twitter to apologise to the Magpies defender after the game, revealing that it had already received messages of support from Ryan Shawcross’s tackle on Aaron Ramsey and Roy Keane’s assassination of Alf-Inge Haaland.
Speaking exclusively to Football Burp, Martinez insisted that the McManaman tackle “doesn’t have a bad bone in its body, although every now and then it may inflict one on an opposition player, out of sheer enthusiasm of course”.
He said: “I have nothing but good things to say about the Callum’s tackle. It is a very benevolent tackle.
“One time my car broke down after a match and Callum’s tackle lunged me all the way home. On another occasion I wanted to eat some nuts, but could not open the nuts, so Callum’s tackle smashed them all open and I was able to enjoy a delicious snack.
“If you want to criticise Callum’s tackle, I think that first you should scythe a mile in its shoes.”
Elsewhere, Martin Taylor’s tackle on Eduardo has been confirmed to appear on the next season of Celebrity Big Brother.