Tottenham fights back: Harry Kane’s tackle not red worthy

Harry Kane’s tackle on Florian Lejeune has sparked a heated debate from fans and pundits alike, throngs saying the moment was deserving of a straight red.

I feel sorry for people from those schools of thought. Dion Dublin and Don Hutchinson – pundits on Football Today – put it best.

"“Nothing wrong with this tackle from Harry Kane.”"

Their decisive and polarizing comments aren’t entirely true, as Harry Kane’s momentum obviously took his trail leg through the back of Lejeune. The follow-through was deserving of a foul, maybe – in the harshest ruling of the law – even a yellow card.

But for people to say Kane’s tackle was red-card offence is asinine. Either they have never played football, are Newcastle biased or don’t understand what a true sending off looks like. Kane clearly comes around the side of Lejeune, sliding with his lead foot and taking the ball before touching the man.

Kane’s momentum admittedly takes the player’s back leg through the Lejeune in a scissor-like motion. So I can see why the referee blew for the foul.

But was this a red-card worthy tackle?

Unequivocally no.

Lejeune hobbled away from Tyneside in an air cast, proof of the destruction and pain Kane’s tackle caused. His injured ankle, however, cannot be used as evidence in the prosecution’s case. Innumerable fair and innocuous-looking tackles have led to injury since football was first invented.

Though sometimes ugly and unfortunate, it’s still part of the beautiful game.

Injury resulting from a tackle doesn’t automatically render it unlawful.

Former Premier League referee Chris Foy joined Dublin and Hutchinson on Football Today and, while reviewing the tackle, Foy put it most poignantly:

"“From my point of view you can’t referee consequences. Now, we know the player later on was injured but he wins the ball and the referee will think ‘has he got something there with the trailing leg?’ But he wins the ball. In my opinion I think that is a really good tackle and he’s a tad unfortunate to get a yellow”"

Ten years ago Kane would have been heralded for a magnificent tackle. I’m not stuck in the past, but football – at least from some quarters – has gone bonkers. We’re more accepting of flagrant cheating via embellishment than we are of a non-malicious, hard-nosed tackle.

Kane had every intention of touching the ball first. He’s not a dirty player and never will be. Nobody in their right mind can argue with the player’s intentions. If they do, they truly don’t understand Kane or the game beloved by billions.

Kane’s trail leg irrefutably came through the back of Lejeune. Nobody is denying that. Momentum has a tendency of taking matters into its own hands when a player shows the motivation and desire Kane does to win back possession.

Retrospective action will not be taken on Kane for one simple reason: The FA and top refereeing brass responsible for making retroactive decisions will clearly see that Kane’s tackle was completely devoid of malice, had no dangerous intent and was not – in any way shape or form – preordained or deliberate.

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It was an honest challenge from an honest player, who, by the way, has been on the receiving end of his fair share of malevolent, vicious tackles.

If football continues down this path, we’ll be watching a bunch of diving fairies get punished for harbouring non-virtuous thoughts.

And if that’s the case, count me out.