On the Hunt

Reading midfielder Stephen Hunt is a bit of a dirty player. The foul over the weekend on Gelson Fernandes of Manchester City seals it.

The new tendency for referees to keep the red in the pocket this season is going to cost someone a career. 11 v 11 for 90 minutes, but the shocker that earned him a yellow card deserved a red and a host of games suspended. Hunt went in with studs at the knee and was nowhere near the ball. Fernandes was very lucky. It was a career ending tackle.

Hunt, you may recall was the player that dropped a knee and made the collision with Petr Cech forcing him out for many months and causing him to now wear a protective helmet. Opinion was divided at the time, but not for me. Hunt lowered his knee and should have pulled out. He's reckless and plays football with no consideration for anyone's safety.

Too often these types of reckless players are given excuses that they play with tons of effort and desire, but I don't see it that way. Its more a matter of doing anything, hurting anyone to get ahead.

A couple of years back Arsene Wenger was chided for suggesting Ruud van Nistelrooy was 'a bit of a dirty player' but he was right. I saw it too. He was smart about his behavior but the pattern was there. Hunt has the same tendency.