Wish Maarten a speedy recovery

[andyk]

It was a 50/50, but...  does it matter?  I mean, if the situation is reversed and Suarez gets the ball first and Stek clips him (even without the kind of force that injured Stek), it's a penalty and very likely a red card.  So if Stek gets the ball first, and Suarez subsequently makes violent contact, why is there no consequence?  I'm genuinely not sure exactly what the rules are here and why.

I've always just taken it at face value when commentators say the attackers are entitled to go for the ball in those situations.

But the way you've explained this I have no argument for the other point of view. Stek won the 50/50 and paid the price for his bravery. Suarez either wins it and then gets a penalty, or gets away with being late.

A brilliant point.

It is a good point and one I hadn't really considered before. The keeper, because he is going with his hands, is putting his head in the firing line, whereas the striker is always going in feet first. The strikers should be told if they make contact with the goalkeepers head it is dangerous play and a red card. I know this would mean making split second decisions on whether to go for it or not, but that is what the keeper does too and, as you say, if he gets it wrong it's a red and a peno.

[General]

Come on guys, some of the remarks being made are ridiculous. Stek and Suarez are friends, played together at Ajax. There was no malicious intent to do that to stek.

Also, it is just a big black eye - it really isn't that serious. I would've thought he'll be back for the west brom game...

I'm just glad he started looking like the keeper that used to be labelled as one of the worlds best before he took the down turn at Roma and had brought into his form with us until recently.