When a manager calls for a player to be protected, what goes thru your mind?

[ToodlesMcToot]

For me, when Moyes, and now Giggs, call for the protection of Adnan Januzaj, I tend to think they should just shut up and play the game. It's not as if they are looking to ban a dangerous element or trend in the game. It comes across as entirely self-serving.

He's a tricky, quick, and slight for his size, winger.  He's bound to get fouled alot and roughly tackled from time to time. But is that all very unusual in the game? If his build is such that he gets bowled over more often than others under "normal" contact when fighting for the ball, is it really the referee's responsibility to call fouls he might not be calling for other players?

I don't watch many ManUre games, so I don't know the full breadth of the 'crimes' against their player. Are teams, seemingly, targeting the kid?

Am I reacting the way that I am solely because it's ManUre? I don't  think so,......but maybe.

Curious to hear what others think.

[HatterDon]

I think it's just ManUre moaning. The only hard foul I saw on the boy was Riether's stamp on his leg, and that was last season, wasn't it?

I think a good thing to do with players like Januzaj is to loan him out to Hearts or Hibs for a half season. Playing in that league for a while will make the physical side of the Prem seem like a stroll in the park.

[EJL]

I think the more mystifying side of this subject is what managers actually mean by "protection". Do they want the referees to forbid any contact with that player? To help slap an Elastoplast on him every time that player falls over? What do they want?! Surely by providing protection for certain individuals, it's swinging the issue from one side to the other?

[westcliff white]

I don't think its just united, every trams manager has said it at some point, but the bigger trams with the more exp3ensiv eplayers seem to say it the most.

But then again when you see some of the tackles put in by certain players you can see why they say it.

[ToodlesMcToot]

Didn't intend to say it was only United. There are more, certainly. I know that it's happened in MLS this season as well with a particular tricky, pacey winger.

United came to mind because it's now two of their managers asking to protect the boy. I just think it's odd coming from Giggs because when he started playing the game a manager would have likely been laughed at publicly for asking such things. I just find it entirely self-serving and whiney.

I was wondering if I was overlooking something because I just don't like United.

[grandad]

It´s a mans game so they need to get on with it. I am sure Patric Roberts will be in for some tough times. He is also a slightly built youngster. I am sure Magath won´t be asking for "protection"

[domprague]

I think defenders' managers should call for protection from Januzaj's diving.

[FFCByTheRiver]

No player deserves to be treated differently. I don't understand asking for 'protection'.

[mccscratch]

Maradona was fouled his entire career... He also realized that his trickiness was going to get himself killed so he built his legs into tree trunks as a late teen.

[OdecaMynoT]

I wonder how Roy Keane would have approached him in his heyday?

How about this;

'After you son...... oh sorry about the metatarsals. That'll learn y'er,y'er f'ockin' eejit'

Nice one Roy.

[General]

Two things - you want to protect the player because you think in some way either mentally or physically he's weak and needs time to grow, or you are simply asking for a favour.

[leonffc]

Because he has a reputation for diving already.
Fergie used to say it about Ronaldo to deflect from the fact that he was falling over all the time. The refs bought it more because they didn't want bacon face accusing them of not protecting him.
Then he just got Neville to maim Reyes every time he got the ball

[Berserker]

I think it's just ManUre moaning. The only hard foul I saw on the boy was Riether's stamp on his leg, and that was last season, wasn't it?

I think a good thing to do with players like Januzaj is to loan him out to Hearts or Hibs for a half season. Playing in that league for a while will make the physical side of the Prem seem like a stroll in the park.

Yes I go to Hearts matches when up North, he'll learn to fight and he'll learn to swear