It's About Commitment, Stupid...

This blog and domain was inspired by a dumb comment made by commentator Nigel Winterburn during the Arsenal-Newcastle match of 5 December 2007:

"Arsene Wenger believes in the beautiful game...but they don't handle physical play very well...I'd like to see them get on with it and get stuck in sometimes..."

The comment was made just before Joey Barton body-checked Gilberto Silva from behind. Even in hockey that kind of contact would have resulted in a severe penalty but not in Newcastle that night.

So I asked myself what does it really mean to "get stuck in"?

For me it all comes down to commitment. That's what "getting stuck in" really means. It's a philosophy.

I think that Roy Keane must have been one of the most "stuck in" players of all time. Paul Scholes also gets stuck in but he's just "bad" and awkward at tackling.

As for Joey Barton...well...he's not awkward...he's just villanous. He doesn't get "stuck in". He deliberately fouls people and subverts not only the rules of the game but does a disservice to the beautiful game...