As it happens I'm not about to go off on one and castigate Stoke or any of their players apart from saying that lack of intent is no excuse, and on a football pitch as anywhere else in life you need to be responsible for your actions. And that means accept whatever consequences there are. Shawcross does have previous and having broken two opponents legs by the age of 22 says something about the way he plays. He has to consider that as he alone is responsible for his actions and consider whether he wants a repeat with another career-threatening injury for an opponent or whether he should moderate his style of play somewhat.

As a balance to some of the hysteria being vented by Gooners, let's remember why Nasri wasn't able to play at the start of the season. And that was due to another Arsenal player. So it happens. It's convenient to think that it's because it's Arsenal, but it's not quite that simple. But it does tend to happen more to talented and technically-gifted players more. It's as well that Rooney is built like a brick outhouse or I'm sure he'd be injured more than he is.

However it has happened three times in four years in competitive games for Arsenal players. Yes other player's do get legs broken, but not as often as Arsenal players do. That's a fact. So when Arsenal's opponents cross the white line does a red haze fall? I'm not so sure that it's purely to do with it being Arsenal. I think it's as much a symptom of the deeper malaise that grips the English game.

Now I am proud of being English, born in a country that is as dogged as it is and has in it's psyche the 'Bulldog Spirit'. Historically it's got us through a lot of difficult times when we've needed to dig in and ignore the odds. It's a national characteristic that could as easily be assigned to Brits, but since this is about football, I'll focus on England. Trouble is this trait no longer works to our advantage in football now we're in a global game. In fact it hasn't worked for quite a while now, football is about skill, not just being workmanlike. International football has moved on since the Seventies, English football hasn't. It's why we don't win tournaments unless it's at club level where foreign managers have brought foreign players in. Players with touch and guile.

And so by and large English football has become lazy. The time investment to seek out new players or develop existing players who have sufficient talent to match the best the world has to offer is not made. The easy alternative is to get players to be physically robust who can put the frighteners on the talented and stop them playing out of fear, or simply remove them from the pitch.

This is what broke Ramsey's leg. This is why Shawcross thought it was acceptable to put in a stupidly reckless challenge. This attitude that believes football is a contact sport and accidents will happen, and so it is OK to launch yourself at an opponent without any thought for the consequences. And for those who say that the physical contact is an integral part of the English game, so what? If you want England to continue to play like a Championship team just promoted to the Premiership, then go ahead. Stick to your guns and laud the physicality. Spare a thought though that the pundits who like it or not, shape your opinion, along with a number of current managers, were playing during the Seventies and Eighties, the time when getting 'stuck in' was the way to go. Is it any wonder that we get 'accidents' like Aaron Ramsey's injury happening when we consider who is forming opinion and dictating the direction of the game?

It shows how divorced from reality the professional game has got when Bridge is castigated for not turning the other cheek, told that he's letting his country down and booed by some sections of the Chelsea faithful because he thought that life was more important than football. I know it wasn't all at the Bridge so this isn't an anti-Chelsea dig, but when a serial philanderer is held up as someone worthy of our sympathy because he has had a difficult time, entirely of his own making, something is out of kilter. I am glad that we do not have a traditional national coach right now. I suspect that rather than being dropped as skipper, Terry might have been given vouchers for use in Madame Mimi's House of Fun to try and satiate his libido. Capello has said that Terry will never be captain again whilst he is in charge and he's right to be clear on that. It may be a small thing but if it changes the un-thinking brutish culture in English football just a little bit, it will be doing our national game a great service.

Finally I couldn't possibly not mention the balls showed by Arsenal after Ramsey's injury. There was every chance of a Birmingham-like collapse, but we're made of sterner stuff these days. Cesc was immense and we showed that we don't get bullied any more, we can win against the sort of team that commentators snigger and say will try and disrupt our rhythm (foul us). And Hansen is becoming a fan?! Something I don't get though, everyone and his dog gave their opinion on every aspect of the game including how many ambulances were there and yet Arsène gets it in the neck for letting his passion get away with him. This from the very people who decry the lack of passion shown in the modern game. You can't have it both ways, either Arsène is wingeing and your premise about passion in the game is totally unfounded, or he's just upset that an enormously gifted player has been carted of to hospital with both leg bones broken. Something would be very wrong if he hadn't said anything.