Source: Daily_Mail
Graham Poll: Eastlands horror film will seal Adebayor's fate
Like most observers watching frame after frame of the terrible incident, I think Emmanuel Adebayor deliberately kicked Robin van Persie. However, the FA will need more than mere thoughts to charge the Manchester City forward.
At full speed nobody could be expected to detect the challenge and so, rightly, no blame has been apportioned to the referee, Mark Clattenburg.
The guideline to referees in such circumstances is to consider if the player who catches his opponent would have avoided contact if it had been a team-mate on the ground. With that in mind you can see why I think Adebayor is guilty. So what happens now?
Clattenburg will have filed his match report to the FA, including all misconduct he has witnessed. He can add an extraordinary incident report highlighting any matter which has been brought to his attention after the game, but it is unlikely that he will mention Adebayor's kick.
The FA disciplinary department, having already stated they will be having a close look at this incident, will send Clattenburg a clip of the clash asking whether he saw it and, if not, what he would have done if he had seen it. If Clattenburg confirms he could not see the clash clearly, then the FA can charge Adebayor.
There is now a procedure in place for a red card, or incident which should have resulted in a red card, to result in a ban of longer than three matches. Given the potential for serious injury, this challenge could well mean a prolonged ban for Adebayor.
As for the striker's stupid celebration, the FA can suspend him for as many games as they wish for improper conduct.
