Source: Daily_Mail
Stoke stars leap to Shawcross' defence following Ramsey horror tackle
Stoke's Rory Delap and Danny Pugh have defended the team's style of play in the wake of Ryan Shawcross' leg-breaking challenge on Arsenal's Aaron Ramsey.[LNB]The 19-year-old is likely to be sidelined for several months after sustaining a sickening break of both bones in his shin in a clash with Shawcross which saw the Stoke centre-back sent off.[LNB]Gunners manager Arsene Wenger condemned the tackle as 'horrendous and unacceptable' and also criticised Stoke's overall approach but Delap said the Frenchman was wrong.[LNB] Sad scene: Distraught Ryan Shawcross has been defended by his Stoke team-mates despite his challenge breaking Aaron Ramsey's leg[LNB]'The tackle didn't look at all malicious. I spoke to the referee and he said he didn't think Ryan meant it, but he had to send him off,' said the Potters midfielder.[LNB]'I know Ryan and he wouldn't mean to do that. Ryan was in tears and he is not a lad who would go out to do that.[LNB]Sorry: Shawcross has apologised to Ramsey[LNB]'He will be devastated and we will need to pick him up. But our thoughts are with Aaron.'[LNB]Delap added: 'Everyone knows what we are about. We are physical, but there's not one person in our dressing room that would do that (deliberately injure an opponent).[LNB]'It is very rare in the whole of football that someone does go out to hurt someone.'[LNB]Pugh backed up that view by saying: 'We are a fully-committed side, but we never go out to injure anyone, just give 100 per cent to the game whether we are playing Arsenal, Man City or whoever.'[LNB]The defender also believes 22-year-old Shawcross, who was called into the England squad just a couple of hours after his red card at the Britannia Stadium, will bounce back from the incident quickly.[LNB]'Ryan's a young lad, but he's got a mature head, so he'll be able to just concentrate on his game and get over this,' he told The Sentinel.[LNB] Graham Poll: Ryan Shawcross tackle on Aaron Ramsey was no accident Jamie Redknapp's weekend watch: Unlucky break but Ryan is not to blameMARTIN SAMUEL: How can so many broken legs be down to chance?STOKE CITY FC
