Reading Chronicle | Sport | Doyle - `Taylor is innocent.'

Monday, 12th May, 2008

Published: Thursday, 20th March, 2008 12:00

Doyle - `Taylor is innocent.'

By Anthony Smith

Comments (0)

Print Article

KEVIN Doyle has spoken out in defence of Martin Taylor ahead of Reading’s six-pointer with Birmingham City at the Madejski Stadium this Saturday (3pm ko).

Taylor hit the headlines for the tackle which left Arsenal striker Eduardo with a broken leg in the recent 2-2 draw at St Andrew’s.

The horrific injury has been replayed countless times on television and the Croatian international will be out of action for at least a year.

Taylor, meanwhile, has served his three match ban for the red card he received that night and he could be restored to Alex McLeish’s starting line-up at Reading this weekend.

FIFA wanted the suspension made more severe, but those calls were rejected by the Football Association this week.

And Doyle argued: “I was watching television when the incident happened. I didn’t want to see a replay and my first thoughts were that it was an unfortunate incident for both players.

“To be honest, I think Taylor has been harshly criticised, I really do. It was a split-second thing.

“It wasn’t a two-footed tackle. If anything, he was a fraction too late and Eduardo was just too quick for him.

“Unfortunately there was a lot of damage but I don’t think any player means to do something like that. I thought some of the reaction to it has been particularly harsh on the lad.

“It was a bit like the reaction Stephen Hunt received when we played Chelsea last year. Some of that wasn’t nice at all.

“I just hope it can all be forgotten and that we can concentrate on the game on Saturday because it’s a big one for both sides.”

Taylor, 28, made his comeback for Blues’ reserves in a 3-3 draw with Tottenham reserves on Tuesday night.

McLeish will consider playing him again at the Madejski Stadium, although he may lack match fitness.

And Doyle stressed: “If Martin Taylor plays I certainly won’t be worried about him. He didn’t mean to do that to Eduardo.

“I think if Eduardo had seen it coming he would have skipped over the challenge and he would have been fine.

“He just changed direction as well and, unfortunately, it happened. You know when you have seen an intentional one, but that tackle wasn’t.”

Royals boss Steve Coppell is another who is convinced there was no malice in Taylor’s tackle.

“I’ve only seen it once, it’s not something I want to see again,” he said. “But I don’t think it was a malicious or dirty tackle. It was just one that had unfortunate circumstances.

“Players these days are big, powerful athletes and when they collide bad things can happen. But in no way did he mean to injure the Arsenal player.”

And he added: “I was at a game somewhere the night it happened and I was sitting next to Terry Bullivant who knew Martin from his Birmingham days.

“He said he’s not that sort of player, it wasn’t the sort of thing he would purposely do. Nobody knows him better than Terry and that was good enough for me.”

Comments