Ouch ... Newcastle United's French defender Massadio Haidara in agony. Source: Paul Ellis / AAP
Wigan Athletic manager Roberto Martinez insisted Callum McManaman is not a malicious player after his horror tackle on Massadio Haidara during his side's 2-1 win against Newcastle United.
Meanwhile, Wigan chairman Dave Whelan stands by his assessment that the challenge on Haidara was "fair" despite Newcastle United's "baffled" response.
Newcastle are waiting on the results of a scan on left-back Haidara after he was stretchered off.
The Football Association is awaiting referee Mark Halsey's official match report before deciding whether to take the matter further but Whelan has previously said it was fair.
Newcastle were understood to have been left struggling to comprehend Whelan's opinion but the Wigan chairman has since told Sky Sports News: "I stand by my comments."
"I spoke to Derek Llambias after the match and, I have to say, the Newcastle people who we dined with took it all on the chin and thought, 'yeah it is part and parcel of the game."
Visiting manager Alan Pardew had been left furious about McManaman's challenge after the final whistle at the DW Stadium at the weekend.
Asked how he would react if a Wigan player had been on the receiving end of the tackle, Whelan, whose own playing career was ended in the 1960 FA Cup final by Norman Deeley, said: "I would be saying, 'football is a tough game'. I do not think there was any intent from our lad to hurt the Newcastle player."
Newcastle assistant coach John Carver and Wigan coach Graham Barrow were both sent to the stands at half-time as tempers boiled over in reaction to the incident.
But Whelan claims Newcastle's hierarchy were not overly angry when he met them over a meal after the game.
"I spoke to Derek Llambias after the match and, I have to say, the Newcastle people who we dined with took it all on the chin and thought, 'yeah it is part and parcel of the game'," said Whelan.
"I know there were some bad things said on the line. But the referee took charge of that and dispatched two of them. So, hopefully, the lad (Haidara) can start playing again next Saturday. Hopefully he will be okay and not be too seriously injured.
"But you are going to get injured if you play football professionally. It is a tough game."
The Latics forward, on his first Barclays Premier League start, caused outrage at the DW Stadium with a reckless knee-high challenge on substitute Haidara, which referee Mark Halsey failed to spot.
But the Spaniard said his young forward wants to contact Haidara to make an apology.
"Remember it's Callum's full debut in the Premier League. I haven't seen the replay, I believe that he touches the ball and then it's a bad challenge, but it's nothing malicious, he's not that sort of boy," Martinez told Sky Sports.
"It's the normal enthusiasm that you get in your debut.
"I can't really comment too much because I haven't seen the action but I can guarantee that Callum McManaman is a young man full of talent and in his debut probably showed the enthusiasm that you expect, but he's not a malicious player."
Regarding an apology, Martinez said: "I think he wants to contact the player. I don't know if he's done it already but he will do that because when you get an injury in that manner you obviously don't want to leave any bad feelings.
"If Callum hasn't apologised yet then he definitely will do that because we're a football club where those values are very important."
Meanwhile, the controversial win over Newcastle has been seen as the potential start to relegation-zone occupants Wigan's perennial escape from the drop.
"We were not at our best yesterday," said Whelan. "But the fighting spirit is still there in Wigan. You can see that from Roberto (Martinez) right through the team.
"They are determined to stay in this league."
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét