It was a case of “one in, one out” on Saturday’s edition of Tightrope Watch, as the population swelled briefly to 28 before a Baggies midfield enforcer fell foul of the referee’s wrath on Tyneside. Sunday delivered a couple more five-card tricks, as the ban stick finally hit its target:
Saturday’s advent on the outskirts of the suspension jungle arrived midway through Stoke’s 4-0 drubbing at Everton, with a yellow card shown to Geoff Cameron after his foul on stand-in left back, Bryan Oviedo, just before the opening goal. As with the existing community of offenders, the US international will now have to endure the rest of the year looking over his shoulder in the knowledge that just one more malefaction could result in an enforced rest.
Meanwhile, graduating from the tightrope and flung headlong into that enforced rest this week are a trio of transgressors. First up, West Brom’s Congolese midfielder Youssouf Mulumbu earned his fifth card of the season for a foul on Yohan Cabaye late in the St James’ Park clash and will sit out the midweek hosting of Manchester City – perhaps he’ll use the time to consider what his future holds after his desire to move to “a more classy club” was made public.
Secondly, in the Sunday lunchtime fare, gurner extraordinaire Phil Jones clipped Mousa Dembélé to hand Spurs another 20-yard free-kick chance and earn himself a midweek rest for the visit of Everton – where Marouane Fellaini looks set to receive a frosty reception in his place. Finally, Hull’s Curtis Davies succumbed to a ban of his own after felling Jordan Henderson for the free-kick which led to Liverpool’s equalising goal at the KC. His absence at Arsenal coinciding perfectly with the return of James Chester – fresh from a price drop to 3.8m, and poised to offer extraordinary value once the Tigers’ fixtures ease.
Finally, Palace’s Yannick Bolasie serves the second of a three-match ban, whilst returning from suspension ready for the midweek fixtures will be German defender Sascha Riether, as his Fulham side, under the new management of René Meulensteen, seek to avoid a seventh straight loss in all competitions.
