FOOTBALL: Ball must tackle City's disorder

In his playing days Alan Ball knew a thing or two about tackling. Now, however, he "would not last 10 minutes", he maintains, with today's referees.

That was Ball's own assessment after his Manchester City side were beaten 3-1 by Newcastle United on Saturday. The loss was accompanied by City's second dismissal in four games: Richard Edghill, sent off after 24 minutes for two bookable offences. "The way the game is administered the art of tackling has gone," complained Ball. "Every time there was a tackle there was a booking. People are paying money to see a contest and they are not getting it."

Ball's chairman, Francis Lee, was similarly unhappy, saying: "If that's football, it's not the game I know."

Kevin Keegan knew a bit about tackling in his playing days - his legs still bear the scars. But, as an old horse-racing friend of Ball he was not going to state the obvious. That the new interpretations are there to protect forwards, not emasculate defenders.

Rather than take the art - and it is an art - of tackling out of the game they have enhanced it. Neil Ruddock, no soft touch, has commented on how much his game has improved since he had to think about his tackles, to stay on his feet and take care to judge them.

Last week Wimbledon, reduced to 10 men by Vinnie Jones' dismissal, defended immaculately for more than an hour against a Liverpool side which swarmed all over them. Players jockeyed, covered, timed their tackles and stood their ground.

However, the art of tackling has clearly gone from Maine Road. On Saturday only Terry Phelan showed any composure faced with an opposition keen to run at them. Edghill's first booking was one of four in as many minutes, and in all six City players were cautioned, five of them for fouls. All were deserved.

In one respect the plethora of red and yellow cards was to Ball's benefit. It was never a contest. City were being slaughtered with 11 men; reducing them to 10 just took the attention off their hopelessness. In turning down an interview request last week Ball said he "had a big job on his hands" and was concentrating on that. "I am sure you understand," he added.

After Saturday I do. The first of many excellent saves by Eike Immel came after 38 seconds, from Peter Beardsley. He had also denied Beardsley, again, and Lee Clark by the fourth minute. It took fully seven minutes for City to get 10 yards into Newcastle's half, 18 for them to touch the ball in Newcastle's goal area.

By then they were already 1-0 down, Edghill having brought down Keith Gillespie with an ill-judged tackle from behind in the box. Edghill then departed, for a rash kick at David Ginola as the Frenchman received the ball on the half-way line. After that it was a matter of how many.

The answer, thanks to Immel, was just two, both beautifully executed. First Robert Lee won a header in his own half, Beardsley found Gillespie who fed the overlapping Warren Barton. When the cross came in Lee was there to head past Immel - but not Ferdinand, who greedily claimed the final touch. The third was clearly Ferdinand's, the centre-forward thumping a header in after Gillespie and Ginola had wrong-footed City's defence.

Gerry Creaney, with a bright header from Nicky Summerbee's cross, scored a late consolation as Newcastle dawdled. It was a promising start for Ball's fourth signing. So far, in Immel, Georgi Kinkladze, Symons and Creaney he looks to have bought well. But, while Immel and Symons are getting plenty of work, Kinkladze looks as if he will only truly blossom in a good side.

Whether he finds one at Maine Road is debatable. Their defensive discipline is a mess, partly because they are poorly covered by the midfield. In that first attack Phelan, as English defenders are wont to do, showed Gillespie inside only to find Garry Flitcroft was so far away it left a gap big enough for Jan Molby to get through, never mind the quicksilver Gillespie. Immel would have been better off constructing his defence with a few planks, some nails and a coil of barbed wire.

City's long-suffering, but still large support deserves better. After promising a miracle Francis Lee's messianic credentials look no more credible than David Icke's. His prophecies are equally inaccurate. On his first anniversary as chairman, last February, he said: "On the field we are on the brink of being a major force in the game again."

Newcastle, meanwhile, were brilliant, especially Beardsley. He is an example for Matthew Le Tissier to watch, both are sprinkled with stardust, but only Beardsley lubricates his genius with elbow grease.

At present Newcastle look irresistible, but they started even better last year. They have been helped by an easy run of fixtures - they are yet to play anyone in the top eight - and do not have a real test until Liverpool arrive in November.

There are still reservations, notably in the figure of Darren Peacock - though Philippe Albert is on the way back. Lee Clark, impressive so far in the holding role, has yet to prove he can match Barry Venison's defensive capabilities under pressure.

But, while Newcastle are not themselves masters of tackling, they are expert at football's other arts, passing, dribbling and movement. The Magpies may play in black and white but the pictures they paint are as colourful as Gauguin.

Keegan suggested they could have similar longevity. "You could take the first 15 minutes, bottle it up, and in 300 years' time someone could look at it and say: `that's football'."

For now he will be happy if it lasts the season.

Goals: Beardsley (pen) (17) 1-0; Ferdinand (38) 2-0; Ferdinand (59) 3- 0; Creaney (81) 3-1.

Newcastle United (4-4-2): Hislop; Barton (Watson, 79), Peacock, Howey, Beresford (Sellars, 62); Gillespie, Lee, Clark, Ginola; Ferdinand, Beardsley (Fox, 71).

Manchester City (4-4-2): Immel; Edghill, Symons, Curle, Phelan; Kinkladze (Summerbee, 67), Flitcroft (Lomas, 34), Brightwell, Beagrie; Creaney, Rosler. Substitute not used: Margetson (gk).

Referee: J Winter (Stockton-on-Tees).