Arsenal defender Bacary Sagna wants Premier League referees to give players more protection, with Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes' recent lunge on Samir Nasri another example of a wild tackle he feels was not punished harshly enough.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Sagna described how angry he was when Nasri got violently upended by Scholes in an FA Cup match but escaped without a red card.
"We've had two broken legs," Sagna said, referring to midfielder Aaron Ramsey and former striker Eduardo da Silva. "We went to Manchester and Samir (Nasri) got his leg ripped off again. There's nothing (done about it).
"They always wait until there is a major incident to make a decision, and then it's too late."
Ramsey is now back in the Arsenal team after breaking his leg just over a year ago following a heavy challenge from Stoke defender Ryan Shawcross. Eduardo nearly had his career ended by Birmingham defender Martin Taylor in 2008.
Midfielder Abou Diaby fractured his ankle early into in his Arsenal career, and this season was clattered by a two-footed tackle from Newcastle's Joey Barton, who was not even booked.
Scholes was lucky to escape with only a caution, says Sagna.
"He (Nasri) almost had his leg cut off," Sagna told the AP this week at France's Clairefontaine training camp.
"If he breaks his leg what shall we say? It's too late," Sagna continued. "The problem is you can't have a discussion with them (referees), you can't have a debate."
Even though Sagna was himself on the receiving end of a thunderous tackle from Wayne Rooney that lifted him into the air at Old Trafford, the France defender says Rooney went for the ball first and that there was no malice to it.
Sagna even chuckles when recalling the incident.
"In my mind I went only for the ball ... he was going for both," Sagna said. "Deep down I know he is not a nasty person, it's different. Certain players do things to hurt you. I didn't say anything to him afterward, but if I had sensed he was trying to hurt me, I would have reacted."
Since the Premier League opened its doors to welcome an influx of foreign stars over the last 15 years, many have been praised for lighting up English football with their skill.
But some observers, even now, question whether foreign players dive more than their English counterparts, and whether they are prone to exaggerating injuries.
However, Sagna - while being careful not to question the integrity of officials - brought up another aspect by suggesting that the flip side to that is that foreign players - like his fellow Frenchman Nasri - sometimes are more roughly treated in English football.
"Samir should perhaps change nationality, I don't know ... I don't want to get into such a debate, I don't want to concentrate on that because I have much more important things to think about," Sagna said. "I get the impression it's like that, maybe I'm wrong."
But the 28-year-old Sagna was equally quick to acknowledge Arsenal's own frailties in defense, saying that their stuttering title run is largely down to an inability to stamp out errors that continue to hound Arsene Wenger's team.
"When you see the goals we've let in since the start of the season, 40 percent of them are from mistakes," said Sagna, who stands to win his 28th cap for France in a 2012 European Championship qualifier away to Luxembourg on Friday.
Arsenal led 4-0 at halftime away to Newcastle last month, and - even though Sagna thinks Newcastle got "two disputed penalties" - threw away a commanding lead to draw 4-4. Arsenal even nearly lost that match in the closing seconds.
"When you're winning, even with 10 (men), they should never score four goals," Sagna said.
Last weekend saw more dropped points at West Bromwich Albion, which Sagna says revealed "a lack of communication."
Arsenal clawed back a 2-2 draw after conceding two sloppy early goals, the second a comical mix-up between goalkeeper Manuel Almunia and defender Sebastien Squillaci.
"We have to talk to each other a lot more, we have to pull together, encourage each other," Sagna said. "At certain times I feel we are lacking this.
Another defensive mix-up in the final minutes led to a 2-1 loss to Birmingham in the League Cup final last month, in a match most thought would end Arsenal's title drought dating back to 2005.
Sagna says fans "are right" for lambasting Arsenal's defeat to Birmingham.
"When you make all those efforts, you reach the League Cup final, which is at Wembley, and then (out on the pitch) we soil ourselves, that's not normal," said the soft-speaking Sagna, using a rare profanity. "We were beaten in every domain, they won the most tackles, and honestly (Birmingham) deserved it."
That loss was followed by a defeat against Barcelona in the Champions League, and the FA Cup exit at the hands of United. After the draw at West Brom, Arsenal is now five points behind United in the league, but with a game in hand.
Still, being able to focus on just one competition may favor the Gunners going forward, as Sagna and his teammates try once and for all to silence all those critics who harp on about the team's lack of trophies.
"We know we can do it," he said. "To answer the critics, you have to win (trophies). For the moment we have not done this. So we can't answer back."
Sagna Arsenal players need more protection from referees - Premier League News | FOX Sports on MSN
In an interview with The Associated Press, Sagna described how angry he was when Nasri got violently upended by Scholes in an FA Cup match but escaped without a red card.
"We've had two broken legs," Sagna said, referring to midfielder Aaron Ramsey and former striker Eduardo da Silva. "We went to Manchester and Samir (Nasri) got his leg ripped off again. There's nothing (done about it).
"They always wait until there is a major incident to make a decision, and then it's too late."
Ramsey is now back in the Arsenal team after breaking his leg just over a year ago following a heavy challenge from Stoke defender Ryan Shawcross. Eduardo nearly had his career ended by Birmingham defender Martin Taylor in 2008.
Midfielder Abou Diaby fractured his ankle early into in his Arsenal career, and this season was clattered by a two-footed tackle from Newcastle's Joey Barton, who was not even booked.
Scholes was lucky to escape with only a caution, says Sagna.
"He (Nasri) almost had his leg cut off," Sagna told the AP this week at France's Clairefontaine training camp.
"If he breaks his leg what shall we say? It's too late," Sagna continued. "The problem is you can't have a discussion with them (referees), you can't have a debate."
Even though Sagna was himself on the receiving end of a thunderous tackle from Wayne Rooney that lifted him into the air at Old Trafford, the France defender says Rooney went for the ball first and that there was no malice to it.
Sagna even chuckles when recalling the incident.
"In my mind I went only for the ball ... he was going for both," Sagna said. "Deep down I know he is not a nasty person, it's different. Certain players do things to hurt you. I didn't say anything to him afterward, but if I had sensed he was trying to hurt me, I would have reacted."
Since the Premier League opened its doors to welcome an influx of foreign stars over the last 15 years, many have been praised for lighting up English football with their skill.
But some observers, even now, question whether foreign players dive more than their English counterparts, and whether they are prone to exaggerating injuries.
However, Sagna - while being careful not to question the integrity of officials - brought up another aspect by suggesting that the flip side to that is that foreign players - like his fellow Frenchman Nasri - sometimes are more roughly treated in English football.
"Samir should perhaps change nationality, I don't know ... I don't want to get into such a debate, I don't want to concentrate on that because I have much more important things to think about," Sagna said. "I get the impression it's like that, maybe I'm wrong."
But the 28-year-old Sagna was equally quick to acknowledge Arsenal's own frailties in defense, saying that their stuttering title run is largely down to an inability to stamp out errors that continue to hound Arsene Wenger's team.
"When you see the goals we've let in since the start of the season, 40 percent of them are from mistakes," said Sagna, who stands to win his 28th cap for France in a 2012 European Championship qualifier away to Luxembourg on Friday.
Arsenal led 4-0 at halftime away to Newcastle last month, and - even though Sagna thinks Newcastle got "two disputed penalties" - threw away a commanding lead to draw 4-4. Arsenal even nearly lost that match in the closing seconds.
"When you're winning, even with 10 (men), they should never score four goals," Sagna said.
Last weekend saw more dropped points at West Bromwich Albion, which Sagna says revealed "a lack of communication."
Arsenal clawed back a 2-2 draw after conceding two sloppy early goals, the second a comical mix-up between goalkeeper Manuel Almunia and defender Sebastien Squillaci.
"We have to talk to each other a lot more, we have to pull together, encourage each other," Sagna said. "At certain times I feel we are lacking this.
Another defensive mix-up in the final minutes led to a 2-1 loss to Birmingham in the League Cup final last month, in a match most thought would end Arsenal's title drought dating back to 2005.
Sagna says fans "are right" for lambasting Arsenal's defeat to Birmingham.
"When you make all those efforts, you reach the League Cup final, which is at Wembley, and then (out on the pitch) we soil ourselves, that's not normal," said the soft-speaking Sagna, using a rare profanity. "We were beaten in every domain, they won the most tackles, and honestly (Birmingham) deserved it."
That loss was followed by a defeat against Barcelona in the Champions League, and the FA Cup exit at the hands of United. After the draw at West Brom, Arsenal is now five points behind United in the league, but with a game in hand.
Still, being able to focus on just one competition may favor the Gunners going forward, as Sagna and his teammates try once and for all to silence all those critics who harp on about the team's lack of trophies.
"We know we can do it," he said. "To answer the critics, you have to win (trophies). For the moment we have not done this. So we can't answer back."
Sagna Arsenal players need more protection from referees - Premier League News | FOX Sports on MSN
