Right, I'm going to get slated for saying this but I thought it was an atrocious decision. I've seen it several times from different angles. Yes, Smith's arms move but he is jumping after all. Minimal contact with Delap's ribs, nowhere near his head. Of course it capped a fine day to see the L**ds tw@t trudging off for an early bath, but had it been one of our players sent off for the same thing, then let's be honest we'd be up in arms about it.
Correct, but in my opinion that doesn't make what he did a red card offence. It's a contact sport. From what I read on their board, Delap is going to support Karl Robinson in their appeal to get the card rescinded.
He was at it all game leading with his elbow just like most of there players. Etuhu was took out in a similar way. They got away with it time and time again. The elbow in Mellis's face while chasing the ball in to corner too. There was deffo an arm movement too to suggest Smith went for him.
Agree, he was, and maybe he should have been booked earlier. They were a pretty dirty side in general I thought. But that doesn't change my opinion that the offence for which Smith received a straight red card was a yellow card at worst.
You can see him physically swing his elbow in to Delap's ribs! Luckily he didn't really make contact but the intent was there.
Smith did intentionally charge in with his elbows swinging into Delap, so it was a dirty trick - Red card? maybe/maybe not. I think he probably copped for the rest of his teammates as after our 3rd goal I was actually getting a little worried as they were charging in all over the place and it looked as though it wouldn't only be Kelvin who would be going off on a stretcher. Elbows had been flying all game from them as well.
No attempt to play the ball, he saw a chance to hurt our player and went for it. Ref saw straight through his plan.
He deserved to go. He used his elbow with intent as he had been doing all game. MK were one of the nastiest teams I've seen since Sheff U under Blackwell when elbows were the norm.
Blatant red card, can't see what the fuss is about. Intent and execution, right in front of the ref. Always been the same throughout his career.
I thought Etuhu just collided with their player? I've not seen a replay so this is just going on the "live" moment.
Just watched the Alan Smith incident......definite red card as he came in from behind with elbow and ref had a very clear vision of it. Silly from Alan Smith and he can't argue with it (although Delap did not complain, just got on with it).
Alan Smith was at it all game. That's the type of player he has always been, always goes too far, and in my opinion deserved to be sent off. They were very lucky to not have another player sent off as the ref missed numerous rash challenges.
Smith's elbow could have caused serious kidney damage and it was easily as deliberate as morgan's assault on Ian Hulmes' skull
I think he was a bit unlucky to get a straight red - the ref was actually correct (for once) but had missed much more blatant elbows earlier. Struggling with the grounds for the appeal - the argument that he didnt elbow him in the head just the side makes it OK is a bit wierd
Maybe unlucky to get a straight red, but he knew what he was doing. He was doing it all game, as were the majority of their players.
Definite sending off. You don't have to fracture someone's skull to justify a red card for deliberate use of an elbow. I'm surprised we're even debating this to be honest.
Definite red for me. He thrust his elbow out quite clearly and deliberately and just because he didn't connect very well and it wasn't at his head doesn't make it any less of a red card. Zidane headbutted Materazzi in the chest and it was just as much a sending off as if he'd hit him in the head.