"Nigel De Jong is a criminal!"

The brickbats are out for Manchester City's Nigel De Jong after his tackle left Hatem Ben Arfa with a broken leg.

Already in the spotlight previously for an X-rated tackle on the chest of Spain's Xabi Alonso during the World Cup, De Jong's violent style of play claimed another casualty in the Citizen's 2-1 win over Newcastle last weekend.
Magpie boss Chris Hughton, already fuming at the loss, was outraged, saying in quotes referenced by the Sun: " I felt it was a challenge that did not need to be made."

Ben Arfa had been rushed straight to hospital from the stadium, and X-rays reportedly showed a broken tibia and fibula, and surgery scheduled at the earliest notice.
In another indictment of refereeing standards, Martin Atkinson did not even give as much of a free-kick, even as television replays showed that De Jong should have been given his marching orders immediately for the crudeness of the tackle.
Hughton added: "It's not good news."
"When you see a young, talented player injured like that, of course it has upset everyone in the dressing room."
But it is not just the opposition manager that is criticising the Dutchman. His own international coach, Bert van Marwijk, admitted that De Jong needed to rein in his tackles, saying: "I will talk to Nigel about these situations."
This was not the first time De Jong had broken an opponent's leg, with USA's Stuart Holden also the recipient of another similar tackle during a World Cup warm-up fixture also suffering a broken leg as a result.
His compatriots in his homeland were just as disturbed by De Jong's latest violence, with Sparta Rotterdam manager Jan Everse saying: "He needs to see a mental doctor."
Even more harshly, television pundit Hugo Vorst said: "De Jong is a criminal who needs to be dragged out of football."
However, defenders for the Dutchman came in the form of City's assistant boss Brian Kidd, who insisted: "I didn't think it was a rash challenge.
"There was no malice in it."
Hatem Ben Arfa, Xabi Alonso and Stuart Holden could well disagree.

source:espn