It comes as no surprise to discover that Tottenham’s appeal against Robbie Keane’s red card on Sunday has been turned down by the FA. On a day where El Hadji Diouf tried to amputate Alvaro Arbeloa’s leg and received a yellow card, the Irishman was dismissed for a clumsy challenge on Birmingham’s Fabrice Muamba after scoring a brace for Spurs.
With Darren Bent and Jermain Defoe waiting in the wings, attack is one area where Tottenham can afford to lose a player for a handful of matches. While Keane has been the outstanding performer for his team this season, his absence will give Juande Ramos the opportunity to assess the qualities of his second-string striking duo, who cost the club a combined total of £23.5m.
It had been rumoured that arbiter Phil Dowd consulted with fourth official Uriah Rennie before brandishing the red card in the direction of Keane. However, this has subsequently been denied by the referee. Perhaps if he had liaised with someone who had seen the clash of legs from a different angle, Spurs wouldn’t be missing their star striker for the two games with Man City and the trip to Portsmouth.
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