Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is to call referees' chief Mike Riley into a brewing row over tackling. Midfielder Lee Cattermole found himself in the firing line of Tottenham counterpart Luka Modric and Spurs manager Harry Redknapp in recent days after a no-nonsense challenge on the Croatian during Tuesday night's 1-1 draw at White Hart Lane.
Redknapp branded Cattermole's tackle, for which he was booked by match referee Howard Webb, "reckless", but Bruce believes it was a perfectly fair challenge.
Bruce said: "I am going to go to Mike Riley and I am going to ask him to come and clarify if that is legal or not legal because, at the end of the day, Lee still received a yellow card.
"I think we want clarity on it to say what it is. The one thing we have tried with Lee is to say, 'Hey, listen, the last thing we want is a reputation'.
"He has done his best, but he makes one challenge and it's away with it again."
The video footage he produced showed that the midfielder made firm contact with the ball and then caught Modric as his foot bounced up off it.
Bruce said: "Now, I don't want to see Modric injured, but I have got to disagree with Harry. For me, it's not a ridiculous tackle, it's a fair one and a good one.
"Unfortunately, there are grey areas now. If you tackle like this, 10 years ago everyone in the ground would applaud and say what a fantastic tackle.
"Now all of a sudden, there's a grey area and people say, 'Well, you got the man as well'. Well, if you tackle on the floor, you are always going to make contact with the man.
"But as long as you play the ball and don't go over the top of the ball, then for me, it is a good challenge.
"It's why the Premier League is watched all around the world, that physical element you don't see anywhere else, and that's what makes it the spectacle.
"That's how difficult it is. I think it's fair, but there you go. I think you are wrong, Harry."
