The Week Roy Went Underground
Written by Steve NormanDiving’s Back
Diving took a week off and Luis Suarez scored a hat trick. Maybe diving was having a week in the Algarve or it just pulled a sickie, but it came back with a furious vengeance at the weekend. Suarez, Gareth Bale and others were all accused of going down easily to try and buy their team a penalty.
Brendan Rodgers even claimed his side might have to start diving to get decisions. What he didn’t realise is his team diving is WHY they aren’t getting decisions. It’s the Boy Who Cried Wolf paradox.
This gamesmanship needs to be cut out of the game. It’s pretty shameful behaviour that a professional would try and cheat and possibly get someone sent off. Not only is it shameful, it’s bloody dumb considering that the amount of cameras pointed at the pitch pretty much rules out getting away with it.
Referees aren’t giving a penalty, which is good, but more often than not they aren’t punishing the diver with a card. The way to combat this blatant cheating is retrospective bans and decisions decided by a panel of ex-pros.
Going Underground
Roy Hodgson is in trouble for being open and honest to fans asking him questions while he was on his commute. Quite why he had to issue an apology to Rio Ferdinand or anyone else is beyond me.
He wasn’t revealing tactics or saying he would never pick the declining Ferdinand again. All Hodgson said was that he wouldn’t be in this squad. When being quizzed by that many fans, he would have come across a right dick if he was being coy and unrevealing in his answers.
Fans want people in football to be more honest and have greater access to them, but when one is more open he is immediately lambasted.
Elbow-Gate
Robin Van Persie won’t be punished for what looked like an elbow on Newcastle’s French midfielder Yohan Cabaye. “It’s a conspiracy!!!” cry non-United fans, especially considering Howard Webb was refereeing.
However, although it did look like a bit of an elbow from RVP, what may have swayed Webb’s decision is that Cabaye, after being struck, took a few steps, saw Antonio Valencia about to whip in a cross and create a chance and went down trying to stop play rather than because he was hurt.
That is almost as bad as an elbow to the face.
Tom Cleverly Didn’t Mean It
It was a cross that he mis-hit, not a shot. Simple.
Welsh Player of the Year
This year’s award has gone to Joe Allen. Deserved in many respects, he was fantastic for Swansea and has been one of the few shining lights in Liverpool’s dismal start to the season.
However, he doesn’t have much competition considering the state of Welsh football at the moment. The award is akin to the tallest midget award or possibly even Scottish Player of the Year.
On another note - why is the Welsh FA dishing out a player of the year award at the beginning of October?
Southampton Need to Learn
Nigel Adkins has been spouting this since coming to the Premiership and it’s very true. The defence is leakier than a sieve that’s been attacked with an industrial hole punch.
It’s a good job that the Saints have been potent in attack so their goal difference isn’t completely embarrassing. Another own goal versus Fulham could well have cost them three points and Fulham’s second that put the Cottagers in front could have meant another defeat for the Saints.
20 league goals conceded in the first seven games is abysmal, and while former Celtic goalie Artur Boruc has been bought in to help the defence, some criticism must lie at Adkins door.
As a Southampton fan, it’s hard to criticise Adkins after two successive promotions but as much as the defenders need to learn, the manager should have really identified the position as a weak point and strengthened during the summer.
Gareth Barry
The Manchester City midfielder wants an England recall. I expect Gazza, Paul Ince, Steve Stone and Seth Johnson all do as well. I’d rather have any of them. Well maybe not Johnson but you see my point.
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