Diving is an incideous cancer in the game. It’s a fine art and nobody can convince me that certain players don’t reherse the art in training…it’s very sophisticated.
Take the ManU game versus St Etienne last month…the one where “hero” Ibrahimovic scored a hattrick. Sadly I can’t find any video that shows his two dives that led to two of his goals.
The first was on the edge of the box he ran to accept the ball with a defender in close attendance…Iibrahimovic takes the ball but spins away a falls as if he been tackled from behind…the replay shows daylight between both players…there was no tackle. Ref gives the free kick…books the non-tackle. Ibrahimovic scores from the deflected free kick.
Now the defender has to contend with having to play the rest of the game knowing another tackle…or non-tackle…will reduce his side to 10 men.
The second Ibrahimovic dive was a straight dive to win a penalty with which he completes his hattrick…what a hero.
4 Likes
Think ur being hard on Barca there, some of the diving and cheating on show was next level stuff! Breathtaking! When Suarez was through on goal for example, and the defender just merely thought for the briefest moment about touching him, Bang! He hits the deck, no hesitation. It was brilliant. Great awareness. A lot of players wouldn’t even have sensed the opportunity, they’d have just stupidly shot at goal or something. He’s not the only player to ever go down in those circumstances, I’m not saying that. Dele Ali would have done that too, for example. But what Suarez did then was clutch his throat in agony, acting like he’d been throttled, hoping to get the defender sent off. That was special. That’s why people pay to watch football. It’s that kind of creativity and flair that separates the very good players from the True Greats.
4 Likes
… expect Barca to be sniffing round Shane Long this summer then … a perfect fit 
1 Like
That’s what I think when I’m watching that fkn Tiki-taka football. I’m like, oh yeah? Not impressed till I see you do it on a wet wednesday in Stoke, with Shane Long up front.
3 Likes
Pap…can you upgade the site to allow upvoting AND downvoting on the same post?
Watched the game last night. Couldnt believe the first penalty was given. Thought the second one was ok until I saw it again, but can see why it was given. PSG had chances to put the tie away but fluffed them. The last few minutes were amazing. I was checking the score on my phone on the night and didnt bother after 88 mins as I assumed it was done. Could not believe the final score. Nearly as unbelievable as Leicester winning the Premiership. Credit where credit is due though. The tie wasnt handed to Barcelona on a plate by the officials. The Neymar free kick and the winning goal were pure quality.
1 Like
A view on Barca’s play-acting and the like:
1 Like
Totally agree. Maybe it’s my age, brought up when a stock commentary cliche was “he rode that tackle well” just as Nathan Redmond did when Lingard clipped his ankle for the second time in the Cup Final. The overriding thought was not “good lad, go for goal” but “go down you chump, he’ll be sent off”
What is it we want from football today?
And then they go and lose 2-1 to Deportivo la Coruna!!
Yeah I can explain this one @btripz - I had money on them!
2 Likes
