Tom Daley wannabe

i absolutely loathe any footballer diving. Unfortunately, we have three players in our starting eleven who make a habit of doing it on a regular basis. Not only is it down right cheating, it’s also bloody embarrassing. Yesterday, Pereyra got booked for a blatant dive ( not for the first time ) there was also a penalty claim on Deulofeu but on a closer inspection, he clearly made a meal of it. Then there’s Hughes who if an opposing player even blows near him, he decides to fall on his arse. I would add Success to the list but he doesn’t get enough game time.
Perhaps if these players stayed upright a tad more, they might create more chances. Just saying...

 

Pereyra is a disgrace and should be banned for that dive yesterday (please).

Thought Deulofeu, although he made a meal of it, definitely had a case for a penalty. Committed Mina, touched the ball past him and Mina clumsily came across him with his thigh and made contact with Geri. Penalty for me, but granted, he did make a meal of it!

 

A worthy thread, many of our fans would never call it but we are up there when it comes to diving. The difference between us and other teams is that we're awful at diving and rarely get anything out of it.

 

I'm glad we rarely get anything out of it. I'd hate to have a Zaha type playing for us.

Not that a wants-to-be-Zaha type is much better, but at least we're not benefiting much from the cheating.

 

Pleased that others are starting to pick up on Hughes' "antics". Though it's clear he only does it most of the time because he gives the ball away after his first touch and isn't quick or strong enough to run past any players, so he always throws himself to the ground hoping to cover up for his crapness and to make the most of a bad situation.

Delboy's was a pen yesterday though, maybe he exaggerated any pain slightly, but it wasn't enough to take away from the fact that it was a foul.

Also, not that it negates Pereyra's actions, but Calvert-Lewin also took a blatant dive to try and get a pen in the first half.

 

Maybe if Deulofeau had not exaggerated it so much, he may possibly have won us a pen. Hate the cheating, if it's the opposition it's annoying, if it's us it's embarrassing.

 

Not much enamoured of the dive, either; but I'm not sure Hughes comes under that category much: He is a skilful, cunning player, but you're right, he lacks speed (one of two draw-backs - the other is generally poor finishing skills). He hustles mid-fielders relentlessly and tackles hard and happily plays on the edge of committing loads of fouls. He is an excellent spoiler of opposition build-up play. Built into this is a tendency to be fouled himself, too; and he happily buys into that. He is our latest version of Valon Behrami/Gavin Mahon/Gary Porter/Les Taylor inter al.
BTW, why is it more despicable than the so-called 'professional' mid-field foul? Something that is committed several times a match (and was yesterday). It is cynical and often planned (rotation of offenders) and 100% cheating.

 

I think he was responsible for pretty much every dangerous attacking free kick we won in the Brighton game.

 

Small, slight players like Hughes and GD are more prone to being knocked off their feet because they're smaller than many (most?) of the players they play against.

When two players collide and one is much bigger than the other, most of the force is transferred to the smaller party (physics, innit). It means smaller players are naturally going to hit the deck more often when fouled by larger ones, particularly if running at speed.

 

You're right in your observation, but I think the forces are equal and opposite, but the momentum is greater in the man with the bigger mass and little fellow goes flying. A proper physicist would probably explain, using the word inertia in there somewhere.

 

Nobody likes to see diving, but let's not accuse the young lad we just got from City...

 

It is totally accepted now as part of the game. I put on the Newcastle v Arsenal game last week and in the first ten minutes of watching there were two clear dives, both in the middle of the pitch so no noise made about it - it is just allowed to carry on.

I preferred it years ago when if a player dived it would be a big talking point and it was a shameful thing to do. It's become normalised now.

 

Let's not bring Deeney's style of play into this.

 

Fair point although surely our standards of sportsmanship have surged in recent seasons.

 

The **** he got and yet Pereyra is forgiven every time.

 

Oh no, there's more.

 

Got a feeling that if Pereyra hadn't tried it on and Deulofeu hadn't flopped about like a landed fish it might have been given to us.

Although if we need penalty decisions to win matches we are not good enough.

 

I think it's because of the "...clear scoring chance...." in the wording of the instant red card that these 'professionals' are no doubt trying to avoid.

Has this actually had any effect, yet?

 

Hadn't noticed the wolves player stamp on his foot right near the end of that clip until just now.

 

Liked for calling Yerry Mina ‘Yima’

Agree to an extent with the first point. It’s the same as booking a GK for time-wasting. No referee is going to book a GK twice for doing it.

I used to hate the idea - but I really do think with the seemingly irreversible introduction of VAR, there’s a reasonable gap in the game to introduce a third coloured card meaning a player can be sin-binned.

 

Incidently I've just watched England draw with Germany in the hockey - 4(?) green cards (2 min sin bin - 3 German) were shown and the commentators were praising the umpire warning players that continued pushing/barging/shoving in the 'D' would result in action. Kate Richardson-Walsh (very good ex-player) also pointed out that players hadn't learnt that how increasingly forceful the umpire blows their whistle for repeated fouls is a indicator to modifying their behaviour.

 

Jeez. Bit xenophobic of the referee giving England players 2 minutes but 3 minutes for the Germans.

The issue I would sense with sin-bins in football is that it would likely be for 10 mins - in rugby and other team sports it’s easier to take advantage of that hence making it a punishment worthy of trying to avoid. In football, a player may deem it worth commuting a sin-bin offence as he knows his team is likely to cope for 10 mins. I think punishment would have to be 20 mins at least perhaps even up to 45 mins.

Caught diving and proved via VAR - sitting out 50% of a match seems about fair and would make players think twice.

 

This is why we need Okaka playing I guess? He would never dive. Mainly because he wouldn't be able to get up again.

 

Well the tournament was in Flanders and the umpires were Dutch - the really hate the "mofs".

Also, the 2 mins: don't forget at international level a hockey match is divided into 4 15-minute quarters and with unlimited substitutions you can opt to play without a keeper - a tactic often used when a yellow (5 minute minimum in sin bin, longer for further offences) has been shown.

 

I really like the idea of a sin-bin. 'Professional' fouls are committed because a player has made a calculation that is tactically worthwhile. That calculation would have to be re-thought if going down to 10 men for an appropriate length of time was brought into the equation. Premier level teams would soon work out ways to exploit that position (in fact they already have). Committing fouls 'for the team' would soon be considerably reduced. (Including diving). Red cards are far too drastic for most offences, so refs stay clear of them. & nobody gives a damn about yellows, esp as refs are reluctant to issue a second. The amounts of time off the pitch would have to be thought through carefully, although 10 minutes off is probably good for most offences.

 

Sin bins are happening in kids football this season aimed in particular at respect shown to officials

 

Good.

 

Fessi was simply anticipating that stamp.

Always ahead of the action.

Proper top Champo player.

Miss him.

 

To me, Mina's over the top finger wagging reaction looked like it was to cover up his guilt as he knew he'd caught him and was trying to put doubt in the ref's mind.

 

It looks like one of the Beeb's online authors has been reading this thread...

 

England 'just' manage to beat Belarus 4-3 (click on the match for stats here) - don't know what to make of the result as so far the opposition have lost 0-11 and 0-14. Two cards issued, both to Belarus, one green (2 min) and a yellow (5 mins given by umpire).

What I did find interesting was in Q2, when England saw that this wasn't going to be a walkover they got very 'gobby' with the umpire(s). After yet another failed goal attempt the referee awarded Belarus a '16' (hockey version of a goalkick) - an English player (Toman?) began to argue that it was a long corner (hockey version of a corner - more like a free-kick). The umpire then shut her up by calmly asking if she wanted it referred (to VAR)...the England player very quickly shut up and walked away.

Also the players were continually told that only one player is allowed to approach the umpire (green & yellow cards were threatened) but as the language of international Hockey is English they would allow two players to approach if the appealing player's English language skills weren't great - Belarus forgot this when they lost their appeal(s) for a single player unclearly claiming for a non-existent offence...

 

Hughes is somewhere around 6 foot, listed as 6'1'' on the club website (whether you fully buy into that or no) and Geri is generally listed as 5'10'' whilst being quite robust; they even felt the need to include a section asking him why his legs were so big in his pre-season interview from Austria. Have you seen his topless kung fu dancing video?