Chelsea and diving ...

[SmudgetheClaret]

After that debacle that cost us 2 red cards including VK and those 2 very questionable ones against MU !

Have Chelsea bought into a culture of cheating...its a yes from me .

And don't get me started about the Wolves free kick...

Sorry if it's already been covered but it's sad way to play

[Juan Tanamera]

"Have Chelsea bought into the culture of cheating?"
I would say they were founding members.

[Colburn_Claret]

After that debacle that cost us 2 red cards including VK and those 2 very questionable ones against MU !

Have Chelsea bought into a culture of cheating...its a yes from me .

And don't get me started about the Wolves free kick...

Sorry if it's already been covered but it's sad way to play

It's been going on for 40 years.
I'm old enough to remember when it was the cheating foreigners as Italians and Spanish perfected the art. Now we, the British, are just as bad as everyone else.
It's a contact sport, but the powers that be have forgotten it more and more over the years. Tackles that were deemed acceptable 40 years ago would be red cards today, and tackles that are deemed fouls today would be laughed at 40 years ago.
I much prefer the way it was, when men tried to stay on their feet, but it's too late to stop it now. The prima Donna's have won, and football has lost.

Should we join them and level the playing field, hell no, personally I'd rather lose than win by cheating.

[Bordeauxclaret]

Sides are aware now that going down after any touch is likely to be given as a foul by these horrific referees.

That’s why there has been a sharp rise in the cheating.

[bfcjg]

There should be severe retrospective punishments for cheating as well as on field during the game if VAR looks back ( that said who trusts the VAR officials) and that could be a sin bin.

[ArmchairDetective]

I don't mind tackles that you used to get away with being red cards. Football is a short career.

But we need more done to stop blatant cheating and diving such as players going down when someone puts a hand on their shoulder. Ruining the game.

[aggi]

Best case you get a penalty and the opposition get a player sent off. Worst case the ref waves play on.

There's no downside to diving and a considerable upside so it's no surprise that teams do it.

[Swizzlestick]

Was just about to make the same point as aggi. You may as well do it - worst case scenario nothing happens or, more likely due to the awful standard of officiating, you get the decision. It’s a mess.

[Bobzuruncle]

This might be my memory playing tricks or just a personal feeling from playing but I seem to recall that shirt pulling was sort of taboo in the days of crunching and very dubious tackles. Not saying it didn’t go on but I think it was quick to be called out and not anywhere near as prevalent (maybe they didn’t have to)

[clitheroeclaret3]

There should be severe retrospective punishments for cheating as well as on field during the game if VAR looks back ( that said who trusts the VAR officials) and that could be a sin bin.

Spot on.
Not much use to us being cheated on the day but would certainly put a stop to a lot of it in the long run.
Doubt it will ever happen though as its generally the bigger clubs who are the worst culprits and prosper from it.

A wonderful example for younger footballing players to follow!

[Colburn_Claret]

This might be my memory playing tricks or just a personal feeling from playing but I seem to recall that shirt pulling was sort of taboo in the days of crunching and very dubious tackles. Not saying it didn’t go on but I think it was quick to be called out and not anywhere near as prevalent (maybe they didn’t have to)

Having hold of a shirt, and pulling a player back by the shirt, are 2 completely different things. In a dead ball situation a defender needs to keep his eye on the ball, whilst knowing where the lad he is marking is. The best way to do this is to grab the oppositions shirt and keep watching the ball. When he moves you know where he is going.
The problem boils down to the same thing though. Cheating players that throw themselves to the deck, and poor referees who can't tell the difference.

[Rileybobs]

Best case you get a penalty and the opposition get a player sent off. Worst case the ref waves play on.

There's no downside to diving and a considerable upside so it's no surprise that teams do it.

Even worse is that VAR encourages diving, because if you dive and in the process of doing so the opposition player makes the most minimal of contact, the VAR is likely to give the pen, and almost certain to if the on field ref already has.

[dsr]

Sides are aware now that going down after any touch is likely to be given as a foul by these horrific referees.

That’s why there has been a sharp rise in the cheating.

Yes, but referees are marked on every decision they make, and if they continue giving these free kicks and penalties for minimal contact, then it is because the powers that be want them to give them.

Look at the Wolves free kick on Tuesday. The man tried to kick the ball, missed it, and fell over. The MotD panel accepted that it wasn't a foul, because there was no contact at all - but if O'Shea had so much as brushed him with a fingernail, they would have said free kick. This is how the FA, FIFA, UEFA and the rest, want the game to be played at top level.

[Bordeauxclaret]

Yes that’s my point.

[northeastclaret]

Even worse is that VAR encourages diving, because if you dive and in the process of doing so the opposition player makes the most minimal of contact, the VAR is likely to give the pen, and almost certain to if the on field ref already has.

I agree and VAR makes the decision making process worse as well by showing on the monitor only one angle and in slow motion which always makes incidents look worse. Incidents can look very different in normal time. All helps the cheats but refs aren’t aren’t interested, the easy option most times.

[ecc]

"I'm old enough to remember when it was the cheating foreigners as Italians and Spanish perfected the art. Now we, the British, are just as bad as everyone else."

Francesco Leelo.

Michele Channone

[daveisaclaret]

Nobody ever had a problem with Robbie Blake diving.

[aclaretinstevenage]

Nobody ever had a problem with Robbie Blake diving.

Nor Michael Owen in an England shirt!

Maddison is a leading exponent of the "art" at the moment too.

[Royboyclaret]

"I'm old enough to remember when it was the cheating foreigners as Italians and Spanish perfected the art. Now we, the British, are just as bad as everyone else."

Francesco Leelo.

Michele Channone

Omar Sivori.

Jose Altafini.

Both from the "Battle of Naples" in 1967.

[bobinho]

It's been going on for 40 years.
I'm old enough to remember when it was the cheating foreigners as Italians and Spanish perfected the art. Now we, the British, are just as bad as everyone else.
It's a contact sport, but the powers that be have forgotten it more and more over the years. Tackles that were deemed acceptable 40 years ago would be red cards today, and tackles that are deemed fouls today would be laughed at 40 years ago.
I much prefer the way it was, when men tried to stay on their feet, but it's too late to stop it now. The prima Donna's have won, and football has lost.

Should we join them and level the playing field, hell no, personally I'd rather lose than win by cheating.

First team I ever remember watching who used “dark arts” to con referees and win games were Leeds Utd in the seventies. Brilliant footballers some of them, a few were just bullies, and the others were constantly feigning injuries to gain an advantage.

Of course we all remember the likes of Klinsmann being absolutely blatant, and of course there were other foreign players who were masters of it, but DL were the originators for me. Well, them and Franny Lee….

Cheating (and that’s what it is, regardless what the commentators and ex-pros call it) is here to stay I’m afraid. Wanna watch a sport played by men with character, courage and respect for the game itself and the officials? Only Rugby left I reckon… football is played by cheats and scoundrels with no regard for the game itself, and they bring shame upon themselves every time they take to the field, and when challenged on it, simply laugh it off. If it wasn’t for Burnley, I could easily not bother with it at all…thing is, when it’s played well, it really is the beautiful game.

[aggi]

Even worse is that VAR encourages diving, because if you dive and in the process of doing so the opposition player makes the most minimal of contact, the VAR is likely to give the pen, and almost certain to if the on field ref already has.

Yep, you get a double chance of being rewarded.

[Rileybobs]

Yep, you get a double chance of being rewarded.

I’m surprised Garner wasn’t awarded a penalty for doing this exact thing today.

[Woonderbah]

Best case you get a penalty and the opposition get a player sent off. Worst case the ref waves play on.

There's no downside to diving and a considerable upside so it's no surprise that teams do it.

And VAR was championed to sort all that out.. referees and pundits need to be reminded that football is a contact sport and not all contact is a foul.. all this going down cos his shin pad was brushed is embarrassing but as said above, until the standard of officiating improves, there's no deterrent.

[yTib]

the more people complain about cheating the worse it seems to get.

anyone would think that the drama of it encourages more non-football fans and therefore generates more money. a bit like wasps around a dustbin.

heaven forbid.