Gerrard "is a diver"

[Shaggy]

I think your comment is fair but that something should only be called a dive (and this may well be implicit in your answer) if the player is seeking an advantage. If they are merely trying to avoid being battered then even if they aren't hit at all it shouldn't IMO necessarily be classed a dive.

[Pablo]

OMG how is this thread still going!

It was a dive. It was a bit embarassing.

Gerrard is not the devil incarnate. There are far, far worse culprits for diving in the Permiership than Gerrard.

This is not even old news. Let it go.

[Woobus]

How the **** can anyone on this thread that says Gerrard doesn't dive???

http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/3112/gerrarddiving3zjab6.gif

What the **** was that? Explain that then?

Do you have anything good to say about our players or manager?

[ufc43]

****s sake, lets try this again, using small, one or two syllable words...it's not a dive cos there is contact, and by making the most of the contact he makes sure the referee is well aware of it. Something Gary Lineker used to do very well.
A dive is when a player goes down under no contact.

Gerrard no more "dives" than Torres does. But Torres is the golden boy and beyond criticism, even if sometimes he goes down quicker that a cheap whore.

Ah well, thats OK then. If Lineker can do it........

I,m not discussing every player that dives. I am talking about this instance, Gerrard dived.

According to you, once there is ''contact'' a player cant be judged to have dived!!! Thats total ****.

For example, what if a player was going trough on goal and a defender made ''contact'' with, lets say the attacking players hand when running close to him. The attacking player then launches himself into the air with the intention of winning (coning) a decision from the ref. Would it be classed as a dive? Remember, there was contact.

I think you need to remember this is football, not net ball.

[ufc43]

Who says? You?

A dive is a dive whether there's contact or not. A dive is when a player voluntarily hits the deck, when a player actively chooses to go to the ground - contact or no contact.

Minimal contact does not make it okay to "exaggerate" and go down like you've been shot.

Your comments smack of someone who hasn't played much, if any football.

It's a contact sport and contact doth not a foul make. End of.

Shaggy and Einar are spot on.

[ufc43]

No, he said the ref was right.

Yeah, because he knew he dived and was trying to save face.

Still a legend, just no more of this please.

[Scratch]

Who says? You?

A dive is a dive whether there's contact or not. A dive is when a player voluntarily hits the deck, when a player actively chooses to go to the ground - contact or no contact. how many times have you seen a player get clipped, or have his shirt tugged, and not go to ground, only for the ref to wave his arms and signal play on, even though the contact caused the player to lose control of the ball? Too many, cos refs are not inclined to give fouls under those circumstances. Going down ensures the ref knows there was contact.

Minimal contact does not make it okay to "exaggerate" and go down like you've been shot.

Your comments smack of someone who hasn't played much, if any football.
Play twice a week, but cheers for your concern. I've seen enough **** refereeing decisions too fully understand why some players would choose to do as Gerrard is prone to doing, nad Torres, and Carra, and Mascher, and Arbeloa, and Kuyt, and...you get the picture...all these players, in fact most players in the league exaggerate contact...watch a player run, get the slightest tug on his shirt and pull up like someones dropped anchor on them, watch a defender milk contact with a forward to try and get the referee to give a foul, happens all over the pitch. You comments smack of someone who really doesn't understand football as it is played today, and instead remembers players like Smith, Souness, Harris et al from the golden age of yesteryear

It's a contact sport and contact doth not a foul make. End of. i'm all for contact, so long as the ball is got first. Simple as

[Shaggy]

"football as it is played today"

i.e. nearly everyone cheats.

It is a cancer in the game and it needs removing. No wonder other sports laugh at football.

Gerrard does it more than any of the players you've mentioned but you're right - plenty of others do it. Doesn't make it right though. You seem to think it's okay

[Scratch]

Not too sure i think it's ok, to be honest, i'm just of the mind that if you can't beat them, join them...pointless being denied a penalty cos you managed to stay on your feet when you know your opponents are likely to try and gain one...the sooner they bring in video evidence for these incidents (make it like in tennis, each side gets two challenges per half...if you challenge a decision and you're proved right, you keep the challenge. If you challenge and get it wrong, you lose that challenge. And only the captain can ask the ref to challenge a decision, on the advice of his teammates) the better. Till then, the status quo will exist as it is.

[Shaggy]

if you can't beat them, join them

I think that's exactly what Gerrard's decided and, while I can understand that attitude, it doesn't sit very comfortably with me.

[einar]

Not too sure i think it's ok, to be honest, i'm just of the mind that if you can't beat them, join them...pointless being denied a penalty cos you managed to stay on your feet when you know your opponents are likely to try and gain one...the sooner they bring in video evidence for these incidents (make it like in tennis, each side gets two challenges per half...if you challenge a decision and you're proved right, you keep the challenge. If you challenge and get it wrong, you lose that challenge. And only the captain can ask the ref to challenge a decision, on the advice of his teammates) the better. Till then, the status quo will exist as it is.

Please dont say that ever again. This is the worst plan EVER and will ruin our game.

[Scratch]

Well then, we'll just have to live with the fact that all players cheat.

I offered a simple solution that will not interrupt the flow of the game...in fact, done right it would speed the game up, cos rather than watching 10 players surround and argue with the ref for two minute, a fourth official can watch a couple of replays and let him know within 30 seconds. Also, limiting a team to two challenges means that it won't be stopped all the time.

What's your solution then? Enlighten me?

[einar]

Well then, we'll just have to live with the fact that all players cheat.

I offered a simple solution that will not interrupt the flow of the game...in fact, done right it would speed the game up, cos rather than watching 10 players surround and argue with the ref for two minute, a fourth official can watch a couple of replays and let him know within 30 seconds. Also, limiting a team to two challenges means that it won't be stopped all the time.

What's your solution then? Enlighten me?

I do see your point. But for me what has made this game the most popular in the world is the fact that is not fair. The americans like their sports because they are not like life. They have made sure that everything is fair and always correct. What I like about football is the opposite.

What needs to be done IMHO is make the rules more simple so that as soon as a player makes a foul he knows what the ref is gonna do. Things like, it was his first foul or it was early in the game should not come into it. One of the things that bother me most is when people say "the ref ruined the game"
I want the responsibility for the players actions and how the game turns out to be solely on the players.

Also IMO players should get a yellow card for arguing (not talking) with the ref.

[friedk]

In the Friedel challenge I actually think there was slight contact, but Gerrard was still going nowhere and looking for a penalty.

Saying that I do think he dives, and it is the fault of the English press that it is not flagged more often. Not only him, but Rooney goes down often, and Joe Cole is the worst of the lot. It seems where English players are concerned, everyone seems reluctant to call it cheating, whereas with Drogba, Ronaldo etc, it's easy to excuse as something that has been 'imported' and not British.

It's not good for the game and I feel all clear dives should be punished irrespective of where they take place. I also believe that where a player blatantly goes down in the box with the intention of getting a penalty and possibly a player sent off, it is an attempt to radically alter the course of the game by cheating and that player should be sent off. The change in players' attitudes would be immediate.

[Shaggy]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/columnists/columnists.html?in_article_id=560598&in_page_id=1951