[Archived] Ian Wright- Get This Man Off Our Tv Screens

[Eddie]

Simulation

A player who attempts to deceive the referee by feigning injury or

pretending to have been fouled is guilty of simulation and must be

cautioned for unsporting behaviour.

So there you have it. Chapter and verse from the FIFA rulebook.

1. The sooner disciplinary action is taken from vid evidence the better. He should by rights have been busted over those 2 incidents that America highlighted.

2. How would we feel if Gerrard does that against us next season? Eh Eddie?

3. Not the best idea to alert the WC referees to his diving ability just days beforee the WC starts is it?

Did he try and fool the officials? I didn't see any attempt at an appeal, he simply went to ground.

[thenodrog]

Did he try and fool the officials? I didn't see any attempt at an appeal, he simply went to ground.

You really are now stupidly trying to defend the indefensible.

[tcj_jones]

I hope that both you and Mr. Wright will be so calm and matter of fact about it should England get knocked out of the competition to a similar bit of play from an opposition.

However, I rather think not. Instead we will get months and months of whinging of how 'we were robbed' and calling for lifetime bans for players who cheat, with no-one able to see that we are unable to take the moral high ground if we condone our players doing the same sort of thing?

You've clearly misunderstood what I've said. I would be totaly ###### if someojne cheated us oput of a result, buit seeing as every nation in the world would docthe same as us, then we might as well do the same.

[Eddie]

You really are now stupidly trying to defend the indefensible.

Answer the question.

[neekoy]

Eddie, by going to ground he was trying to decieve the officials, that should be plain

If he had time to 'move' out of the way of a 'dangerous' tackle by going to ground he had time to keep on his feet and play on

Wait till that little indian bloke Karma is sitting at the England game at the WC and you guys go out 1 nil from a dodgy penalty. Imagine the uproar how England were once again ripped off in a major tournament

[dave birch]

Eddie, by going to ground he was trying to decieve the officials, that should be plain

If he had time to 'move' out of the way of a 'dangerous' tackle by going to ground he had time to keep on his feet and play on

Exactly, Neekoy.

A bad decision by the ref. He should have let play go on for the advantage and then booked one for a dangerous attempted tackle and the other for "attempted simulation".

Players falling over at the slightest zephyr of a breeze from a passing opposition player are a blight on the game.

[Rover4ever]

Did he try and fool the officials? I didn't see any attempt at an appeal, he simply went to ground.

he simply went to ground.....and his face gestured and winced that he was in pain. People fall over all the time in football. However, if he just went to ground, why did he use such facial expressions, which are generally by players who, 1) are injured, 2) trying to con the referee ?

[Eddie]

Eddie, by going to ground he was trying to decieve the officials, that should be plain

If he had time to 'move' out of the way of a 'dangerous' tackle by going to ground he had time to keep on his feet and play on

Wait till that little indian bloke Karma is sitting at the England game at the WC and you guys go out 1 nil from a dodgy penalty. Imagine the uproar how England were once again ripped off in a major tournament

Maybe, but I certainly disagree about the latter. Sometimes you can't avoid going to ground and it can at times look like a dive even when it is not meant to be. If you want Karma to come into it then I think we have a bit saved up with bad decisions going against us, so I'm looking forward to England winning.

[DaveyB]

You've clearly misunderstood what I've said. I would be totaly ###### if someojne cheated us oput of a result, buit seeing as every nation in the world would docthe same as us, then we might as well do the same.

And I was just pointing out that, since you are now happy to applaud our players cheating, you are in no position to complain when someone does it against us.

Do you really think that Ian Wright in the studio, or you at home, will be happy to shrug your shoulders and say 'it's just one of those things' when we get knocked out of the World Cup to a similar incident?

No thought not! I abhor cheating, and it would appear others on here feel the same, no matter who does it. I have long called for divers to be punished in retrospect - as I believe most people on here did after spit dived against us the other year - but it does rather weaken the argument if we happily applaud our players when they do the same.

[rover6]

he simply went to ground.....and his face gestured and winced that he was in pain. People fall over all the time in football. However, if he just went to ground, why did he use such facial expressions, which are generally by players who, 1) are injured, 2) trying to con the referee ?

Eddie, sometimes there is more than one reasonable interpretation but this time you are wrong - simple as that.

Yes, Gerrard evaded a dangerous challenge but if you watch it closely, his right foot is splayed and he makes NO attempt to right it. Once he evaded the lunge, he made a split-second decision to dive, when he could have stayed on his feet.

[AlanK]

I hate diving. There is far to much of it these days.

However, if England were 2-0 down in the final to the Argies due to a dive and a handball, how many of us will be shouting at Owen to win / earn a couple of penalties?

It boils down to trying to win fairly and putting ourselves at a disadvantage to the other teams who will try every trick in the book or lowering the standards and playing on a level playing field. Not easy.

[Presty On Tour]

give gerrard a break, it was only a friendly and it was his birthaday after all.

the penalty was saved so justice was done.

if england are 1-0 down to germany in this years world cup and it's the 90 minute and gerard or any of the england team dives in the box to win us a penalty and we score and go on to win the game, would there be so much moaning then?

owen against argentina in 2002, that dive in the box sent england to a 1-0 win.

diving needs to be stamped out of the game and there have been shed loads of attemps to do this but if it wins you games, the players will keep trying their luck no matter what the Consequences.

[RevidgeBlue]

Personally I was disgusted with Gerrard's actions and it was in some ways a good job it was only a friendly.

What does it matter if everyone else is using shady tactics?. All you can do is plough on as best you can within the laws of the game and hope that the officials are good enough to spot any skullduggery.

Where is the satisfaction in winning through cheating? There is none. None whatsoever. I'd much rather lose knowing that my team has done their best within the rules and spirit of the game.

The game is moving increasingly towards the stage where matches are being decided not by genuine footballing skill and good play but by who can manufacture the cleverest "simulation" allowing their dead ball specialist to whip in a delivery from a dangerous position etc. The recent European Cup Final very nearly being a case in point.

If this sort of thing gets much more prevalent there'll be little point in competing or coming out of the dressing room at three o clock in my book.

[Blue blood]

If he dived and got a pen in the WC final and we won it 1-0 he'd be the biggest legend off all time and people wouldn't say a thing about it.

I would it would be a hollow victory. It'd take the shine off winning and contrary to belief the whole footballing world would flag it up. What's Maradona remembered for primarily - cheat or football genius - I reckon with most people it's the former. And like Gerrard it'd make a mockery of his talents.

What does it matter if everyone else is using shady tactics?. All you can do is plough on as best you can within the laws of the game and hope that the officials are good enough to spot any skullduggery.

Where is the satisfaction in winning through cheating? There is none. None whatsoever. I'd much rather lose knowing that my team has done their best within the rules and spirit of the game.

The game is moving increasingly towards the stage where matches are being decided not by genuine footballing skill and good play but by who can manufacture the cleverest "simulation" allowing their dead ball specialist to whip in a delivery from a dangerous position etc. The recent European Cup Final very nearly being a case in point.

Agree. That's one of the reasons why beating manure is so sweet because the cheeting bar-stewards seem to have the referee on their side.

[Rovermatt]

What's Maradona remembered for primarily - cheat or football genius - I reckon with most people it's the former.

Hardly. Maradona was clearly a cheat when it came to the 'Hand of God' but such discrepancies are unlikely to undermine his status as the second greatest player ever.

[pleasure]

What's Maradona remembered for primarily - cheat or football genius - I reckon with most people it's the former. And like Gerrard it'd make a mockery of his talents.

.

i'm able to divorce the cheating and controversies and appreciate maradona's ability. for me, he's the best player there has ever been. he had everything. genius.

[SouthAussieRover]

Hardly. Maradona was clearly a cheat when it came to the 'Hand of God' but such discrepancies are unlikely to undermine his status as the second greatest player ever.

He was also a cheat when it came to the drugs he snorted.

Was it Italia 90 or the WC before when he resembled a psycopath let loose?

[pleasure]

He was also a cheat when it came to the drugs he snorted.

Was it Italia 90 or the WC before when he resembled a psycopath let loose?

94 world cup. he scored a screamer, against greece.

[Rovermatt]

He was also a cheat when it came to the drugs he snorted.

Was it Italia 90 or the WC before when he resembled a psycopath let loose?

1994.

[blue phil]

Oh I see it was you on the tram giving off a load of racist crap. Small world eh? i'd have said hello if I'd known it was you.

Next time maybe phil (sic). We'll have so much to discuss.

Aye , next time show a bit of bottle .... Maybe a bit more bottle than just sending a silly personal message

[Eddie]

He was also a cheat when it came to the drugs he snorted.

It might be illegal to take drugs, but I can't find one reason why taking cocaine would improve your performance and so be classed as cheating.

[blue phil]

Maradona was undoubtedly a cocaine user but in the World Cup he was nabbed for the use of Ephedrine

This is a description of the drug which I unashamedly lifted after a quick Google !

"Ephedrine has become one of the most popular 'supplements' used by athletes; ....... it is a rather powerful stimulant which can speed up interval workouts, increase strength, and also assist with weight loss..."

I think it's fair enough then to call Maradona a cheat

[Alex Rover]

Exactly, Neekoy.

A bad decision by the ref. He should have let play go on for the advantage and then booked one for a dangerous attempted tackle and the other for "attempted simulation".

Maybe but its not really a valid point because from the Ref's position it looked like a "stick-on" penalty. It was only the replays from the opposite angle that revealed otherwise.

[Eddie]

I don't know the exact details but wasn't that because he was using an American version of a drug he usually took that in Argentina does not contain Ephedrine?

[blue phil]

Not too sure myself , Eddie - I only had a quick glance at an old BBC report which said he had tested for Ephedrine .

Who to believe -Maradona or the BBC ? Both discredited in recent years I'm afraid ...