[Archived] Martin Olsson

[Hughesy]

It was a dive, no doubts about it, however had he stayed up for half a second longer then he would of been taken down by Jensen's foot anyway...

He also scored 1 perfectly good goal + 1 did it/ didnt it cross the line shot.

[RoyRover]

He scored a good goal that was wrongly called off side.

He dived for the penalty.

The ball did not goal fully across the line.

[Montfort]

Has admitted he dived and expected a yellow card

Respect to him for admitting it

[braddock]

david dunn scored a penalty. that is the truth.

[Rover Down Under]

Bell end Poll is advocating the FA throw the book at Olsson for diving:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1262329/GRAHAM-POLL-FA-throw-book-Martin-Olsson-blatant-cheating.html?ITO=1490

Bet if it had been Gerrard we wouldn't have heard a peep from anyone...

I say good on him for owning up, very few would. If the FA had any balls they would introduce a retrospective punishment for diving - lets say 3 game ban if you don't admit it, 1 if you do. They won't cos diving always favours the big teams and they have the worlds best divers as well as the worlds best players. But OH NO, little Blackburn Rovers do it and suddenly they are advocating punishment...the FArce gets more and more ridiculous.

[Montfort]

Respect to him for admitting it

Completely disagree with myself now I have heard the full story. I thought that he had admitted he dived but assumed that it was a spur of the moment thing in the heat of battle etc. not a premedatated event. This is very poor. What does he think will happen the next time he goes down in the box and how many penalties does he think his disclosure will cost Blackburn. This is a great pity as he has had an outstanding season and looks like he could become a regular on the teamsheet

[thenodrog]

Bet if it had been Gerrard we wouldn't have heard a peep from anyone...

He would never have admitted it. Just like most billy big timers.

Olsson should have said "I jumped over the tackle because I'd just been caught from behind, put slightly off balance and was afraid of getting my leg broken by that big goalkeeper."

Now that it's too late a quick statement should be issued along the lines of "Oh, very sorry English is not my native tongue and at the time I was mislead and I didn't understand the question fully". followed by the above.

Just who tf is supposed to be in charge of PR and press matters at BRFC? A contentious issue like this should have been easily sidestepped. Whoever it is is very replaceable.

[Hughesy]

Nice to see him get involved when Eduardo did it in a much bigger profile game!

[Exiled_Rover]

He would never have admitted it. Just like most billy big timers.

Olsson should have said "I jumped over the tackle because I'd just been caught from behind, put slightly off balance and was afraid of getting my leg broken by that big goalkeeper."

Now that it's too late a quick statement should be issued along the lines of "Oh, very sorry English is not my native tongue and at the time I was mislead and I didn't understand the question fully". followed by the above.

Just who tf is supposed to be in charge of PR and press matters at BRFC? A contentious issue like this should have been easily sidestepped. Whoever it is is very replaceable.

Paul Agnew, last time I checked at least.

[67splitscreen]

The big worry now is that we are unlikely to be even awarded genuine pens.

[RibbleValleyRover]

Stupid comments from Olsson, especially this one (if true):

"Olsson admitted that he was surprised not to be booked for diving from referee Mike Dean. He also claimed Sam Allardyce's side had targeted the official as one of the referees who gives the most penalties."

FA give the OK for players to admit cheating after Blackburn's Martin Olsson escapes dive ban

[DeadlyDirk]

Great game against the Dingles, shocking dive though that he really needs to cut out of his game. I hate it when players dive and cheat even if they play for us. I hope the FA do come down hard on him to send a message out that diving isn't going to be tolerated otherwise expect it to continue on the increase.

Cut it out lad and keep up the rest of the good work.

[Hughesy]

I hope the FA do come down hard on him to send a message out that diving isn't going to be tolerated otherwise expect it to continue on the increase.

They cant - and if they did, we could kick off as I didnt see Eduardo getting done, or perhaps Gerrard 10 times a season etc...

They need to add the rule in the summer before next season though!

[Ricky]

Eduardo did get done for it didnt he? I think it was appealed against as Arsenal could show there was the tiniest contact from one camera angle.

[LeChuck]

Eduardo's dive was in European competition so that would be a UEFA matter, whereas ours is a Premier League matter.

The two incidents can not be compared.

[Kelbo]

I have managed teams where my player has stayed on his feet when being pushed off the ball, I and other managers would give a player one hell of a rocket for not going down,Paul Fletcher and Brian Laws both said they would have done the same and that diving has been going on for 50 years which it has, Francis Lee was one of the main culprits and won loads of penalties for Man city and Notlob, not saying it is right but its part of the game and if others do it, we must too, those points can be so vital with one higehr place in the table worth £750,000

[DeadlyDirk]

They cant - and if they did, we could kick off as I didnt see Eduardo getting done, or perhaps Gerrard 10 times a season etc...

They need to add the rule in the summer before next season though!

Why can't they? Surely they make the rules, change them if there is nothing that can be done about blatant dives that wasn't spotted. Is it that same stupid rule that they can't change the referees decision because he supposedly saw it? Daft as that assumes that the referees running about the pitch actually know what they are doing.

Diving really needs to be clamped down upon, as little as 10 years ago it was quite rare to see a dive, at least in the premiership anyway, 5 years ago not so much and now it's more or less every game there is an incident around diving.

I like Olsson a lot, he's coming on really well as a player but I'm not going to defend his dive just because he's a Rover, hit him with a ban until the end of the season and he'd probably never dive again. Follow that with similiar punishments for others found guilty of diving and it would soon become a minimal problem.

Eduardo and Gerrard numerous times should have been punished for what's been caught on camera and not spotted at the time but that's beside the point, those events are behind us now, the FA/UEFA whoever didn't deal with them very well, now they have to start clamping down on diving which is becoming more and more frequent due to their leniency in the past.

I almost blame the referees as much as the players though, they don't control games and take charge anywhere near enough. Decisions are so inconsistent it's got to the stage of being a joke, similiar tackles will result in a red one game and an uncalled foul in another. If a players gets kicked or there's contact and doesn't go to ground then he 99.9% of the time doesn't get a free kick for it, I can partly see why players sometime make a meal out of a challenge at times like that, unfortunately that's where the major problems come in.

[DE.]

Not smart of Olsson to admit to it. No pros to being honest in this case and a lot of cons. We all know he dived, there was no reason to go further and explain the mentality behind the decision. Someone needs to have a word in his ear about future interviews.

[den]

I have managed teams where my player has stayed on his feet when being pushed off the ball, I and other managers would give a player one hell of a rocket for not going down

Nothing to be proud of there Kelbo.

Diving is cheating, as is the manager who tells his players to cheat.

[gumboots]

Why can't they? Surely they make the rules, change them if there is nothing that can be done about blatant dives that wasn't spotted. Is it that same stupid rule that they can't change the referees decision because he supposedly saw it? Daft as that assumes that the referees running about the pitch actually know what they are doing.

Diving really needs to be clamped down upon, as little as 10 years ago it was quite rare to see a dive, at least in the premiership anyway, 5 years ago not so much and now it's more or less every game there is an incident around diving.

I like Olsson a lot, he's coming on really well as a player but I'm not going to defend his dive just because he's a Rover, hit him with a ban until the end of the season and he'd probably never dive again. Follow that with similiar punishments for others found guilty of diving and it would soon become a minimal problem.

Eduardo and Gerrard numerous times should have been punished for what's been caught on camera and not spotted at the time but that's beside the point, those events are behind us now, the FA/UEFA whoever didn't deal with them very well, now they have to start clamping down on diving which is becoming more and more frequent due to their leniency in the past.

I almost blame the referees as much as the players though, they don't control games and take charge anywhere near enough. Decisions are so inconsistent it's got to the stage of being a joke, similiar tackles will result in a red one game and an uncalled foul in another. If a players gets kicked or there's contact and doesn't go to ground then he 99.9% of the time doesn't get a free kick for it, I can partly see why players sometime make a meal out of a challenge at times like that, unfortunately that's where the major problems come in.

I'm not happy he dived, but in the light of the fact that the powers that be did nothing about Gerrard and others then it would seem a bit much to do Olsson. As has been said, they need to make it plain to players in those preseason things they do that from day one of next season if you are found to have dived you will be banned for x number of games, and CARRY THE THREAT THROUGH, regardless of who the player is, what club he plays for, how much his manager whinges, how important he is to the England set up or whatever it is that seems to influence them. It would very soon stop, but unfortunately like all initiatives it relies on consistency of application and we all know you rarely get that

[Mr. E]

gutted. This is unacceptable behavior. We are not the kind of club that does this, heck, not even El Hadji has dived for us since he came here.

Not sure what to say really, but I have lost a good deal of my good feelings towards this player. John Williams should in from BFS that we do not do this type of thing, and the proper punishment should be delivered.

And yes, the fact that most other clubs have no problem diving is all the more reason for us to condemn it.

[DeadlyDirk]

I'm not happy he dived, but in the light of the fact that the powers that be did nothing about Gerrard and others then it would seem a bit much to do Olsson. As has been said, they need to make it plain to players in those preseason things they do that from day one of next season if you are found to have dived you will be banned for x number of games, and CARRY THE THREAT THROUGH, regardless of who the player is, what club he plays for, how much his manager whinges, how important he is to the England set up or whatever it is that seems to influence them. It would very soon stop, but unfortunately like all initiatives it relies on consistency of application and we all know you rarely get that

True it would be a little harsh that they don't punish him after not punishing Gerrard but two wrongs don't make a right. Let's say (Random name pluck) Arteta dives this weekend which the referee doesn't spot and then admits to it later, can he then not be punished either as it would be unfair since they didn't punish Olsson? Then so on and so on, they have to start somewhere and in my opinion since diving is becoming more and more frequent they need to start soon.

I agree they should have some kind of ban set in stone that is stuck too but in my opinion they should bring it in today, not in a close season. It may seem a little unfair to bring in rule changes in mid season but if something is wrong then why wait to change it, it certainly isn't fair when people start winning penalties or getting others sent off etc by hitting the deck every ten minutes.

You've hit the nail on the head with the consistency though, as I said before, the referees are almost as much to blame, they are so inconsistent with their punishments and decisions it's beyond a joke.

I just don't want us to become one of those teams that gets associated with diving, we had Pedersen's last year against Arsenal which was so bad I'm still not even sure it was a dive, Olsson publicly admitting to it and Kalinic doesn't seem shy in going to ground early either. Even the formally immovable object Roberts seems to be hitting the deck a lot more this season than in previous. Hopefully it's not come from the manager but it could be an instruction not to miss a chance to go down.

[gumboots]

True it would be a little harsh that they don't punish him after not punishing Gerrard but two wrongs don't make a right. Let's say (Random name pluck) Arteta dives this weekend which the referee doesn't spot and then admits to it later, can he then not be punished either as it would be unfair since they didn't punish Olsson? Then so on and so on, they have to start somewhere and in my opinion since diving is becoming more and more frequent they need to start soon.

I agree they should have some kind of ban set in stone that is stuck too but in my opinion they should bring it in today, not in a close season. It may seem a little unfair to bring in rule changes in mid season but if something is wrong then why wait to change it, it certainly isn't fair when people start winning penalties or getting others sent off etc by hitting the deck every ten minutes.

You've hit the nail on the head with the consistency though, as I said before, the referees are almost as much to blame, they are so inconsistent with their punishments and decisions it's beyond a joke.

I just don't want us to become one of those teams that gets associated with diving, we had Pedersen's last year against Arsenal which was so bad I'm still not even sure it was a dive, Olsson publicly admitting to it and Kalinic doesn't seem shy in going to ground early either. Even the formally immovable object Roberts seems to be hitting the deck a lot more this season than in previous. Hopefully it's not come from the manager but it could be an instruction not to miss a chance to go down.

You're probably right that they should do it now, but pratically speaking it would be a nightmare. there'd be such uproar that it just makes far more sense to do it at the start of a season so nobody can say "But he didn't get done" etc. If it's spelt out preseason then you have more chance of getting clubs and players on board, that's all.

[American Rover12]

Diving is cheating, as is the manager who tells his players to cheat.

Not calling you out directly Den, there have been loads of posts similar to this post's sentiment. Just quoting this one as it was on the last page.

Yes, we all want divers to be labeled as cheats and forced to kick the habit out of the game. I say habit because diving has been around so long that its part of the mentality of the generation playing right now. I doubt the majority of the players are going out there looking to dive and win a Penalty but at the same time subconsciously in their heads they know its an option should they get in that spot because it always has been. The only way players are going to knock it off is if the FA and subsequently officials start carding and fining players left and right who dive. Will it be excessive and ridiculous at first? Probably. But when those fines and cards start adding up, I guarantee everyone will reconsider falling over in they're on a 4th yellow and facing a ban or yet another fine.

not saying it is right but its part of the game and if others do it, we must too, those points can be so vital with one higher place in the table worth £750,000

Noble ideals can only get one team so far if cheating and diving happens all around. I'm with you on this one Kelbo. Lord knows how many dives for penalties we've seen called against us, and while admitting it is stupid I don't hold it against Olsson one bit, especially not against the dingles.

Once the FA takes this issue seriously we'll start to see a change.

[DeadlyDirk]

Not calling you out directly Den, there have been loads of posts similar to this post's sentiment. Just quoting this one as it was on the last page.

Yes, we all want divers to be labeled as cheats and forced to kick the habit out of the game. I say habit because diving has been around so long that its part of the mentality of the generation playing right now. I doubt the majority of the players are going out there looking to dive and win a Penalty but at the same time subconsciously in their heads they know its an option should they get in that spot because it always has been. The only way players are going to knock it off is if the FA and subsequently officials start carding and fining players left and right who dive. Will it be excessive and ridiculous at first? Probably. But when those fines and cards start adding up, I guarantee everyone will reconsider falling over in they're on a 4th yellow and facing a ban or yet another fine.

Noble ideals can only get one team so far if cheating and diving happens all around. I'm with you on this one Kelbo. Lord knows how many dives for penalties we've seen called against us, and while admitting it is stupid I don't hold it against Olsson one bit, especially not against the dingles.

Once the FA takes this issue seriously we'll start to see a change.

It's cheating however you look at it though, it's not legal to dive in football, just because others get away with it and there is a huge financial incentive does not make it okay to do so.

Lots of people claim benefits they are not entitled too, I'll do the same shall I considering lots of others do it and it's worth a fair few grand.

It needs to be stamped out, not encouraged in any way.