Was surprised he wasn't booked at the Chapel when he went over the keeper. Didn't see him go down easily other than that though. Sometimes in the heat of the moment players go down and instantly realised they've made a mistake, I'm not really a fan of the "divers are scum" bandwagon.
I consider it quite a big deal actually. If the ref doesn't spot a handball by one of our players then I just smile and figure that it makes up for the decisions we don't get. Diving is cheating and that is totally different. I am proud of Saints for the quality of their play. I am a supporter, not a shareholder who only cares about winning at all cost. You may not share my view and wouldn't care if we had the reputation for cheating or dirty play, just so long as we go up. There is no need to abuse people who don't agree with you.
Lallana shoudl have been booke for the dive. This was right in front of me and Ashdown never touched him. Felt that the usually excllet Lallana was outshone by Chris McGuire today who was exceptional in my opinion.
I'm sorry, but sportsmanship over winning is what children are taught at school. When you get to playing football at a professional level in front of thousands of fans who have paid to watch, then winning at all costs becomes the most important thing. Yes, it's slightly more enjoyable to win when your team have played fairly throughout but the importance of winning itself outweighs any importance of gentlemanly conduct. The stakes are simply too high, especially in a derby game like today.
I hate divers and Lallana has a bit of previous, but if we need to win in the last game of the season and he gets a pen with a triple salkow with tuck I wouldn't give a
not bad for someone we've borrowed from derbys reserves is he. goes to show that decent players get frozen out due to personal conflicts and could end up missing their chance. hope we can sign him at the end of the year, if we are in a position to sign anyone he is exactly what the club needs, energetic youth!
You are clearly supporting the wrong team, I suspect that Lala may have dived, would like to see the replay for possible contact, but I am ready to give him the benefit of the doubt, very often his pace can create a problem, where the slightest touch can upset the equilibrium and topple him, it is up to the Referee to decide whether the challenge was unfair, but it surely isn't necessary to book a player every time he goes down under a tackle, I am also sure if he could stay on his feet he would have a better opportunity to finish.
It's also cheating to move a freekick a yard forward. Or sneak a few feet with a throw-in. Or waste some time with injury time substitutions. It's all cheating, so I presume you are as indignant to that taking place? You get ZERO extra points for playing a gentlemans game. You get ZERO extra decisions from refs for playing a gentlemans game. I couldn't give a single toss if fans of other clubs thought we were cheats or not. No one gave a toss about us when we dropped through the divisions being a soft touch. As ever, it's an overblown point anyway. Yes, Lallana looked for a penalty today & didn't get it. He's no where near on the level of divers in this league and above and has very many more "decency points" to his credit that really should mean that his own fans give him the benefit of the doubt, because he's EARNED IT.
oh, so now we are talking about the "spirit of the game"? Well by the FA's rule book, there are a great many things you can be penalised for "ungentlemenly conduct". Lallana wasn't booked by the ref, who rules the game, so I guess he didn't think it was a dive, so should his say be final and this whole thread a moot point?
I agree with CBK on this one. When we have been challenged in the 89th minute in front of 30,000, then we can judge. He made a mistake and he knew it, not the crime of the century, no need to jump all over him.
Nobody saying he didn't work his socks off, so no need for the flowery go away remark. He did dive though, and it's a little habit he's got himself into and needs to stop.
Honestly, I'd rather see someone dive in the box than try to stay up even though they've lost the ball. If you can take a shot you might as well but if not, forget sportsmanship, I'd rather have the goal.
He made himself look foolish but nothing was given, so why all the indignation. The other week Varney was caught by the keeper, stayed on his feet and missed goal - he was criticised for being too honest. The following week he went down in the area and was booked for diving and was criticised by the same people for cheating.
I am 100% sure that if Lallana won a pen with a dubious fall that sealed promotion on the last game of the season, you would all happily jump on the hypocrite bus and bloody cheer. So, shall we all climb down out of our ivory tower eh?
