The swan of Anfield
Steven Gerrard, shame on you. Last night the Liverpool golden boy took the swan dive in an international friendly against Hungary as England make preparations in their run up to the World Cup.Here is yet another case for video evidence being used retrospectively. Gerrard won the penalty and thankfully, Lampard missed the resulting spot kick.
Spare a thought for the devil in Ian Wright. In his commentary after the match he actually suggested this behavior was fine because other players do the same thing to England. That’s a sad indictment on the state of football and the world at large.
And please spare me this petty argument that the defender was coming in with both feet. Any school boy could have jumped in the air to avoid the challenge and land back on both feet. That’s pathetic to consider as a justification. Gerrard had both arms extended and was playing for the referee’s hand, plain and simple.
You know, the more you pretend you’re not like everyone else, the more you are willing to sink into denial to create that reality. Diving is not something that Jurgen Klinsman introduced to England and Drogba keeps alive. It’s part of the win at all costs mentality, even in a friendly.
by Football Commentator at 5/31/2006 08:17:00 PM
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The disgusting element of the incident you describe was the horriffic two footed, late, high challange that was aimed at Gerrard. I for one am glad he got as far out of the way as possible and I think even if he wasn't touched, that would be a free kick outside the box because it is so terribly wreckless and the lunge made it impossible for him to keep the ball.. why isn't it a penalty then? There is NO ARGUMENT - the "swan dive" or avoidance of injury was an after thought and not relevant to the offence. Think about it. Why don't we all band together (even you Man Utd fans) and support ENGLAND and not have a go at our star man for still being able to walk.
Oh shut up you big wet lettuce!
Owen dived in the 2002 world cup against the Argies, won us a penalty which Beckham scored. And we went on to win that game. Where you complaining then?!!!
thats bollocks to the first comment. The challenge was no big deal, any skilled athlete could have avoided it and stayed on his feet.
so you think Owen's dive was honorable??? Man, this new generation of 11 year olds is something, isnt it?
Us teenagers could really learn something from their sense of ethics!
what was the defender at making a twofooted tacle in his penalty box in a friendly match.im just glad he dident break gerrards leg....
I agree. The defender is lucky he escaped a red card. That's just not cricket.
I didn't say Owens dive was honorable. I was merely pointing out that nobody made a fuss when he won that penalty, why? I'll tell you why because it was against the Argies thats why.
Get a grip if the same thing happened in the final and we ended up winning I doubt very much you'd complain.
This man instead of taking it against the defender for going in two footed on gerrard, is critisising stevie. You should have critisezed that defender not stevie, if you know what football means after all.....
Good point - Stevie would have been well within his rights (Morally) to put one on that defender for the way he went in on him. I would have smacked him one. It's a friendly for gods sake.
Well Stevie G did well to get out of the way of the two footed challenge. Im glad he did get out of the way because without him. England dont even have a chance of getting thought the group stages. An for the person who started this thread. You hate him because you cant be him.
Do 1 fool(Y)
YNWA
What is getting under every non-English fan's skin is the hypocrisy here.
Gerrard did NOT "jump" out the way to avoid injury. Yes, it was a bad lunge, but the defender had already missed Gerrard before Gerrard dived.
The issue here is how the English media goes ape over "foreign" players cheating, but are strangely silent when one of their own cheats like there's no tomorrow, in a friendly!
What is making it worse is the attempts at excusing it with drivel about Gerrard avoiding injury.
Rubbish! Gerrard was on his feet and well out of the way BEFORE he did the Swan Lake special.
Personally I couldn't really care, but just be honest about it for a change and admit the guy dived, just like any "foreign" player.
A short story by Mr Ronnie Rotten egg.
Once upon a time I loved egg.
THE END.
I guess the best way to end the argument was the comment that David Platt gave during the commentary for last night’s game. He mentioned that it was normal for a player to go down went you see a two footed challenge heading towards you, cause if it caught you on a standing leg it would cost some damage.I guess the best way to end the argument was the comment that David Platt gave during the commentary for last night’s game. He mentioned that it was normal for a player to go down went you see a two footed challenge heading towards you, cause if it caught you on a standing leg it would cost some damage. But you guys were comparing him to those "Divers" that falls went defenders just brush them. A truly unfair comparison.
Why did you feel the need to repeat yourself?...
Have you got short term memory loss or something?
Old folks do it all the time. You should try it. It really gets the message across
Cut the negative talk! Typical english mentality! Get behind the team now, back them all the way.
I'm English and a Liverpool fan and I felt very uncomfortable with Gerrard's dive, and it was a dive btw. Justice was done when the penalty was missed. If this was Drogba in a league match, the condemnation would be long, loud and justified, yet last night there was silence.
It is a very sad that English football is going in this direction, even sadder that so called fans try to justify Gerrards cheating. I'm sure the whole of Argentina did the same thing in 1986 with a certain incident.
It should not be said to be a problem with the 'foreign' players anymore when our own are doing it.
It is very sad when the end can seemingly ignore means. That is a very slippery slope to go down.
Anyone with a bit if sense knows that if the taskle hit gerrard yesterday, then it was a straight red card and penalty. Gerrard has jumped out of the way, it wasn't a penalty, as no contact was made. And to put this in the same boat as Drogba's swan dives during the season (or Robbens rolling around on the floor!) is a joke! No blame can be put on gerrard for that, it was a badly timed tackle which luckily missed him, and a wrong decision by the ref.
As Ian correctly pointed out its the hypocrisy. We've had a season where every "dive" by a foriegn player has bought scorn from every journalist. How different is what Gerrard did from, say Robben, when he "jumps" to avoid a tackle? For Gerrard its okay (it wasn't by the way, it was blatant simulation) but for others its CHEAT!
Now I'm English and behind the team, I'm glad we won, but its the hypocrisy that stinks. And especially from Ian Wright, that was shameful. I now expect to see his line trotted out regularly next season "well they do it to us..." Send it straight to Stamford Bridge Wrighty!
I'm a Liverpool fan but found myself watching the game to see how Gerrard, Carra and Crouch played (I admit I'm no big fan of England).
Back to the point, YES, I think its a dive and no doubt the defender came with his two legs sticking out, I personally felt Gerrard did "extra" to earn the penalty. I'm actually quite disapointed he decided to do that action rather than just hop over as I'm afraid its going to start being a habit once he sees how easily the ref's can be fooled sometimes.
He's done it once recently in a Liverpool game, and trust me, no doubt I can't deny he's one heck of a player which is so important to the club, I still don't like the idea of players diving no matter what. We've seen some clubs with certain players doing it constantly and the've been critisised for diving and now its starting to creep in Liverpool players.
One things for sure, any club nor country team can deffinately do WITHOUT DIVING because its ruins the game plus it tarnishes what ever good the player has done before.
"
Cut the negative talk! Typical english mentality! Get behind the team now, back them all the way.
"
Um, isnt that what, like, the Americans say before they start wars?
Talk about slippery slopes!
It was a dive, stop covering up 'cuz he's local
NO, Gerrard did NOT "jump to avoid the tackle, the tackle had already missed.
David Pleat and the repeating wonders can try and claim that as much as they like, and repeat the lie as much as they like, but Gerrard's "jump" had NOTHING to do with avoiding the lunge by the Hungarian player.
It's really sad that people try ever so hard to justify a straight example of cheating.
Sorry there aren't ANY excuses, there isn't any room for debate, HE WAS NOT AVOIDING A TACKLE, IT HAD ALREADY MISSED.
Anyway, as much as the apologists try, there is likely to be a consequence for this.
You can bet that all the WC refs will be studying this particular little effort by Gerrard, so when England DON'T get an iron-clad penalty in a crucial game, please remember not to cry and snivel about it, it's called karma.
Just a point for those insisting that it shoud have been a penalty anyway.
Remember that the ref does not have to award a free kick if he wants to issue a card.
I don't blame the ref for that decision, he had a split second to make a call and was conned by Gerrard.
However, what would have been the correct decision if Gerrard had not dived, would have been to continue play until there was a genuine stoppage, and then issue a card for a reckless challenge by the Hungarian player.
With what actually transpired, the correct decision would have been to halt play, issue cards to both the Hungarian player and Gerrard, and award a free kick to Hungary.
David Pleat's "argument" that one poster tried to say was "the best way of ending the argument" is spurious to put it politely.
As long as Stevie God continues scoring 90th minute scorchers I think we'll forgive him. It must be that Spanish influence at Anfield :)
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I'm not going to hide behind the anonymous tag. This guy is a cheating cunt and I would say that if he played for United (Man u fan here). Gerrard is worse than Drogba, and I nearly vomit I am that sick when I painfully watch Rooney (Pompey 06 and Arsenal 04) and Ronaldo (M'Boro 06 and Newcastle 05) do it. "Stevie G" is an over cosetted fairy (read his autobiography if you are in doubt of this fact) and therefore England's little darling. Gerrard should get a severe kicking every 2 matches because he usually dives every 2 matches. If he died tomorrow I would wildly celebrate, more so if it was a painful death.
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