It was the battle of the cheats in the Champions League last night as Arsenal striker Gervinho and Schalke star Ibrahim Afellay battled to outdo each other in the diving stakes.
Both players shamelessly dived in a cynical attempt to con the referee, but to his credit, Jonas Erickson was having none of it, and swiftly booked both players, which is great to see.
Gervinho had a frustrating night for the Gunners, and his dive was probably a reaction to his inability to really get into the game, but a dive is a dive, and this one is as bad as any I've see this season:
Afellay's dive was just as bad - he tried to pull off the fabled 'pre-emptive' dive, made famous in the Premier League by Wayne Rooney, but as you can see from the footage below, his timing was off:
Predictably, the match report on Arsenal's official website makes no reference to Gervinho's dive or booking, but - shock horror - it does make light of Afellay's yellow card for 'simulation':
"Interestingly, the first attacking moment came via a Schalke breakaway. Afellay skipped past Carl Jenkinson and Vito Mannone before tumbling under the keeper’s challenge. The Dutchman was booked for simulation".
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Jaimie Kanwar
Both players shamelessly dived in a cynical attempt to con the referee, but to his credit, Jonas Erickson was having none of it, and swiftly booked both players, which is great to see.
Gervinho had a frustrating night for the Gunners, and his dive was probably a reaction to his inability to really get into the game, but a dive is a dive, and this one is as bad as any I've see this season:
Afellay's dive was just as bad - he tried to pull off the fabled 'pre-emptive' dive, made famous in the Premier League by Wayne Rooney, but as you can see from the footage below, his timing was off:
Predictably, the match report on Arsenal's official website makes no reference to Gervinho's dive or booking, but - shock horror - it does make light of Afellay's yellow card for 'simulation':
"Interestingly, the first attacking moment came via a Schalke breakaway. Afellay skipped past Carl Jenkinson and Vito Mannone before tumbling under the keeper’s challenge. The Dutchman was booked for simulation".
Reminder: Stick the comment policy (bottom left of site) or be banned.
Jaimie Kanwar
O dear, what a sad bunch you scousers are! Just because your racist cheat dives every game, you have to highlight everyone else? There are always divers, but Suarez does it twice a game every game at least! So sad you have to cite others but you lot love the victim card
ReplyDeleteno comment not interested
ReplyDeleteWhat shameful hypocrisy! You have the biggest cheat in the world playing for you; one Suarez the Lady Godiver!
ReplyDeleteAffellay didn't dive IMO. He got-down very easily but I think Victor Manonne had some contact with him.
ReplyDeleteEnglish Commentators were also having same opinion
we do not highlight it the host highlights it i came on to see if jaimie was going to put anything on about tonights must win match but instead of discussing lfc matters hes on a one man crusade
ReplyDeleteWhat victim card? Total nonsense. I highlight diving of LFC players all the time, especially Suarez, and I've been doing the same for divers of other teams for years, and will continue to do so. Instead of foaming at the mouth over irrelevancies, why don't you slam Gervinho for diving?
ReplyDeleteHow is it hypocrisy when I highlight Suarez's diving all the time?
ReplyDeleteWatch the footage: Afellay dives before Mannone even makes contact. How do you explain that?
ReplyDeleteSo you are an Arsenal supporter. Interesting.
ReplyDeleteWonder what koscielny thought of it....
ReplyDeleteArsenal were terrible last night and i honestly think we will finish ahead of them. We have had a bad start, lots of young players, no strikers and we are still only 3 points behind them. The difference between the two clubs are the fans, one lot supporting their team, manager and young players regardless of results. The other treating their players to a half empty stadium during the champions league (seriously that would never happen at Anfield), boos at full time and criticism of their manager who works on a shoestring and gets champions league football every season. I suppose thats what happens when your supporters only follow you because you played good football for 5 years in the early 00's!!
why is he an arsenal supporter jaimie just insinuated it
ReplyDeleteDidn't know C. Ronaldo was playing for us. Or is it Drogba. Or Robben. Those three must be the biggest cheats in the world. By the way, wouldn't it be hypocrisy if Jaimie only highlighted Suarez' antics? I would like to think so. Good on him that he keeps an eye on other culprits too. You are probably upset because this time it was one of your clubs players.
ReplyDeleteI am an Arsenal fan and lets have it right the game is full of cheats in every team - but i think it's only the fans who care about it and even we are a bit one eyed when it comes to our own - the problem with Suarez is that he does seem to have a not very likeable character added to his south american take on trying to win games which is a real shame because he is a top quality player - but I think the future for LFC is the kid Sterling looks the nuts when I was at our away game there earlier in the season .
ReplyDeleteRIP the 96
It was just a guess based on the nature of the post. Could be a Manc too, but why would a Manc react to a story about an Arsenal player.
ReplyDeleteDon't really know about Suarez' character as I have never met him in person. Anyway, plenty Liverpool supporters are not happy with his diving and play-acting. He'd be more of a help to our cause if he stayed on his feet as often and long as possible.
ReplyDeletei dont know why would a lfc site run posts about arsenal when they are plenty more things to post about
ReplyDeleteWhat about Jefferson Farfan, that was the biggest dive and he got Vermalean a yellow card. Its hard to feel sorry for Suarez because although i would to have him in my team, he has a sinister attitude about him; Biting peoples ears, Denying Ghana a chance in the semi final using hands, diving at every opportunity, it makes it hard to compare him to other cheats. I think he ranks highest.
ReplyDeleteAgain I am only guessing, but it could well be that the guy who's running this site would feel a bit like a hypocrite if he only highlighted Suarez' diving. I think it is good that he highlights the antics of other players, too.
ReplyDeleteI think when he stopped that ball from going in, he didn't think about denying Ghana. It probably was a reflex reaction and if he thought in that moment it was rather helping his team to go through. To be honest, I've played football myself for well over 30 years and even at my low level people would do things like that in matches that matter a lot less than a WC quarter final. Back when he did it, I didn't blame him for it and he wasn't playing for us back then.
ReplyDeleteGoing down at every opportunity? Think I have to disagree with you on that one. You better watch a few more of our matches. I don't condone his diving, but Robben for example was (and is) a lot worse. People have short memories.
Clearly what has happened here, is that supporters of other clubs have seen Arsenal highlighted somewhere on a blog aggregator, and followed the link and seen a Liverpool fan having a go at Arsenal players. But in truth you do point out all cheaters, including Suarez.
ReplyDeletehe his playing the victim card he knew other clubs fans would post comments then we could all talk about suarez instead meanwhile if lfc lose tonight were probabley out of europa but thats just a side show why talk about that when we can all have another go at suarez
ReplyDeleteGreat swedish ref! Need more like him in PL and CL
ReplyDeleteStrong gust of wind on his ankles?
ReplyDeleteharis - If a player can stay on his feet, but decides to go down with minimal contact, its a dive...
BORING!!!!!! What a sad bunch you scousers are
ReplyDeleteWhat a vile little boy you are.
ReplyDeleteI think you are wrong. The article we are commenting on isn't even about Suarez and as far as I remember correctly, Jaimie has started his football cheats series long before Suarez signed for us. Sometimes even a few fair minded supporters of other clubs come on here and it is refreshing if they too condemn the diving of their players. Of course there will always be those with kindergarten behaviour ('but your player does this and that').
ReplyDeleteBy the way, there are many other forums where you (or me or just anyone else) could discuss tonight's match.
buttner's was probably the worst all week, but of course nobody mentions it, even henry winter who called it a dive on twitter changed it to a 'tumble' in his match report.
ReplyDeleteDisgusting, vile, evil hypocrites, the lot of them.
But some people don't want to acknowledge that, which doesn't exactly put them into a positive light.
ReplyDeleteMaybe, but as long as we are not as sad folk like you are we might just be fine.
ReplyDeleteJason - I'm getting sick of your constant sniping. (on this and other threads over the last week, plsu all the posts that didn't even go live because of the derogatory comments you made). Sorry, but you're banned for a week. I did warn you about this last week too and you didn't listen.
ReplyDeleteyeah I remember Anfield's great support of the team when you booed them off for a 0-0 v West Ham that put you top. The backing of Hodgson 'regardless of results' was amazing - what loyalty. And the players - they must love it, does the Kop ever stop singing the names of Downing and Henderson, no matter how they play. Mug.
ReplyDeleteJK appeasing those who keep moaning he only targets Suarez on this issue.
ReplyDeleteHe never bit anyone's ear.
ReplyDeleteHe bit someone's shoulder and pulled Rafael's hair, get your facts straight!!!!
Good work Jaimie.
ReplyDeleteYou should tweet about all cheats.
On another note, am I the only one who sees the irony of Ferdinand's racism crusade.
Racism is rooted in ignorance, the very same ignorance displayed with Rio's retweet of the choc ice comment.
Rio doesn't realise that he made an utterly racist remark by essentially stating that all black people are fundamentally different from whites and should therefore always toe the line of the race divide.
Why aren't journos pointing this out to him? He has used a racist term.....