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Klopp: We are not divers

The topic of diving is one of the age old debates that surrounds Football. The press at large love the headlines it provides, and some losing managers often use it as a deflection tactic to cover up their side's overall poor performance. 

 

The fans also dislike a opposition player falling all over the place, and aren't too thrilled when one of their own partake in the practice.

While everyone will have their own opinion, being called a diver or by extension a cheat, is never a accusation that you want to have over your head.

Every great player has a moment where they are publicly questioned about this part of the game, and it appears it is now Mo Salah's time under the spotlight.

The conversation started on Boxing Day when after over a year of the referee failing to point to the spot in a league game at Anfield despite countless appeals over that time, Graham Scott adjudged Newcastle defender Paul Dummett had held back Salah in the box.

Some pundits thought 'The Egyptian King' had made the most of the contact, but former referee Dermot Gallagher believed the right call was made.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Gallagher said.

I thought it was a penalty - he [Dummett] caught him by the arm and there was enough there. At the speed people move, you do not need much… (to go over). 

"His reaction is that he almost gives upon the decision, like 'why have I done that?'"

 

salah8_600.jpg
 

Then in the game against Arsenal on Saturday, the debate sprung to life once again when Michael Oliver gave his first of two penalties to the Reds when he adjudged that Salah was fouled by Greek defender Sokratis before the half time interval.

It led to a on-field dispute between the parties concerned and led to on field leader Virgil Van Dijk standing up for his teammate as both teams went into the tunnel.

While it looked like a flashpoint, Van Dijk said the issue looked worse than it was.

"Obviously everyone came around us and it looked like we were fighting or something, but we weren’t. 

"I just wanted to talk to him. But that happens in football and we move on. 

"I’m protecting my team-mates and that’s normal, that’s how everyone should react and that’s what we all need to do, to back each other. That’s what I definitely do." 

When questioned on the topic Jurgen Klopp was adamant that his team are in the clear in this regard.

 

The Mirror reported Klopp as saying:

"I haven’t seen it back [with Sokratis] and I have no clue about what happened around it, but the ref really was close to it.

"We don’t have divers and that was not a dive. The other one is not a dive. The ref decides it. In the three and a half years, we have had more penalties not given when they were penalties and you think, ‘Hmph, hmph, hmph!"

“Dermot Gallagher said [after Newcastle], ‘Penalty.’ His [Dummett's] arm was there. Do we need blood for a proper penalty? I think no.

"In that moment, if you don’t touch Mo and he makes the next step and shoots – and we know he’s pretty good at that… these are the situations."

This discussion will no doubt raise its head again the next time Salah is fouled in the box.

But just like all the outside noise, the best thing to do is focus on the things we can control as a side.

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18 hours ago, DaveT said:

Let's just go back to OT in the spring and remember Ashley Young taking a piggy back ride on Mo in the box. Even Gary Neville said Young was clearly fouling him - that tells you everything. (I won't mention Fellaini taking out Sadio just inside the box in the same game - or the blatant Valencia handball).

All Mo is doing now is following the unwritten rule espoused by Shearer every week - 'you feel contact, you've every right to go down'. Trouble is, these unwritten rules seem to apply to everyone but us!

It was telling that Dummett didn't complain about the penalty given against him. Because it was clearly a foul. In the box. Ergo, a penalty.

Yes and I've just seen Cottee on Sky say he was told off by his manager for not going down if he was fouled!

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23 hours ago, DaveT said:

Let's just go back to OT in the spring and remember Ashley Young taking a piggy back ride on Mo in the box. Even Gary Neville said Young was clearly fouling him - that tells you everything. (I won't mention Fellaini taking out Sadio just inside the box in the same game - or the blatant Valencia handball).

All Mo is doing now is following the unwritten rule espoused by Shearer every week - 'you feel contact, you've every right to go down'. Trouble is, these unwritten rules seem to apply to everyone but us!

It was telling that Dummett didn't complain about the penalty given against him. Because it was clearly a foul. In the box. Ergo, a penalty.

Exactly!!! Altho we made it a lot harder for ourselves by conceding those two early goals the ref fucked us that day by allowing Young to foul Salah at will. After the match all I could hear was how Young had Salah in his pocket, well it's pretty fucking easy to look like Paulo Maldini if the ref allows you to foul players with impunity.

 

Salah going down easily is not a problem as the refs have shown that they won't protect him. If other fans hate us because of this, who gives a shit they hate us already

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23 hours ago, DaveT said:

Let's just go back to OT in the spring and remember Ashley Young taking a piggy back ride on Mo in the box. Even Gary Neville said Young was clearly fouling him - that tells you everything. (I won't mention Fellaini taking out Sadio just inside the box in the same game - or the blatant Valencia handball).

All Mo is doing now is following the unwritten rule espoused by Shearer every week - 'you feel contact, you've every right to go down'. Trouble is, these unwritten rules seem to apply to everyone but us!

It was telling that Dummett didn't complain about the penalty given against him. Because it was clearly a foul. In the box. Ergo, a penalty.

Exactly!!! Altho we made it a lot harder for ourselves by conceding those two early goals the ref fucked us that day by allowing Young to foul Salah at will. After the match all I could hear was how Young had Salah in his pocket, well it's pretty fucking easy to look like Paulo Maldini if the ref allows you to foul players with impunity.

 

Salah going down easily is not a problem as the refs have shown that they won't protect him. If other fans hate us because of this, who gives a shit they hate us already

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On 1/1/2019 at 8:31 PM, Mikhail said:

Exactly!!! Altho we made it a lot harder for ourselves by conceding those two early goals the ref fucked us that day by allowing Young to foul Salah at will. After the match all I could hear was how Young had Salah in his pocket, well it's pretty fucking easy to look like Paulo Maldini if the ref allows you to foul players with impunity.

 

Salah going down easily is not a problem as the refs have shown that they won't protect him. If other fans hate us because of this, who gives a shit they hate us already

HEARD YOU,the first time.

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