Diving and Play Acting.

Is it wrong to think that diving is just part and parcel of the game? If you can anticipate an opposition player clumsily running up from behind you, I think it is a skill to let your legs get entangled and win a set piece.

If you are in the box and you can anticipate someone lunging in and you can fool the ref into thinking you were taken out, you earned that penalty.

It’s only the people that have no skill or understanding of flair that dispute this. This is why England will never win any major tournaments.

And for the people that condone it… Don’t pretend you don’t cheer when Drogba wins you a penalty after he has gone down in the box like he has been shot. How many times have you seen Bale, Gervinho or Gerrard in the opposition box in the final few minutes and think to yourself ‘just go down’.

Don’t get diving confused with play acting. I don’t condone rolling around on the floor to waste time, faking an or just to get attention. Diving should be used to win a penalty, gain the upper hand, get a last chance free kick just outside the box. That is a skill. Play acting is just boring.

Now I know United players dive. I know Rooney dives in the box. I know Young takes a tumble whenever he can and I know Ronaldo has a Masters in it, but whether you like it or not, it is a very useful skill.

Just like being able run with the ball very fast, diving is a skill that can be the difference between winning and losing.