Ashley Young, Diver ?

[The Situation]

By reading the majority of posts in this thread it is obvious no-one here has played football at a high level.

Ashley Young is about 5'9 and looks like he weighs no more than 60 kilos... when he is running at a velocity speed the SLIGHTEST of touches by some defender who weighs about 20 kilos more than him of course he's going to go down, he can't help it, it's how the laws of physics work. Do people sersiouly think that Ashley Young works out a 'diving stratergy' pre-game? When you're running with the ball with 70,000 screaming England fans all you think about what is currently happening now, your mind doesn't wander and think ''hmm, now how should I try and win a penalty here... should I attempt a Gerrard starfish or should I go down and do 5 roll roly poly''.

I hate it when people single out a player for diving, most players do it nowadays but what upsets me even more is supposed Villa 'fans' branding our best player as a 'cheat'. We're very lucky to have a player like Ash, so just stop this nonsense.

[Chris Smith]

At least kicking is a natural action associated to the game, it's usually hard to argue if a defender claims he went to kick the ball but mis timed it.  L Young on the OS states that it is difficult to make the perfect tackle when a winger who can do the 100 metres in 11 seconds is bombing past you.  I think it's harsh to say defenders kicking forwards is cheating, as the guys move so quickly these days.  I agree holding shirts in the penalty area is cheating and should be penalised more often by refs, also swearing, I can't believe Rooney still gets away with saying f' off you n0b to a ref, what a great example to kids.  I also hate the pundits standard reaction to penalty claims, "it must be a pen, there was contact".  So? It's a contact sport, there is contact all across the pitch, it's only if that contact is enough to be deemed foul play should a pen be awarded, not just any mere touch.

The probelm is defenders do enough to impede and slow up forwards but not enough to knock them over. Useless refs will only award the fould if the player foes down so they're encouraging them to make the most of it because if they don't the defender gains an unfair advantage.

[Salsa Party Animal]

He need to cut it out otherwise every genuine foul will not be awarded due to his reputation of being a diver.

[pedro25]

I agree refs not penalising does not help. 

Last night there was 2 offences one coming quickly after the other, firstly Ash dived, secondly he was fouled and rightly so the first offence stopped play and was punished, the second was after the whistle in essence (if not in reality due to the speed of the event).

I cannot understand the mentality of Ash, imagine you are playing for England at Wembley and you burst through into the penalty box, it would take a herd of elephants to take me off my feet to stop me having the opportunity to score.  I do accept that at high speed slight contact can unbalance players and can be a penalty, but last night Ash dived before the challenge.  He wasn't even diving out of the way to avoid potential injury he dived to con the ref, whether it was instinctive or premeditated I dont know, but he does it regularly for Villa so I do think his mentality before a game is to win at all costs, including diving where he thinks he can get away with it.  Last night proved he doesn't need to do it, as it cost England 3 points, had he not dived he would have been fouled and a pen awarded.

[saunders_heroes]

All footballers dive, so what? He's a fantastic player and I love having here at our club. Start banning players for diving retrospectively and it'll stop over night. Until then though it'll be part of the game. There's worse divers out there anyway - certainly worse than Young. He's that quick and agile, even the slightest contact will bring him down. So the accusations he's a diver are exaggerated. He's no more a diver than most other players out there.

[The Situation]

In the great words of Jim Rome "If you’re not cheating, you’re not trying and it’s only cheating if you get caught"

[saunders_heroes]

By reading the majority of posts in this thread it is obvious no-one here has played football at a high level.

Ashley Young is about 5'9 and looks like he weighs no more than 60 kilos... when he is running at a velocity speed the SLIGHTEST of touches by some defender who weighs about 20 kilos more than him of course he's going to go down, he can't help it, it's how the laws of physics work. Do people sersiouly think that Ashley Young works out a 'diving stratergy' pre-game? When you're running with the ball with 70,000 screaming England fans all you think about what is currently happening now, your mind doesn't wander and think ''hmm, now how should I try and win a penalty here... should I attempt a Gerrard starfish or should I go down and do 5 roll roly poly''.

I hate it when people single out a player for diving, most players do it nowadays but what upsets me even more is supposed Villa 'fans' branding our best player as a 'cheat'. We're very lucky to have a player like Ash, so just stop this nonsense.

Spot on.

[john e]

In the great words of Jim Rome "If you’re not cheating, you’re not trying and it’s only cheating if you get caught"

what about bribing the ref before the game to let you have a penalty,
 would that be OK in your cheating is ok as long as you dont get caught world ?

[Olneythelonely]

In the great words of Jim Rome "If you’re not cheating, you’re not trying and it’s only cheating if you get caught"

what about bribing the ref before the game to let you have a penalty,
 would that be OK in your cheating is ok as long as you dont get caught world ?

But this is winning a penalty but exaggeration, not bribery. He was fouled twice, if referees were more willing to give penalties for fouls without people throwing themself to the floor then less people would dive.

[supertom]

Unquestionably yes! He dives far too much. Not just blatant dives, but he falls over far, far too often looking for free-kicks. The worst part is he'll often waste good opportunities by going to ground to easily. He'd be a much better player if he cut that shit out!

[john e]

In the great words of Jim Rome "If you’re not cheating, you’re not trying and it’s only cheating if you get caught"

what about bribing the ref before the game to let you have a penalty,
 would that be OK in your cheating is ok as long as you dont get caught world ?

But this is winning a penalty but exaggeration, not bribery. He was fouled twice, if referees were more willing to give penalties for fouls without people throwing themself to the floor then less people would dive.

i agree with you about the refs,
but diving is still cheating and just because every body does it doent make it alright.

we hate it when it goes against us with Drogba or Ronaldo in the past,
so we cant just brush it under the carpet just because he's one of us,
plus the fact that he didnt gain anything, and he will more and more be marked out as a diver, which might cost us at some time

i like every body else  thinks Ashley Young is a great player, but he does himself no favours with all the diving about,
and just because he's a Villa player doesnt mean we should be hypocritical about it

[eastie]

Sad to say it , but yes ash has got himself a reputation for diving and he does dive on occasions.

It will do him no favours when he is fouled as referees will be reluctant to give it unless certain because he's dived so many times-that aside his form this season seems to be much more consistent so far And long may he continue this rich vein in form.

[Ad@m]

By reading the majority of posts in this thread it is obvious no-one here has played football at a high level.

Ashley Young is about 5'9 and looks like he weighs no more than 60 kilos... when he is running at a velocity speed the SLIGHTEST of touches by some defender who weighs about 20 kilos more than him of course he's going to go down, he can't help it, it's how the laws of physics work. Do people sersiouly think that Ashley Young works out a 'diving stratergy' pre-game? When you're running with the ball with 70,000 screaming England fans all you think about what is currently happening now, your mind doesn't wander and think ''hmm, now how should I try and win a penalty here... should I attempt a Gerrard starfish or should I go down and do 5 roll roly poly''.

I hate it when people single out a player for diving, most players do it nowadays but what upsets me even more is supposed Villa 'fans' branding our best player as a 'cheat'. We're very lucky to have a player like Ash, so just stop this nonsense.

So where was the slightest touch that sent Ash down in the box a second before he reached the defender?  The one he was booked for.

No-one's saying the lad hasn't got talent.  But it's not in the spirit or the laws of the game to attempt to deceive the referee through simulating a foul.  Such ungentlemanly conduct doesn't sit well with most people.

[supertom]

There's a big difference in the way someone falls when they've genuinely been knocked off balance at speed, and the way someone falls when they're diving. Certainly for the pen incident, Ash was blatantly, as blatant can be, diving. No question.

Given his slight frame he doesn't need to do it, he wins so many fouls in a game as it is, without having to try and win more by foul means, when staying on his feet and pumping in a cross or a shot might be more sensible. He's actually one of the worst in the Prem right now, much as I hate to say it.

He really needs to cut it out.

[TheSandman]

In the great words of Jim Rome "If you’re not cheating, you’re not trying and it’s only cheating if you get caught"

what about bribing the ref before the game to let you have a penalty,
 would that be OK in your cheating is ok as long as you dont get caught world ?

But this is winning a penalty but exaggeration, not bribery. He was fouled twice, if referees were more willing to give penalties for fouls without people throwing themself to the floor then less people would dive.

i agree with you about the refs,
but diving is still cheating and just because every body does it doent make it alright.

we hate it when it goes against us with Drogba or Ronaldo in the past,
so we cant just brush it under the carpet just because he's one of us,
plus the fact that he didnt gain anything, and he will more and more be marked out as a diver, which might cost us at some time

i like every body else  thinks Ashley Young is a great player, but he does himself no favours with all the diving about,
and just because he's a Villa player doesnt mean we should be hypocritical about it

I have to say I completely agree. I hate footballers who cheat and think it makes it more difficult in the longer term even if it might (and I emphasize that might) mean short term gain.