MAURICIO POCHETTINO

defended fresh claims that Dele Alli had dived to try to win a penalty at Crystal Palace by saying: “We need to stop saying too much about him to stop helping people, the fans, creating this reputation.” Which is nonsense. People who watch live football every week know when a player is getting into the habit of going down too easily and they feel cheated. It’s not pundits like Alan Shearer or fans in stadiums who need to stop saying things. If Pochettino (above) wants to help Alli avoid a reputation as a diver, he needs to start saying things. Like ‘Stay on your feet or I’ll fine you’.