Diver or cunning pro? I’d pat Rash on the back for winning this pen
WHAT a week for Marcus Rashford, with Kylian Mbappe the most exciting teenager in Europe.
Rashford made a glittering statement about his potential with that fabulous free-kick to give Manchester United the edge in their Europa League semi-final.
But four days earlier, he was accused of “deceiving” the referee by Swansea manager Paul Clement on a busy weekend of penalty controversy, which highlighted the need for more clarity in the laws to define the difference between cheating and foul play.
First of all, let’s put Rashford’s talent in perspective. If Monaco striker Mbappe is valued at £75million, as the current transfer market suggests, how much must Rashford be worth?
Pace frightens defenders to death, and this boy has pace to burn – with an end product.
But at an early stage of his career, the 19-year-old is caught in the crossfire of the latest debate about borders between professionalism and cheating. So let’s take four recent incidents to try to sort out the legitimate penalty claims from the grey areas and the fraud. 1 In Liverpool’s win at Watford on Monday, Lucas Leiva threw himself to the deck to try to win a penalty without being touched, and was rightly booked. If we ever see the introduction of retrospective bans for simulation in football, that one would deserve sanction. 2 Was Rashford’s fall, when Swansea keeper Lukasz Fabianski came rushing out, a foul? In real time, it looked a penalty.
But replays show Rashford initiated any contact. Fabianski gave referee Neil Swarbrick a decision to make by rushing out, and as things stand the officials only get one look.
Was it a dive? Well, at least there was contact. But contact doesn’t automatically mean a penalty, just as every exaggerated fall is not cheating.
For me, cheating is when you throw yourself to the ground without being touched, and when there is no risk of injury, to try to gain an unfair advantage. In Rashford’s case, I would call it professionalism. Were I a Swansea player, I would have been screaming at the ref. But as Rashford’s team-mate, I would have been
patting him on the back
Kane stayed on his feet, but in the next movement provoked further contact and he then went down
because he worked the rules to his advantage. The most powerful counterargument is penalties should only be conceded by defenders, not “won” by attacking players who trail a leg to invite contact. I can see both sides, but in the professional game I understand why players exploit grey areas. 3 Harry Kane’s penalty in the north London derby was legitimate. Gabriel caught him and he stayed on his feet, but in the next movement provokes further contact and goes down.
Ultimately, Michael Oliver – who had a good view – makes the right call. It’s interesting Kane stayed on his feet when first clipped, and only went down after further contact in the next half-stride. 4 Philippe Coutinho was fouled by Martin Kelly, but stayed on his feet after stumbling, and was not awarded a penalty in Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat at Crystal Palace. Referees need to start giving penalties where players stay upright. A foul is a foul, it doesn’t need to be confirmed by an exaggerated fall.
With huge stakes involved in promotion and relegation – a place in the Premier League is worth up to £200m – you would hate to see major issues decided in controversial circumstances.
Call me a hypocrite if you must, as I used to milk the system.
In a League Cup final, playing for Leicester, I got Tottenham’s Justin Edinburgh sent off when he lashed out but barely touched me and I reacted by holding my face. Looking back, I am embarrassed.
I was wrong to behave as I did. But Edinburgh gave the referee a decision to make. And I remain on the side of those who try to gain an advantage – within the rules, where there is contact – because that’s how I was brought up to play the game.
One thing I will not buy is the myth that kids who watch Premier League football go out and copy the antics of star players.
Over the last eight years, I must have seen nearly 400 games at academy level, at every age group from Under-7s to Under-14s, when I watch my sons play.
And I have never seen a single player dive.
So don’t tell me Rashford, or any Premier League player, is encouraging kids to cheat or deceive referees.
I’m not against players “winning” penalties like Rashford or Kane, simply because the rules accommodate it, but I would like to see retrospective bans for diving over thin air.
And until referees start rewarding players when they don’t go down, they will always feel the need to exaggerate a foul to guarantee free-kicks and penalties.
Sorry if you don’t agree.