From John Terry’s remarks yesterday:
“I can speak about the England lads and I think it is something we don’t do,” said Terry. “I think we’re too honest, sometimes even in the Premier League you see the English lads get a bit of contact and stay on their feet and try and score from the chance they have been given. The foreign mentality coming in is ‘any little clip you can go tumbling over.’
“I think sometimes that honesty goes against us. I think sometimes as a country we’re too honest.”
In the meantime, Fredorrarci, who, if I am not mistaken, is not English, has written the best post on diving that I’ve read.
Read More: Diving
by Brian Phillips · September 5, 2009
What a load of croc from Terry. He obviously has never heard of Steven Gerrard, David Beckham and Joe Cole.
A few minutes ago I deleted a comment I’d put up earlier that was just a string of YouTube clips of England players diving. It felt cheap, which is why I deleted it, but it only took 90 seconds to assemble, which is why John Terry should stop peddling this stuff.
What’s really amazing about his comments is that from one angle he’s actually encouraging England players to dive more. (We’re excessively honest, our honesty holds us back, etc.) So maybe he’d look at the clips of Rooney coolly hurling himself at the turf and think, okay, we’re making progress.
It’s a good thing England are so honest, because otherwise the extremely suspect penalty they just won would look a little suspect.
God, there’s some bizarre beatification of Rooney going on in England that seems a little Marca-ish, listening to Tyldesley explain how the penalty came after “Rooney just had a little kick at the defender there, but it’s ok because he’s just frustrated” prepared me perfectly for Wright’s scathing indictment of the referee for conning himself. Though it was done in a comic-relief manner.
What if diving isn’t actually the root of all evil? What if the ability to dive well and fool a referee is a pretty integral part of being a good player? Malouda’s two points, snuck from Anfield under Style’s overcoat. 5 goals at Old Trafford after Ronaldo struck the earth like a meteorite – Nani’s embarrassing attempt at a dive (against Bolton?) echoes his embarrassing attempt at being Ronaldo. A European final, boots thudding up and down a choppy pitch and the nous to heroically throw yourself to the earth? Talent, and part of a players arsenal (yes, I suppose you could say diving is a big part of Arsenal).
There’s this concept in S. America; maybe fostered by passion and romance, maybe by heat stroke – but to win against a rival by an undeserved goal, to con the referee and just take the points is a more delicious win. The benefits of diving for a player or team are transparent, and is it not risk and relative reward that breeds entertainment?
Why eliminate the contraversial aspects of football and the poor refereeing decisions? Take away the talking points that make football discussions last a whole week? If all decision were sterilised and oh so clinical, there’d be no feeling of cheated outrage – no knowlege that if Riley was more competent then we’d have won the league, nowhere to place failings other than our own doorsteps.
How about a new enemy? Spanish TV – rather than offer comment on Pique’s importance to La furia roja’s attacking play, they’re trying to sell me a PS3. In between this they seem to be attacking anyone for daring to oppose Madrid’s inexorable march towards the title.
The most frustrating aspect of John Terry’s comments is that they will be peddled mindlessly and with an assured nod of the head by the media. The English self-righteous assault on foreign players will continue with a blind eye legitimized by John “Mr. Unbiased Honesty” Terry.
Meanwhile, the rest of the world watches with jaw dropped.
“What if diving isn’t actually the root of all evil?”
Oh George, if only we all (The Guardian especially) thought this way…
I really appreciate this blog, and the level of dialogue it engenders. It often encourages me to rise above my natural tribal, emotional responses to football (though, I do embrace them, sometimes it nice to take a break).
However, in the spirit, or more accurately to contravene to spirit of your removal of a post, Brian, can I just say in regards to Terry and the unfathomable depths of his hypocrisy: what a fucking prick!
(In full disclosure, that’s actually still elevated from my initial emotional response.)
In what I thought was one of the most interesting bits in Gianluca Vialli’s “The Italian Job”, he produces the theory that English footballers see football as a game, whereas Italian footballers see it as a job. Subsequently, according to Vialli, Italian players will go to greater lengths to gain an advantage over their opponents, including diving. Which is why in England diving is considered unseemly, whilst in Italy it is seen as a smart move.
That said, any Chelsea player claiming the moral high ground on diving is making himself rather ridiculous.
Just remembered this great 2006 Slate piece on diving by Austin Kelley:
http://www.slate.com/id/2144625/
Does anybody else think that if the separate sport of diving was held in higher regard, then diving would be accepted in football? Lots of folks follow rugby, so we accept the ludicrous downfield goalkicks which end up on defenders heads, right?