Is Jack Grealish another diving cheat??

[Nick Bateman]

One sees heaps of praise placed upon Grealish but whenever I have observed him, he seems to hit the floor at not only the slightest touch but many times with no contact at all.

The Sky commentators always, and I mean always state "Grealish was fouled" and they do the same when Eden Hazard leaps to the deck in perpetuality.

If we are to eradicate such 'gamemanship' from football surely the officials should stop rewarding the divers and giving them an unfair advantage from the honest players out there.

[Nero]

Grealish runs into StefJo and its a foul to the diver

[thebumponleroyshead]

One agrees, my sentiments entirely squire.

[Holders]

Dives should be bookable.

[grandad]

There are at least a half dozen who cheat every week. Why the officials are not wise to it by now I don´t get it.

[Sting of the North]

Dives should be bookable.

They are.

[JoelH5]

Has it taken you that long to work that out?! Haha

[peter w]

Yes Grealish does go to ground slightly easier than most, but then again if you watched him every week you see he is usually targetted for a meaty challenge within the first few minutes. Happened last night, happened against Leeds a few weeks back, happens when the other team try to nullify him by kicking him. You can argue that going down to win teh free-kick is gamesmanship, but then again so is going out to target a player by fouling him. One game, it may have been Cardiff last year, and against Bham at home this year, they took turns in who was going to kick Grealish and get booked for it. And not always do they get booked.

Players like Grealish need more protection - see Zaha at palace - but they don't get it. if they have to try and take some advantage back from the kickers then so be it. Its a two way street.

[Mitch]

Short, simple answer on this one. Yes.

[peter w]

Not once has he been booked for diving. So, no.

[The Enclosurite]

Not once has he been booked for diving. So, no.

That just makes him a very good cheat.

[peter w]

Not once has he been booked for diving. So, no.

That just makes him a very good cheat.

or not a cheat.

[Andy S]

They have already taken a lot of physical contact out of the game. Some of it has to stay and penalty’s and free kicks can always be given. Sending offs to me spoil the game as teams often put 10 men behind the ball

[The Enclosurite]

Not once has he been booked for diving. So, no.

That just makes him a very good cheat.

or not a cheat.

I guess everybody interprets it differently.

[snarks]

Not once has he been booked for diving. So, no.

That just makes him a very good cheat.

or not a cheat.

He is fouled, but take last years play off final to just see 3 examples.

When Freddo was accused of stamping on him, the reason he went to ground is he knew Fred was behind him and fell over under no contact with arms wide appealing for a foul. The first Odoi booking, he (Odoi) played the ball and Grealish went down as if kicked which contributed to the booking. The second Odoi booking, where he caught Grealish above the hip, he went down clutching his ankle then holding his lower leg, where there was no contact.

He looks for a player to come in and then goes to ground looking for a foul. Take the penalty he "won" against west brom. He was already on his way down when he was tackled. If Gibbs had pulled out he was going down anyway. Oh and he has been booked for diving (against West Brom when Villa were managed by Sherwood, it was a second yellow and earned him a red).

If he was a Fulham player would I say he wasn't a diver? probably. Regardless he still hits the deck too easily.

[Sir Alec of good Stock]

Francis Lee started off all this diving thing.

[mrmicawbers]

Francis Lee started off all this diving thing.

He's Fat He's Round he always goes to ground

[Beamer]

Watched the penalty shoot out from last night and was disappointed that the Villa keeper was allowed to step forward before the ball was kicked and saved the first 2 as a result. Would have thought that refs would be telling both keepers not to do it before they started taking them and warning that they would order re-takes if they did. West Brom keeper stayed on his line (naively?) and saved nothing. Not sure it would have made any difference but not really that hard to police given that the officials don't have to worry about encroachment so only one thing to get right.

[Nick Bateman]

Watched the penalty shoot out from last night and was disappointed that the Villa keeper was allowed to step forward before the ball was kicked and saved the first 2 as a result. Would have thought that refs would be telling both keepers not to do it before they started taking them and warning that they would order re-takes if they did. West Brom keeper stayed on his line (naively?) and saved nothing. Not sure it would have made any difference but not really that hard to police given that the officials don't have to worry about encroachment so only one thing to get right.

West Brom 'keeper dived out of the way everytime, even the last one which was fired at him by useless Tammy Abraham - it hit the goalie's boot as it went in.  Why 'keepers dive early for penalties the mind boggles.....