Pulis rallies clubs against diving

06 March 2014 16:01

Tony Pulis believes clubs have to help officials to eradicate simulation after confirming he issued fines to two of his players this week.

The Crystal Palace boss was irked following last weekend's 1-1 Barclays Premier League draw at Swansea after Jerome Thomas had been booked for diving and Marouane Chamakh had also gone to ground easily.

England coach Roy Hodgson praised Pulis' hard-line approach earlier in the week after the Welshman came out immediately after the draw and said he intended to reprimand the pair.

Pulis confirmed both players accepted their punishment and insisted the responsibility to rid the game of diving does not lie solely with referees.

"They (Thomas and Chamakh) have done fantastic for us but we just don't want to see it," he said. "I think it is most probably the first time and the last time you will see it.

"The one thing I will say is that it is difficult enough refereeing games of football with the pace that the players play at today.

"We should be trying to make it as simple as possible for them to do that, not make it more difficult and we have a responsibility on our side to do that properly."

Chamakh is a doubt for Saturday's visit of Southampton having suffered a hamstring injury in south Wales.

Mauricio Pochettino's Saints are likely to be buoyed heading into the game at Selhurst Park as their quartet of England internationals return to club duties.

Adam Lallana and Luke Shaw both came off the bench as England beat Denmark 1-0 while Jay Rodriguez and Rickie Lambert also made up Hodgson's 30-man squad.

Pulis was full of praise for the production line in place at Southampton and revealed he had a soft spot for Lallana, who he has been aware of from a young age.

"I have watched them quite a few times and I think the manager has done a fantastic job there," Pulis said.

"They have got an identity to their team, they play a certain way that is a little bit different to most other teams in the Premier League. As a manager you enjoy watching certain teams.

"Lallana actually went to school with my daughter so we always look at what Adam is doing. He comes from a lovely family and is a very level-headed lad and it is lovely to see him doing so well.

"With Shaw and (Callum) Chambers, I don't know what they put in the water down there but they certainly produce some very, very good players."

Source: PA