Source: Liverpool_Echo
BARRY HORNE: UEFA hold the key to ending the diving debate
BEFORE you start reaching for the pen and paper, this article is not about Liverpool Football Club.[LNB]David Ngog's atrocious dive has once again opened the debate about cheating in the form of diving, and also exposed the double standards of managers and fans whose opinions are obviously coloured by which side benefited or suffered as a result.[LNB]I have to commend Rafa Benitez for his honesty after the game.[LNB]He was absolutely spot-on when he said it wasn't a penalty, but Liverpool deserved to win anyway.[LNB]They annihilated Birmingham and as I have said in the past, in 99 per cent of matches the best team will win, regardless of refereeing displays.[LNB]Managers too often hide behind dubious decisions to cover up their team's short- comings - witness Sam Allardyce's assertion that Blackburn may or may not have had a penalty claim in a game in which Arsenal weren't just better, they could have given Blackburn a two-goal start and still won.[LNB]So, the hope is, that more managers will look at Rafa's comments before they complain about a refereeing decision, and given an honest assessment of their team's performance.[LNB]The papers have been full of ex-pros and referees and journalists proposing how diving could be stamped out.
