Wayne Rooney sat in front of dozens of media people, cameras clacking, microphone bristling, keyboards tapping, and set the record straight regarding the penalty he won against Arsenal back in September, saying:
I have never intentionally dived. There have been times when I have tried to stay on my feet and tried to get the shot off rather than going down. I don’t think it is fair for players to dive and cheat the other team.
These things have happened for years and I am sure many big games have been decided by the wrong decisions. You can only bank on the referee making the right decision and giving the right punishment. It is important the game is played honestly.
These remarks were amplified by Sir Alex Ferguson who feels like the two match ban for Eduardo, which Arsenal will appeal in the strongest fashion, is absolutely proper. Fergie stated flatly;
Not one coach is proud of the fact that they have players who simulate to get decisions. Coaches can’t be proud if they have won the game that way. I certainly wouldn’t be.
We all agreed that education is the best way forward, from youth teams through to first team players. We all have a responsibility, particularly the players of today, on how it impacts on young people.
And so it’s settled, Wayne Rooney has never dived because he’s a fair player and he would never cheat to win a game. Moreover, Sir Alex Ferguson would never want to win a game because of a dive and tries to educate his players about the evils of diving. Which raises just one question for me: do they both suffer from cognitive dissonance or is it a case of having over-sized brass balls? I mean, Rooney and Fergie have both publicly apologized for Rooney’s diving, so which is it, is he the kind of guy who needs to apologize for diving, or is he an honest player who just dove that once?
You decide:
Wayne Rooney versus Almunia — watch his left leg, he’s going to ground before he kicks the ball into the Stretford End:
Rooney versus Arsenal again. This “penalty” ended Arsenal’s 49 game unbeaten run. How is this different than what Eboue did against United when he anticipated contact from Evra? Oh wait, it happens in the penalty area and Rooney is awarded a penalty:
Rooney versus Tottenham, here he gets a yellow card for simulation, which proves he’s a diver, right?
Now, this next video is as close as you are going to get to direct evidence that someone is intentionally trying to deceive the referee into giving a penalty. Given the fact that he felt the contact, then when he had no chance of getting to the ball, flopped to the ground seconds after the contact, this, for me, is on the magnitude of Dida’s playacting and Rivaldo grabbing his face.
Note that the ref isn’t interested in the dive, note that Fergie appeals for the penalty (they were losing at that point) and then note Rooney’s hotheaded tackle on Christopher Samba after which he is STILL complaining that he deserved a penalty:
Wayne Rooney versus Chelsea. Here he seems to roll around on the ground simulating injury and getting Bosingwa a yellow card, note the lack of contact on the reverse angle:
And now, just yesterday, Man U are down 1-0 to Aston Villa, Rooney charges into the box, and as I have shown with all the examples above, does what Wayne Rooney always does: dives to try to win a penalty.
Rooney La Plongeuse – The most amazing home videos are here
The evidence is overwhelming, Wayne Rooney is a serial diver, a cheater, and a shame on the game. He should apologize for his actions and sit himself down for three matches, according to the anti-diving evangelicals that’s the only fair punishment.
I expect the anti-diving fundamentalists will be leading the calls for Rooney to get a three match ban in 3… 2…
Arsenal News 24/7
I have a feeling that if Rooney had been awarded the penalty resulting in a goal from the penalty kick, there’d be an outcry against it today. Apparently the yellow was sufficient for folks out there? Funny yesterday how one of the commentators in the match referred to Rooney as a “brainy” player. Are you kidding? My God does the media lap up the “craftiness” and “savvy” of the British player. Guys like Sir Alex and John Terry are so full of sh&% if they truly truly believe the Brits don’t dive.
On to the important stuff – today. Hopefully the self-doubt of Liverpool and the rest our squad has gotten recently pays off. The net’s had a lid on it for us recently so let the floodgates open and usher in the guillotine for Benitez once and for all.
rooney is english
thats all thats needed by the media need to forgive him
nice compilation of outrageous dives from ‘honest’ wayne rooney
Torres in all alone! Whew!
F**k you diver!
Beware the ‘soft’ FK.
What the fuck was Almunia doing? Poor clearance.
December 13th, 2009 at 8:52 am
@ctpa, Now officially a shit goalkeeper. The list is getting longer for players Wenger needs to buy/replace – don’t even try to bring up Fabianski or Mannone. We need a keeper who is international starting quality not some country’s 3rd string.
Denilson Sucks and so does Almunia
December 13th, 2009 at 9:05 am
@Sam, Most of the team hasn’t showed up. We’re losing possession and giving away fouls in dangerous areas. Cesc has done nothing and we’re trying to cross the ball to Arshavin and expect him to win them over Carragher – really?
December 13th, 2009 at 9:20 am
@WC, Over Johnson
good article, shows up Rooney for the diver he really is. Where’s the month long media campaign to get him a ban??? Note how the word cheat is never applied to English players. Oh and as i speak Liverpool score off a free kick where Gerrard falls down. Jees.
December 13th, 2009 at 11:03 am
Rooney got a yellow card. There’s nothing left to do. It does officially mark him as a diver though so refs will be watching him.
WHY THE F CAN’T ALMUNIA CATCH A BALL?!?!? HIS PUNCHING IS RIDICULOUS!!!!
Hey, if Wenger needs to change things, he can always call on Ramsey of Vela, right. Oh well, at least there is always next year and the year after that and so and so on…
today, i’ll settle for being lucky rather than good!
ARSHAVIN!!!!!
December 13th, 2009 at 9:18 am
@ctpa, that was a HOWLER!!!
There will be more goals. Unfortunately if Almunia gets challenged we will be in trouble.
our passing is horrid today
70″ Diaby for Walcott who do jack shit.
December 13th, 2009 at 9:38 am
@ctpa, lovin diaby’s new wig!
Song MOTM 78″
Now we have to see if Diaby helps us or hurts us.
Traore run: hamstring?
Sylvestre in for injured Traore.
December 13th, 2009 at 9:48 am
@ctpa, curse of the LB, looks like we’ll need to invest in defense in January, at least a cheap backup
Xenophobic comment: referees referee in this country in reference to Acquilani.
December 13th, 2009 at 9:49 am
@ctpa, i was thinking the exact same thing
December 13th, 2009 at 10:05 am
@Kevin, Like anyone was going to tell Pierluigi Collina anything.
90″ let us not be our own worse enemy.
Arshavin wants to come out because he’s hurt.
Almunia is so afraid to come for ANYTHING!!!
Almunia is like molasses.
At least Arshavin jogs off. Ramsey on.
YES!!!!!!! Come on you ARSENAL!!!
I have to say Howard Webb has showed no favoritism to England’s favorite son, Gerrard.
December 13th, 2009 at 9:56 am
@ctpa, He must have read Tim’s blog yesterday
We were shaky in the first and down 1-0. 2nd half, Wenger switch’s walcott’s and his threat kept Johnson at bay and forced an og. Then the greatness that is Arshavin w/ a rare touch ( off a Fabregas cross) he scores a rocket that leave Reina frozen and Liverpool ‘s psyche is shredded.
Hey Tim, you posted my video. The Rooney / Bosingwa vid is my youtube post
…phogieone
December 13th, 2009 at 11:21 am
@Patrick, HUH… Thanks for making it!
3rd place, 2 in front of AV and 6 from Chelsea.
“Stone cold penalty” on Gallas. If it was Clattenburg or a Dean. Not from Webb today
December 13th, 2009 at 10:39 am
I need to watch the build up again before that call but I was initially sure there was an offside. My thought was Webb was making up for that bad call seconds earlier.
Anywho, Benitez is complaining now and unless he wants video refs he can shove it. Referee made a mistake and, like we’ve had to do countless times before, Rafa has to live with it.
gerrard spent the whole game looking for fouls. what a little bitch. but a great weekend for us. i hope we can go on a run from here. it will be tough against villa though as they will be riding high on confidence after their win at ot. what im afraid of is wenger using this win as an excuse to not buy. we need a cf, a defensive cover and most of all – a new gk. i cant think of a gk wrst than almunia in the epl right now. tho petr cech is giving him a run for his money!
December 13th, 2009 at 10:55 am
@nycgunner, I woke up this morning and I said to myself, who would I take right now? A ‘deer in the headlights’ Cech or the incompetence of Almunia. All that condemnation of Toure/Gallas on high balls into the area looks like more Almunia’ fault now. Fabianski is a lot more assured on high balls.
December 13th, 2009 at 11:20 am
@ctpa, id definitely take fabianski over almunia right now but thats not the solution. we need experience or at the least someone who can command the box.
Wenger has been getting crankier and crankier w/ each trophyless season. Now for the first time he gives a half time ‘Ferguson hair dryer’ treatment to Arsenal after their sh*t 1st half performance: http://www.football365.com/story/0,17033,8652_5769654,00.html
December 13th, 2009 at 11:03 am
@ctpa, i have always felt he is too soft on the players sometimes. lets hope he keeps it up!
So Almunia looked helpess on every cross and that is a big part of many teams’ game so if your goalie cannot command his box and catch crosses we’re screwed against teams like Chelsea.
Denilson looked out of sorts all game, he was second best to Mascherano all afternoon and Song had to cover him at every turn. We played horrible in the first half and gave away the ball and free kicks in our own half – we could pay for those on another day.
Arshavin turned on the magic in the second half but we still need strike force re-enforcements. We couldn’t get a sniff in the first half and all of Liverpoool’s defenders are damn near and over 6ft and we were losing out alot to them.
Good result, we rode a little luck but on the day you need a little luck to win sometimes.
December 13th, 2009 at 11:14 am
@WC, mooney is the reason why im so nervous about villa. they were quite one dimensional in their attack yesterday but their defence was superb and it proved to be enough. what boggles my mind is how mooney flaps at the ball on the rare occassions that he does come out to claim a cross. is that supposed to be a punch? and he does it over and over again! he should see the euro 08 final and take some pointers from his compatriot casillas on how a ball is supposed to be punched
Boys, I posted a good, bad, and ugly — check it out and call me a cocksandwich!
How dare you! Shrek I mean Rooney isn’t a diver and will never dive, he’s honest! Is he really 24? I thought he’s at least 34.