There's little truth in Scharner's Suarez 'nice dive' claim
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Suarez in the spotlight again as West Brom's Scharner labels Liverpool striker a diver
Fall guy: Paul Scharner (left) accused Luis Suarez (right) of diving
One up: Charlie Adam puts Liverpool in front against West Brom
West Brom midfielder Paul Scharner has accused Liverpool striker Luis Suarez of diving to earn a penalty during Saturday's Barclays Premier League clash at the Hawthorns.
Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish has constantly defended Suarez from such allegations since the player arrived at Anfield. But Scharner has reopened the debate after the Reds were awarded a spot-kick when Jerome Thomas was adjudged to have fouled the Uruguayan after only eight minutes.
Asked for his verdict on Suarez's performance, Scharner said: 'It was a nice dive for the penalty and that got Liverpool well started for the game.
It put us under pressure and we weren't good enough to respond.'He (Suarez) is very good at winning penalties. He's one of the best on the planet, in fact. I had a good view of it. 'If that's a penalty, then you will find 1,500 penalties are given in every match.
'I know it was the assistant who flagged for it and maybe he had a better view than the referee. But there was a general feeling amongst all the players that it was a soft penalty.'
Whatever the rights and wrongs of Scharner's claims, there was no disputing the quality of Suarez's general performance in his side's 2-1 win. He also set up the second goal for Andy Carroll, who was quick to praise the contribution of his strike partner.
Finally: Andy Carroll celebrates after scoring his side's second goal
Carroll said: 'He is a great player, he works hard for the team so it is nice to have him up top with me. It makes it a lot easier.
'He makes chances and can score goals himself, he can drop off and get the ball to his feet to dribble with it and slip people in.
'We are playing well together at the minute and hope it will carry on. People say there are similarities between Luis and the manager (Dalglish). Everyone also knows what the gaffer did back in his day.
'Luis is a great player and it is even better to have him in the team alongside me.'
Carroll is hoping to kickstart his campaign after regaining his place in the starting XI.
He added: 'I have been disappointed to be on the bench. I have been working hard to get my place and I think I have earned it.
'I played well last week and obviously at West Brom and getting a goal as well was even better.
'I am working hard in training every day to get my fitness up. I can only say I am working my hardest to get back the way I was.
'If I don't work hard then I am not going to play and that is the good thing about having a big squad.'
Quote of the week:
Paul Scharner 'If that's a penalty, then you will find 1,500 penalties are given in every match"
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It sure was soft.
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sure better than china diver lor...world class one leh..
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Diving: Football's Equivalent Of Chlamydia
And by that, Matthew Stanger means that while it's a disease, it's one that can be treated easily. To borrow from The Daily Mail, there are worse things to complain about...
A good dive can enhance the enjoyment of the game but Suarez's tumble was only a poorly executed 6.5
There's little truth in Paul Scharner's claim that Luis Suarez took a 'nice dive' to win Liverpool's penalty against West Brom on Saturday. In reality, Suarez's tumble was only a poorly executed 6.5. Where were the delicate twists? The spectacular rolls? Nice? Pfft.
For all Scharner's sour grapes and the furore over Suarez's perceived inability to stay on his feet, what is so offensive about diving, or to use FIFA's official term 'simulation'?
Perhaps stimulation would be a better word - it may not be a view shared by many, but a good dive can enhance the enjoyment of the game. It's a talking point, something to disagree over and complain about. And football fans love a moan.
Cast your mind back to the 1990 World Cup Final. The first 45 minutes were dire - if only England were playing (sorry, not you Gazza).
Argentina make a change at half-time, replacing the imperious Oscar Ruggeri with Pedro Monzon.
The game is now 65 minutes in, Jurgen Klinsmann is haring down the right. Monzon slides in, Klinsmann leaps into the air, avoiding all contact. He crashes to the ground, squirming, screaming, writhing in agony.
He juts his legs out towards the night sky. Remember those legs - a stunning example of diving mastery.
Monzon receives a straight red card, the first player ever to be sent off in a World Cup Final. Klinsmann makes a miraculous recovery, West Germany win 1-0 and the greatest goalscoring celebration of all time has arrived. It was the main talking point in an otherwise unremarkable game.
Should we have felt sorry for Argentina for the clear injustice that cost them a fair chance in the World Cup Final? Or is diving a common trait exhibited in all teams at one stage or another - see Diego Simeone's gesticulation towards the referee before falling to the ground after Beckham's trip in 1998.
As many managers and players have declared in the past, diving is a disease. And it's contagious - once a player sees another get away with it, they become more tempted to do it themselves. There was a time when no one would have thought Steven Gerrard was a diver, but over the course of his career his acts of simulation have increased in frequency.
In the grand scheme of diseases, however, diving is only on a par with chlamydia. Once you know you've got it, it can be treated pretty quickly and everything soon cools down.
Although players may get away with the occasional dive, extended highlights and internet videos result in them quickly gaining a reputation as a sinful simulator. They are punished through social justice (the derision by fans), are noted by referees, and are warned by their own managers behind closed doors. There are very few repeat offenders, so what's the problem?
To steal a line from The Daily Mail, things may not be perfect but, at the end of the day, there are worse things to complain about. An appalling sentiment when referring to racism, but when it comes to diving, it rings true.
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Wayang at it's best...
They forgot about the magic sponge that after a wipe or 2, all the injuries they suffer will be cure and they are back on the field...
