"Next time I'll learn to dive maybe, but I'm not a woman"

[Gritt23]

That's what he said in the post-match interview after being beaten by Puyol and his Barcelona team-mates in the Champions League Final.

You certainly looked like a big girls blouse last night Thierry.


C'mon FIFA you want to stamp this out of the game, you bottled it previously when Rivaldo went down like a girl holding his face when a ball hit his legs, well now's your chance again.

 

[SJ's Love Monkey]

Henry is a terrific player for Arsenal but he is anonymous at International level as has been proved in this tournament, he obviously feels the only way he is going to make a contribution to France's cause is to cheat as he did last night which is a real shame as i thought he was above all that

 

[BUTTERBALL]

Henry is a terrific player for Arsenal but he is anonymous at International level as has been proved in this tournament, he obviously feels the only way he is going to make a contribution to France's cause is to cheat as he did last night which is a real shame as i thought he was above all that

My thoughts exactly.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

I thought he was impeded and received an elbow to the chest.

I would agree he is relatively anonymous on the international scene. I always feel that the French must feel very detached from their team as individuals. It is not as if they seem them week in week out....

 

[sully]

Henry is a terrific player for Arsenal but he is anonymous at International level as has been proved in this tournament, he obviously feels the only way he is going to make a contribution to France's cause is to cheat as he did last night which is a real shame as i thought he was above all that

Well said.

It's time for FIFA to act as it's spoiling this World Cup for me.

Too many games are now decided by a moment of cheating that cons the ref and it has to stop. Video evidence should be used to embarrass the hell out of the culprits. Until they are punished for it, they will not stop.

 

[SJ's Love Monkey]

I thought he was impeded and received an elbow to the chest.

I would agree he is relatively anonymous on the international scene. I always feel that the French must feel very detached from their team as individuals. It is not as if they seem them week in week out....

You are right BoF he did get shoved in the chest but he went down clutching his face clearly trying to get Puyol sent off

 

[SJ's Love Monkey]

The problem lies at FIFA's door because it is they who brief their refs before the tournament telling them what they are and what they are not permitted to occur on the pitch, and it is patently obvious watching this World Cup that they are intent on making football a non contact sport. However as was seen in the Holland v Portugal game the other night when the ref booked his first player after 2 mins for an innocuous looking challenge and therefore setting a precedent all this does is encourage the players to do is dive and play act making the game a mockery.

 

[Gritt23]

You are right BoF he did get shoved in the chest but he went down clutching his face clearly trying to get Puyol sent off

Exactly, that was the problem I had with it.

I think players go down easily these days, and if I received a challenge like that on a Sunday morning it would be deemed fair, as we are men challenging for the ball. Perhaps obstruction, but I wouldn't hit the ground, but hey that's football these days.

But to hit the deck holding your face clearly attempting to get Puyol sent off is just an absolute disgrace. We want it cut out of the game, and it will only happen when the authorities take action.

There can be NO QUESTION Henry was play-acting, as the contact was nowhere near his face. This is your chance FIFA, a 3 match ban ends his World Cup, and maybe players will realise the authorities are serious about cutting this crap out of the game.

I will never view Henry in the same light again, he fallen gone down in my estimations forever. That probably won't bother him, but sitting out the rest of the World Cup will.

 

[Publius Ovidius]

Well said.

It's time for FIFA to act as it's spoiling this World Cup for me.

Too many games are now decided by a moment of cheating that cons the ref and it has to stop. Video evidence should be used to embarrass the hell out of the culprits. Until they are punished for it, they will not stop.

the problem is it will never happen.

Henri was one of those players you would have thought would not resort to cheating...yesterday he di. that is the problem.

When a ref does resort to booking all the cheats, ie the Russian Bloke, Holland vs Portugal, he is castigated, when we all thought he was dead right.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Difficult one. Very often these contacts are never enough for the referee to see. I am thinking Kerry Mayo and the headbutt vs QPR. It wasn't enough to send Kerry sprawling but to win something from the offence he had to do a bit of play acting to draw the attention of the referee. Simialr with the Figo headbutt. The offence was there, but the nothing would have happened if the player didn't go down. There was not enough malice to sending him falling.

I am not saying it is right, but it gets to the stage where perhaps, players are getting frustrated by decisions not going their way. I don't think I am one to judge as I have never been a professional footballer in that situation.

 

[Gritt23]

the problem is it will never happen.

Henri was one of those players you would have thought would not resort to cheating...yesterday he di. that is the problem.

When a ref does resort to booking all the cheats, ie the Russian Bloke, Holland vs Portugal, he is castigated, when we all thought he was dead right.

Did the Russian actually book anyone for diving though?

To name just two, Robben was a disgrace, and Figo massively exaggerated the arm he got to the face - you look at McBride stood there with blood pouring down his face from a clear elbow, and you wonder how someone like Figo or Henry can be the same species if they claim their face was hurting.

I don't think anyone was booked for diving, even by that guy.

 

[bhafc99]

When a ref does resort to booking all the cheats, ie the Russian Bloke, Holland vs Portugal, he is castigated, when we all thought he was dead right.

Partly, though the trouble with that game and that ref was that he completely lost the plot of who was cheating and who wasn't. For example Figo and some Dutch bloke (van der something or other) chase a ball down the wing, the Dutch bloke does nothing more than jostle competitively and Figo goes down like the bloke has deliberately elbowed him in the face. Dutch guy sent off.

 

[Gritt23]

Difficult one. Very often these contacts are never enough for the referee to see. I am thinking Kerry Mayo and the headbutt vs QPR. It wasn't enough to send Kerry sprawling but to win something from the offence he had to do a bit of play acting to draw the attention of the referee. Simialr with the Figo headbutt. The offence was there, but the nothing would have happened if the player didn't go down. There was not enough malice to sending him falling.

I am not saying it is right, but it gets to the stage where perhaps, players are getting frustrated by decisions not going their way. I don't think I am one to judge as I have never been a professional footballer in that situation.

I don't think it is that difficult. Part of the problem is that we have moved away from it being a contact sport. Any sort of contact is deemed to be a foul or a booking these days.

How often have you heard pundits debating a penalty and someone says "but there is clear contact." Hang on, when did any sort of contact become a foul?

It's a mans game, a bit of pushing and shoving is part and parcel of it. Throwing yourself on the floor like a girl is not part of it, and nor is looking to book players for any mis-timed tackle, or the slightest physical contact.

We're losing the game I fell in love with at an alarming rate. It all seems to be done in the name protecting the weak little flair players, but it's gone too far. It's supposed to be a man's game, and that's the game I want back.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

I don't think it is that difficult. Part of the problem is that we have moved away from it being a contact sport. Any sort of contact is deemed to be a foul or a booking these days.

How often have you heard pundits debating a penalty and someone says "but there is clear contact." Hang on, when did any sort of contact become a foul?

It's a mans game, a bit of pushing and shoving is part and parcel of it. Throwing yourself on the floor like a girl is not part of it, and nor is looking to book players for any mis-timed tackle, or the slightest physical contact.

We're losing the game I fell in love with at an alarming rate. It all seems to be done in the name protecting the weak little flair players, but it's gone too far. It's supposed to be a man's game, and that's the game I want back.

Very true. I don't think there is much consistency about the referees, which doesn't help.

My first game was 1990 Milwall and the change in the game in incredible. You very rarely see a cracker of a game on TV. It is stop/start all the time which does not make good viewing.

Zero tolerance on diving and feigning injuries? Use video footage, post match to issue long bans?

 

[eastlondonseagull]

You are right BoF he did get shoved in the chest but he went down clutching his face clearly trying to get Puyol sent off

Not quite as bad, but similar to the last world cup when Rivaldo fell to the floor clutching his face by the corner flag after the ball was kicked against his midriff.

 

[Gritt23]

My first game was Brighton vs Norwich 1979, and I saw a double sending off. These days that could mean someone mistimed a tackle with some studs up with the other guy pushed him as they were getting up. Back then it was Fashanu and Rollings literally trying to punch each others lights out ... and we still all thought Rollings was a bit unlucky to go as Fashanu drew blood on Rollings face first. Ah, they were the days ...

 

[Marshy]

it was a foul, just in the chest not the face

 

[BUTTERBALL]

Perhaps this is all out of context. Maybe he said "next time i'll learn to DRIVE, but i'm not a woman"

 

[Normal Rob]

surely i you 'learn' to dive then it implies that you can do it with some degree of proficiency...

 

[Gritt23]

it was a foul, just in the chest not the face

So just a free-kick, not the red card that Henry tried to get for Puyol.

Sorry, but Henry often seemed to be one to ride challenges, to wave his finger at defenders who rolled all over the ground at the slightes contact, and I liked him for that.

Last night was a very sad moment in his career. Was it him saying "if you can't beat 'em join 'em."

C'mon FIFA you keep saying you'll make a stand on cheating, here's your chance, DO SOMETHING.