The Art of Diving

Seldom does a season pass without the world of football expressing its collective disgust for at least one diving incident. Nearly two weeks on from Eduardo’s theatricals against Celtic and the debate continues to rage. As the perennial and all too predictable finger-wagging continues, isn’t it time to just accept ‘simulation’ as part of the game and move on?

It wasn’t so long ago that Eduardo cut a figure of huge public sympathy after sustaining a harrowing and career-threatening injury against Birmingham City. Then, earlier this year he was hailed a paragon of determination and bravery following his fight back to fitness. But today Eduardo is a villain and cheat. Period.

Well, that’s what some sections of the sporting media will have you believe.

The truth is that Eduardo is actually quite unfortunate. He did what every centre-forward will do at least once in their career. Sadly for him, he executed it dreadfully in a match with massive financial implications.

All of this is not to condone Eduardo’s behaviour. He cheated and has rightly been banned. But amidst the rhetoric and sniping about UEFA’s punishment for the Croatian, a far more interesting question has arisen. When is a dive a dive?

Just three days later, the penalty earned by Wayne Rooney against Arsenal took on even greater scrutiny. On first look it appeared to be a clear spot-kick, with Manuel Almunia making contact with the player and not the ball. But a repeat viewing in slow-motion reveals that Rooney was already on his way down before the collision. Therefore suggesting he manufactured contact with the keeper to garner the decision.

Although we’ll never know the truth of Rooney’s intentions, it begs the question, was it still a penalty and is there an art to diving?

Regardless of Rooney’s early descent, it could be argued that referee Mike Dean was still correct to award a penalty kick. Although it hardly seems fair, to the letter of the law, Almunia missed the ball and fouled the player.

In a utopian world of honest footballers, Wayne Rooney would have done everything he could to hurdle the oncoming keeper and chase down the ball. Sadly that world doesn’t exist and for decades centre-forwards have been ‘earning’ penalties in a similar manner.

So where is the line drawn between ‘earning’ and cheating? Is there a significant difference between blatantly diving and manufacturing contact? Possibly a small ethical advantage goes to the latter, where at least there is a minor element of skill involved.

The furor has been further heightened by the fact that Wayne Rooney is an English player. But our misplaced sense of superiority about fair play is outdated and arrogant. Tired clichés of cheating foreigners should have died out with Jurgen Klinsmann a decade ago. Look beyond the stereotypes and you’ll have noticed Andy Johnson, Robbie Keane and Michael Owen proving to be just as canny as their continental counterparts.

Earlier this week Scotland keeper Craig Gordon was castigated for suggesting that the rewards reaped by Eduardo’s dive were worth the ban. But as we approach South Africa 2010, one wonders how vociferous the anti-diving movement would be if Rooney helped England ‘earn’ the World Cup next summer?

Carlo’s Chelsea Challenge

Whilst Ashes fever gripped the nation at the Oval on Sunday afternoon, the West London derby failed to ignite with Chelsea running out very comfortable winners over Fulham. But with Freddie Flintoff grabbing the back page headlines Carlo Ancelotti will be delighted to see the spotlight kept off his new charges.

Privately, the Italian coach will be delighted with the opening three victories. But in public the pragmatic ex-Milan boss is playing down his team’s start. And who can blame him?

Last summer it was all too similar. Luiz Felipe Scolari’s team stormed to six victories out of eight, and with Deco pulling the strings it was difficult to find a pundit who didn’t think Chelsea would win the title. But less than six months later Scolari was sacked and Guus Hiddink was left to salvage the ruins of Chelsea’s season.

So what does Carlo Ancelotti have to do to avoid the same fate? The simple answer is to be more successful in encounters against title competitors. Last year Chelsea only achieved four points from a possible eighteen in toothless showings against Man United, Liverpool and Arsenal.

Leading up to the October visit of Liverpool, Chelsea have four very winnable league fixtures. In order to be ready for this first major test, Carlo Ancelotti must use these games to decide on his best starting eleven.

His key decisions will rest on the midfield quartet, and most Chelsea fans will tell you the four should read Mikel, Essien, Lampard and Malouda. They are absolutely right. Unfortunately for Ancelotti, he was focused on managing Milan at the beginning of last season and misses the benefit of such hindsight. Therefore, the marquee names of Ballack and Deco have induced an understandable blindness of judgement in the new Chelsea manager.

Over the last decade both players have been hailed as the ‘best midfielder in the world’, and although both still have much to offer, neither merit a regular place in Chelsea’s starting line-up.

Whilst retaining his unquestionable flair, Deco lacks the physical presence for the intensity of the English game, whilst Ballack has never impressed for Chelsea in the imperious manner his reputation was built upon. If managed correctly, these players offer a major advantage as impact substitutes. But a revolving door starting eleven rarely succeeds - just ask Claudio Ranieri.

So for Deco and Ballack, read Frank Lampard and Michael Essien as the superior midfield option. Since 2001, Frank Lampard has watched as international superstars have arrived and failed to dislodge him as Chelsea’s premier midfielder. Fortunately, the significance of the England international has not escaped Ancelotti, who has made him the one immovable fixture in midfield so far this season. Michael Essien was rested against Fulham, but the sooner the same lesson is learned about the Ghanaian, the better for Chelsea.

In the front positions, Ancelotti has gambled successfully with the pairing of Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka. The growing rapport between the pair was in evidence against Fulham as they stylishly laid on goals for one another. In a modern game so preoccupied with the lone striker, it makes for a refreshing sight to see an old fashioned partnership hitting it off.

However, it is a whole lot easier to select two strikers against Fulham and Hull than it is against Man United or Arsenal. Whether Chelsea will continue with the pairing against more dangerous opponents will be an acid test of Ancelotti’s intentions. Particularly given that Didier Drogba is probably the best in the world at playing the lone role. With this in Chelsea’s armory the temptation to leave Anelka on the bench may be too much for crucial matches.

Three of Chelsea’s next four games are against Burnley, Stoke and Wigan. With the greatest respect to the opposition, these matches represent a huge opportunity for Carlo Ancelotti to discover the truth about his new squad. If the study period goes well, he might just still find himself in a job come May.

Let the Games Commence

For football fans everywhere, a year ending with an odd number points towards a barren desolate summer. A wasteland where cricket, shopping and Big Brother all fail to fill the gaping spherical void left behind. So when the 2009-10 Premier League season finally kicked off last weekend, it was amidst a predictable wave of fevered anticipation.

Inevitably, the over-hyped opening round of fixtures failed to live up to their lofty billing. Not due to a lack of entertainment, goals or controversy, but simply because the league season is a marathon and not a sprint. Other than Rafa Benitez complaining about referees, it’s difficult to take much from the weekend as a sign of things to come.

All of which leaves room for optimism at Anfield, and scope for realism at Arsenal.

There isn’t a more breathtaking sight in English football than Arsenal in full fluid motion. Their demolition of Everton was an impressive statement of intent and in the mercurial Cesc Fàbregas they possess one of the finest midfielders in the world. But he must have wondered where the entire Everton team had gone before he fired in Arsenal’s fifth goal.

Even the diehard purist couldn’t deny how much Everton’s woeful showing contributed to the result on Saturday. Joleon Lescott related or not, this performance was completely out of character for a David Moyes team. One suspects it will be a long time before another opponent is granted the freedom of Goodison again.

But sometimes a hefty defeat is the perfect way to begin the season. In 2004, Arsenal beat Everton 4-1 on the opening day and following that defeat Moyes’ men won seven of their next nine matches, subsequently securing their best ever Premier League finish. Arsenal, on the other hand failed to continue their momentum, falling 12 points short of Chelsea in their quest to retain the title.

This year the title race will be much closer, but Arsenal will once again lack the strength and depth to maintain a challenge. Their toughest test will be holding on to the fourth Champions League berth given the emergence of Man City and their North London neighbours.

And what of the other title hopefuls? On Sunday Liverpool were very poor, but they were beaten by a developing Tottenham side who continue to improve under Harry Redknapp. In spite of the disappointment and histrionics of their coach, there are reasons to be cheerful for Liverpool after this false start.

With the double departure of Ronaldo and Tévez, there is now little to choose between the respective squads of Liverpool, Chelsea and Man United. Although Liverpool suffered defeat at the weekend, Chelsea and Man United were hardly imperious in their home victories.

Individual brilliance exists in abundance across all three squads, but amongst them there is no single player who will provide the title-winning difference of a Ronaldo or previously, a Cantona. Instead, the key to this year’s title race is dependent wholly on the sum of the parts. It may sound obvious but the best team will win.

The smart money should be on Liverpool. Aside from the departure of Alonso, they have experienced the least upheaval. Whilst Chelsea adapt to another new manager and Man United experiment with Rooney, Liverpool maintain continuity in coach, system and squad.

Only time will tell, but this season represents Liverpool’s best chance of winning their first title in 20 years - regardless of what happened on the opening day.

Barcelona’s Striking Gamble

In a summer dominated by remarkable transfer stories, yesterday saw the conclusion of a deal which eclipses the lot for pure intrigue. Although it may not feature the money or glamour of Madrid’s spending spree, Eto’o plus £40 million in exchange for Ibrahimović has raised more than just a few eyebrows.

There is no doubt that Zlatan Ibrahimović is an exceptionally gifted footballer. Just enter his name into You Tube and you will be presented with a compendium of audacious goals and party pieces reminiscent of Matt Le Tissier in his heyday.

Like the Southampton legend, Ibrahimović’s career has been dogged with regular criticisms of inconsistency. However, last season’s 26 goal haul was the apex of three years of continuous improvement at Inter. Not bad for a player previously tagged as surly and disinterested.

But whilst the 27 year old Swede is beginning to fulfil his promise, Samuel Eto’o (just one year his senior) has been terrorising defences across Europe for the last five years. His reputation precedes him as one of the most deadly strikers in the world.

So why on earth have Barcelona decided to swap Eto’o and £40 million for Ibrahimović? The reason the transfer fee went the direction of Inter is due to the solitary year remaining on Eto’o’s Barcelona contract, which substantially decreased his sell-on value. But in a marketplace where £25 million buys Carlos Tévez and £35 million Karim Benzema, the deal still doesn’t seem to add up. £40 million alone would be a vastly inflated figure for Ibrahimović, even before the value Eto’o adds to the deal.

With Real Madrid breaking unprecedented ground this summer, could we have witnessed a huge knee-jerk reaction from Pep Guardiola?

Composure personified as a player, his aura transferred seamlessly into the dugout for his all conquering debut season. But this deal must raise genuine questions about his acumen in the transfer market. Surely such a financial outlay would have been better spent prising David Villa from Valencia.

All this is not to say that Ibrahimović won’t score goals in a Barcelona shirt. But whether he can score them in the most important games is another question. Meanwhile, in Samuel Eto’o Inter inherit a player capable of delivering on Europe’s biggest occasions, including two Champions League finals. Along with the likes of Drogba and Torres, Eto’o sits in the top tier of world strikers who score when it matters. Ibrahimović currently sits in the tier below.

Barcelona are still the team to beat this in this year’s Champions League, but the gap between their challengers has decreased. One suspects José Mourinho and Samuel Eto’o are hoping to draw them in the latter stages to prove the point.