Mohamed Salah’s diving: The Liverpool forward was accused of diving in the weekend game against Crystal Palace.
Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah might be one of the best forwards in football at the moment, but he has been heavily criticised for diving off lately.
The Liverpool star sparked controversy last weekend when he went down far too easily in the game against Crystal Palace.
While initial footage seemed to show Palace’s defender Mamadou Sakho fouling Salah, replays suggested that there was no physical contact between the two.
While fans and pundits alike have criticised Salah, there is a fair share of viewers who argue that the Egyptian forward is not the only one who dives. While the latter might be true – it goes without saying that diving in football is unwelcome and that two wrongs don’t make a right.
And so, former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg has given his insight over Salah’s diving tactics, which could prove to be a benchmark for active referees on how to deduce if the forward had simulated.
Mohamed Salah’s diving: Clattenburg offers insight
In a chat with English media outlet Daily Mail, Clattenburg offered his views on Salah’s diving technique.
“As he is Liverpool’s penalty taker, he will know winning a spot-kick means he has a free shot at goal,” Clattenburg told Daily Mail.
.@LFC star Mohamed Salah is diving in the box to win penalties because he wants to increase his chances of winning the Premier League Golden Boot, according to ex-Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg. https://t.co/MAqwwflOoS #LFC
— Buzz Sport (@buzzsport_ie) January 21, 2019
Mark Clattenburg: “One thing I’ve noticed when Salah goes down to try to win penalties, his hands go above his head. This is what officials look for when trying to see if a player has simulated. Usually, if you’re knocked over, you put your hands straight out to break your fall.” pic.twitter.com/hQU1VLoMqK
— M•A•J (@Ultra_Suristic) January 21, 2019
“He is then likely to increase his chances of winning the Golden Boot. One thing I have noticed is that when Salah goes down to try to win penalties, his hands go above his head.
“This is what officials look for when trying to see if a player has simulated. Usually, if you are knocked over, you put your hands straight out to break your fall.”
While Salah is safe for now, a regular tendency to dive might result in a retrospective ban for the player, which could be fatal for Liverpool as they chase their first Premier League title this season.
For the SALAH diving debate: Mark Clattenburg was interviewed prior to the City match and said that there needs to be match bans for it. He specifically pointed out Salah and several cases of him flopping in the box & staying up outside of it when he knows he won’t get a PK.
— FPLKryptonite (@FPLKryptonite) January 20, 2019
Liverpool are currently at the top of the league table and remain four points ahead of Manchester City, after Guardiola’s side cruised to a 3-0 victory over Huddersfield last night.
