LVG During the Barclays Premier League match between United and Stoke City at Britannia Stadium on December 26, 2015
Manchester United’s excuse finding under pressure boss Louis van Gaal ridiculously claimed that Dimi Payet dived in a bid to win yesterday’s match.
Mind you, he had little if anything to say about his team’s equaliser which should have been ruled out at a stroke after goalkeeper Darren Randolph was clearly fouled in the build-up.
Instead he implied that Payet should not have been on the pitch to score the 68th-minute goal after accusing him of diving to try to con referee Martin Atkinson.
Payet was already on a booking when he went down in the United area under a challenge from Marcos Rojo, but Atkison chose not to award a penalty.
Van Gaal said: “Payet was more or less diving. He was maybe touched, but not enough to fall like that.”
But Hammers boss Slaven Bilic had no doubt that Payet was the injured party in the accident saying: “For me, it should have been a penalty on Dimitri..
“A dive? Come on. If you have a screen I am going to show you and defend my point at Cambridge [Union].
“You can clearly see there is contact. So it’s definitely not a dive, 100 per cent not a dive.”
So who should we believe?
The square head who was getting his excuses in, even before kick off and who has been making them all season, or the gentlemen who takes it all on the chin and has not complained at all? Even yesterday, his comments were only in response to questions.
Much as I love Payet, I agree with exactly how Van Gaal described it, which I find reasonable and unaggressive: “Payet was more or less diving. He was maybe touched, but not enough to fall like that.”. I feel Payet is looking far too often for the foul, and not part of his game that I like. For the neutral, it takes that edge off his brilliance.
Also, for someone who is very fair nearly all the time, I was surprised Bilic was so adamant that it was a foul….But that’s my opinion….
I note, however, Van Gaal said nothing about Schweinsteiger, who if you look closely, deliberately nudges Randolph with his hip….I wouldn’t be surprised though if the officials missed it, looking elsewhere or had a poor sight of it.
Why would Dimi dive there, he was clean through, no sorry penalty for me. The Reid handball was fortunate I would have wanted a pen for that if it was at the other end. However, the Randolph block should have been awarded and the goal ruled out.
Good away performance but let down by some weak refereeing ( Howard Webb said it should have been a penalty ! ) Could easily have won that tie and Dimi’s free kick was yet again sublime ! What a talent the guy is . COYI
The guy has lost touch with reality… http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/van-gaal-happy-darmian-against-11034875?
The Referee got the dicision 100% right. Unlike us, he does not get a dozen slow motion replays from different angles. he sees it once in real time from the angle he is positioned in. To give a penalty he must be sure in his mind that there was contact, he wasn’t. to issue a yellow card, and in this case a red card to Payet he must be sure that he dived, He wasn’t. So waving play on was correct. yes we all screamed penalty, and would have been overjoyed to have got it. But we would have been crying in our beer if a penalty had been given against us in the same circumstances. so I say well done Reff.
my test is usually “would i complain if it happened at the other end?”
for me, the Payet incident was not a penalty. Imagine if that was Antonio sliding in on Ashley Young. there was contact in so much as Payet pushed his foot back to connect with the leg of the defender. very fortunate not to take a second yellow in my view.
as for their equaliser – Antonio catches Schweinsteiger who in turn, spins and collides with Randolph who ends up in the net. 6 and two 3s as my father-in-law would say. If you go on player reactions – none of ours complained to the officials.
I do agree with your test but unfortunately it doesn’t take into account the opposition. My test is “Would it be given at the other end”, and the answer is yes it would. There is something seriously wrong with the lack of penalties we get, look at Leicester for instance. I cannot deny how fantastic they’ve been this season but 10 penalties is insane. It seems like there’s a mental block with giving us penalities.
I’m afraid Van Bile is a one w@nk wulk, running out of excuses and empty of ideas. See yer later Dutchman.
I’ve watched it over & over again. To me it’s a penalty. At no time during that tackle did Rojo make an attempt to play at the ball. He went into the tackle with his legs drawn back & indeed at the point of contact the ball was long gone. Rojo has made tens of thousands of tackles. He knew he was late. Law 12 says, ‘Trips or intends to trip an opponent’. It is also about intent, you don’t even have to make contact. There is no contact in intent. It is implied. Rojo’s intent was trip Payet inside the area. Penalty.
Ha!
Just from the range of views above, we can see that it was difficult decision. I’ve looked at it many times and whilst Payet does go down pretty easily (as I’m sure their managers expect all their strikers to do), there is definite contact. On balance and with the benefit of multi-replays, I’m not unhappy with the ref’s compromise.
What folk have not mentioned is the fact that, had Payet been red carded, fans across the globe would have missed out on one of THE great free kicks. Both neutral fans and even many MU fans will appreciate just how good it was.
I hope he pops in another one in the replay!
It’s funny how often you see this kind of contact in the box and it’s given as a pen. The usual line is “It only takes a small amount of contact when you’re running at speed”. APART from when you’re at old trafford and they need a win apparently.
It’s back to my favourite would again Dignity,
The man is desperate not to loose his job
Why £4 or £5 million to go on garden leave and retirement not bad
But show some decorum Van you can’t moan every week and still look genuine
This is the first time Slav has spoken out which makes him credible and believable
You spend all week winging you poor hard done by thing,
You should had said there were decisions that went both ways and a draw was a fair result we will have key players back for the replay we will overturn the result against Liverpoor we are still only 3 points off European Football I have dignity and will not comment on past decisions
You weak excuse of a man