19 Jan 2026 10:47:34
Right, cheating! The powers that be need to take a serious look at this because it is completely destroying the game! Players going down with a tickle, rolling round like they've been maimed, fake head injuries, imaginary buttons on players shoulders that makes their legs collapse when pressed! On the rare occasion when the ref's don't fall for it the power of recovery is amazing! If they stayed on their feet instead of trying to win a cheap free kick or yellow card they would benefit much more, it's embarrassing! It's making me fall out of love for the sport at the mo! They are supposed to be elite athletes for f***s sake! Rant over for now VAR is next ?.
19 Jan 2026 11:18:31
I'm with you on that, the play acting is totally ruining the experience now and it's getting worse.
I posted last week saying players should get 7 seconds like the keepers to get back on their feet or they need to go off for 5 mins treatment.
And VAR used to punish players who obviously fake injury with a yellow.
19 Jan 2026 11:38:40
At least we don't blame it on those pesky foreigners anymore. That is progress.
I agree the football this season, and to an extent last season, has been an awful watch.
Arsenal topping the league without a single player having scored more than 5 goals, yet have scored 11 goals from corners is pretty stark summary. And if they title contender is prioritising set-piece performance to this extent, of the course the smaller teams will do the same - so it propagates across the league.
With the general competency of the referees, I don't expect much change.
19 Jan 2026 13:02:55
FPF I can't believe they have the cheek to come over here taking our jobs lol.
19 Jan 2026 13:21:31
I think the referees need to take a big chunk of the blame. You see it time and time again when a player is fouled but tries to stay on their feet the ref waves play on. The only way to get the free kick is to go down and as a result it has gone from a few Klinsmann types to pretty much every player in the league. It also doesn't help that to benefit from this refereeing choice they are now actively encouraged to go down easily by their managers and coaches.
The refs need to toughen up. Start booking more players for diving (i. e. not just in the penalty area) and then hopefully players will think twice before throwing themselves on the floor and we can start to see more flowing football again.
19 Jan 2026 13:24:38
Cheating is ruining the game. few years back we had the forwards diving in and around the penalty area. now we have 6ft 4 in CBs hitting the deck at the slightest touch.
think we should have a Bafta award. only way to stop them is to embarrass them by highlighting it, evey week Sky/ TNT / MOTD should have a 5 min segment to all the cheating.
19 Jan 2026 13:37:42
Retrospective reviews and sanctions would stop it though - as the yellow cards build up, players get bans etc then it would stop you would think
I hate it, see it in every game these days and in every team, ours included. I think retrospective action would sort this issue; but then the officials and VAR can't even award blatant penalties, red cards for kicks to the chest, blatant handballs etc, so how are they expected to accurately see a player that has clearly feigned injury? I swear, clear and obvious just doesn't seem clear and obvious to some.
19 Jan 2026 13:47:12
Retrospective bans is all it would take to sort out.
19 Jan 2026 13:48:55
Players are now being coached and encouraged to go down with the slightest of touches and it is seriously annoying. It has also oermeates into the youth games and I think it's something that academies are teaching young players to do as well. Something needs to be done to stop the rot and going hard on diving is one way.
19 Jan 2026 13:50:12
I would bring in some sort of totting up process, viewed after the game has finished. Yellow cards given to players who are blatantly trying to gain an advantage.
Obviously it couldn't be done during the game as it would take forever for every foul but at least the serial divers etc wouldn't take long getting a ban.
I don't think it would take too long for the penny to drop.
Agreed tho, something needs to be done definitely.
19 Jan 2026 14:13:29
The time wasting is my biggest bug bear. Just stop the clock when the play stops like in Rugger and bin off extra time. The late game cramp issues would dry up quicker than motivation for the Slot fan club.
19 Jan 2026 14:34:39
Go watch the AFCON, it was disgraceful in this area.
{Ed025's Note - dont gauge anything where AFCON is concerned Oli, there is a better standard in Sefton park on a sunday morning mate..
19 Jan 2026 21:04:35
Ed25, how would you know? You don't even watch the damn thing.
{Ed025's Note - i watch some of the last one and they had to take my shoe laces out after that, yesterday it was on the screen in the pub so had little choice Oli, and it was worse than the last one, just my opinion of course..