OPINION
Liverpool’s loss to Chelsea at the weekend not only put their top-four place in jeopardy, but it also led to something fans hoped they would never have to see: Jurgen Klopp openly criticising Mohamed Salah.
The Egyptian wing wizard was booked on 39 minutes after going down under a challenge from Gary Cahill, with the 25-year-old attempting to beat the defender on the edge of the box.
Referee Anthony Taylor had no hesitation in giving the free-kick the other way and showing a yellow card to Salah, his first caution of the season.
Following the game Klopp came out and criticised his star man, saying: “It was a dive or he waited for the contact. I’m not sure. That’s not what I want to see, that’s not what he wants to do. It happened,” as quoted by Sky Sports.
Diving has been a contentious issue in the Premier League for years, and the powers-that-be have made recent attempts to stamp the practice out of the game, to no immediate avail.
There have still been several instances of diving this season, and it is clear that stricter punishments are needed if they want to see the back of it in the near future.
There also needs to be a change in the culture surrounding responsibility for diving, and it is massively refreshing to hear a manager rebuke his star player like Klopp has done here.
The usual reaction from a manager when asked about his players diving is ‘I did not see it’, or ‘I will have to look at the footage again.’
For a boss to come out and admit that a favourite player has dived like Klopp did is a massive step forward, and one that must be taken by more managers in the coming seasons.
Diving will continue to blight the game if people refuse to take responsibility for it, and Klopp’s refreshing, no-nonsense comments are a massive step forward in the fight against it.
