"So what do you tell the kids Alan? Do you tell them to stay on their feet or go down?" That question from Match of the Day presenter put pundit Alan Hanson on the spot. Hanson had been applauding Arsenal's Theo Walcott for "buying" a penalty against Wigan that turned out to be the difference between the two teams.
Walcott had darted in front of the Wigan defender in the penalty area and always looked as though he wanted to go to ground. Jean Beausejour, already struggling to get the right side of Walcott, was breathing down his neck but did not try to trip him. Instead, Walcott's right leg flicked up behind him and he found Beausejour, plunging to the ground and winning a penalty.
Now there's no question. Walcott had the choice to stay on his feet. He chose to go down and hope the referee would rule the contact with the defender constituted a foul. He won the day, tricked the ref and got the penalty.
Walcott's not the only player who does this. In fact a manager would probably be furious if he didn't go down,
But Logan's question was apt. Is this really what we want football to look like? Do you feel proud to tell the kids that they have to cheat to get goals?
What a shame.
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