Staying on your feet.

[london blue 2]

Far to easy.

And he was not fucking running at full pace, in fact he'd stopped to change direction and was just pushing off again.

[WhyAlwaysMe?]

It appears to me that less penalties are being given across the board, especially ones where there is minimal contact. Costa, Young and the other turds who are specialists in this 'art' are not getting the decisions they have been doing over the last few seasons. Whether this is a conscious effort by referees or the FA to clamp down on 'diving' it remains to be seen.

The point being, a penalty kick is less likely to be awarded this season, so in my mind, if there is an opportunity to get a shot off, rather than reacting to a minimal foul, then the player should go for it. Rather like Aguero has done. Obviously if a defender takes the opposition player out then that is a different matter. I'm talking about playing the percentages in that if you are clipped and you've the option of going down in an attempt to get a penalty, which in the current climate is not as likely to be awarded as previous years, or attempting to continue to get a shot off, then I would rather see our boys trying for the goal.

A decent referee may well have played an advantage and bring play back if he deems it worthy of a foul and a resultant penalty if the subsequent attack amounts to nothing. I shan't hold my breath on that, but it's a start

You are absolutely correct and less penalty kicks have been awarded in Europe, ever since some high profile incidents during the World Cup.

After Luis Suarez, Arjen Robben & other players publicly admitted to occasionally diving, in order to win penalties, there have been far fewer penalty kicks awarded.

This season, the FA also introduced further punishment, for players who dive, in order to get opposition players sent off with a red card.

[South Stand Balti]

I played football up front until I was 33 and never went over or saw my contemporaries go down for penalties like that. I understand it's a much quicker level etc but for me that type of penalty claim is simply a sign of the "culture" of modern footie. I watch Sterling every week and he goes over that often I no longer find it convincing. I'm at the point where he could probably get kicked in the knackers and I'd still think he dove.