Sir Alex Ferguson went mental if his Manchester United players didn’t do one thing, according to Paul Scholes.
During this week’s Overlap Fan Debate, Scholes and former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher engaged in a discussion regarding the complex ethics surrounding the acquisition of penalties. Both participants concurred that while it is acceptable for players to initiate contact to draw fouls, it is inappropriate to deliberately throw oneself to the ground.
Carragher acknowledged: “I believe we are all cheats. On the football field, we seek decisions that we know are incorrect. As players, we are constantly attempting to sway the referee, even when we are aware [it’s wrong].
“I do not oppose players going down, but I disapprove of diving. If a goalkeeper approaches someone’s feet or a defender commits a reckless tackle, I would advise my striker, ‘What are you doing? Think wisely. It’s his fault. Do not evade him. Allow him to make contact with you.’
“Playing for [the penalty] is acceptable, but I would disapprove if I failed to make a tackle and he simply collapsed to the ground.”
Scholes further acknowledged that United’s iconic manager Ferguson would express significant displeasure if his players did not go down upon experiencing contact.
Scholes remarked: “I believe Jamie is correct. If there is contact [you should go down]. Our manager [Ferguson] frequently stated this. If someone makes contact with you, you should go down. And on occasions, if it did not occur and you remained on your feet, he would become extremely angry. Get down!”
Scholes, similar to Carragher, expressed that he did not believe players like Cristiano Ronaldo or Ashley Young should have dived without any contact.
Regarding Ronaldo, who often dove early in his Manchester United tenure, Scholes commented: “We were not pleased with that. Collectively, as a team, we disapproved. He was informed about this and it quickly ceased.”
Scholes added: “Ashley Young was a persistent issue because he would dive frequently.
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