Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill has blasted Premier League
referees over their treatment of Villans winger Ashley Young this
season.
The England international is among the most naturally gifted
wingers in the English top flight, with the 24-year-old having made
giant strides since joining Villa from Watford in 2007.
His club manager is worried, though, that his direct approach
to the game is earning him a reputation as a diver. Young was
cautioned in a recent 3-0 defeat against Arsenal for theatrically
tumbling over a challenge from Alex Song, despite replays showing
he was forced to take evasive action to avoid being clattered.
O'Neill feels this sort of incident is becoming increasingly
common, with match officials giving little or no protection to the
creative influences of the game.
"To book him for that was utter lunacy - it was crazy,"
O'Neill stormed. "Is Ashley going to do three summersaults in the
air and come down and potentially land on his head so he can get a
foul?
"He doesn't perform acrobatics, so for the referee to say
that is simulation is beyond belief.
"I am not sure Ashley has that reputation but if other
referees think that is a dive then it will get the notion into
other people's heads.
"Ashley Young gets very close to players who are going to get
a foot in and get a touch - that is an art.
"He has been up-ended about four times recently and has not
been booked but he has not got the foul in incidents which have
later been shown clearly to be fouls in the last seven weeks.
"What happens, because the referees haven't given it and we
play on, is the notion that he is feigning it.
"Because very little was said about it referees will gather
and think it was a dive.
"But I have never told a player if there is a possibility of
going down in the area to do it.
"Unfortunately referees are worried about being castigated
the next day as there are 37 cameras at games.
"They get this notion in their head not to miss decisions but
that one was nonsense.
"Referees should just go and referee the game and not be too
concerned about who is in the stand.
"They should apply some common sense and not book someone who
tumbled into the air and landed down head first and could have
injured themselves."
