TP urges PFA to stamp out diving

Last updated : 27 September 2010 By Team Talk

Pulis refused to identify the player in question on Sunday but called on the Professional Footballers' Association to demand higher standards of behaviour from its members.

Stoke had to deal with criticism of Andy Wilkinson last week following a bad challenge on Fulham striker Moussa Dembele Pulis himself criticised, but the Welshman feels diving in the Premier League is a problem that goes unnoticed.

He said: "We have been highlighted with one or two other clubs for supposedly being over-physical, and there are other aspects to our game that need to be addressed, and that is certainly, for me, one of them.

"With the bad publicity we have had this week with the challenge from Andy Wilkinson, I was really disappointed when one of the Newcastle players went down and I think simulated an injury from a challenge.

"Three passes later, he jumped up and was running around as if nothing had happened.

"The PFA have a responsibility as an organisation to make sure their players don't do things like that because you put other players under enormous pressure, but also you but referees and officials under enormous pressure.

Asked to name the player, Pulis replied: "I don't know, you will have to look at the tape yourself."

However, Newcastle counterpart Chris Hughton refuted the claim.

He said: "I would be very, very surprised. We were up against a hard-running, very physical side in Stoke who certainly put themselves about.

"But I certainly didn't see any play-acting from any of our players.

"I would be very, very surprised at that, very surprised."

Pulis' displeasure was eased by a battling victory at St James' which saw the home side let the points slip from their grasp.

It all started so well for the Magpies, who dominated the first half without creating too many chances, but went in at the break a goal to the good when Kevin Nolan converted a penalty given for Robert Huth's push on Andy Carroll.

Stoke could have had a spot-kick in similar circumstances shortly after when Matthew Etherington was barged over by Nolan in the box but the winger attempted to stay on his feet and saw the referee wave protests away.

It was a very different Stoke who emerged for the second half, though, as Kenwyne Jones hit he post and the crossbar before finally getting his name on the scoresheet with 67 minutes gone when he headed home from close range after Huth had recycled Etherington's free-kick.

And there was worse to come for the Magpies when, with just five minutes remaining, James Perch got to Etherington's corner ahead of Huth, but only succeeded in powering the ball into his own net.

Pulis said: "For all Newcastle's play in the first half, apart from the penalty, I don't think they made Thomas [Sorensen] do a lot.

"Having said that, there was no excuse for the way we played. But I thought we were better in the second half."

Hughton was a disappointed man after seeing his side slip to a second successive home defeat.

He said: "We knew this was going to be a tough season and we knew it is a season where we are probably going to lose more games than we win.

"I am realistic enough to know where we are at this moment. We are a side that has just got promotion back up to this division.

"I know where we are. It would be nice for me to say that we will win more games than we will lose.

"That would see us in a very favourable position in the league, which would be nice, but I am realistic about where we are."

Source: Team Talk

Source: Team Talk