Spurs stars Harry Kane and Eric Dier have defended Tottenham team-mate Dele Alli after he was accused of diving during their 1-0 win at Crystal Palace on Sunday.
An article by Sky Sports describes how Dele went down under what appeared to be minimal contact from Palace goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey, and also appealed for a penalty following a crunching challenge by full-back Patrick van Aanholt.
Public enemy number one Alli has already been booked for diving against Huddersfield and Liverpool this season however team mate Kane is happy to rely on referees getting the decisions right in such circumstances.
“Sometimes you do get a reputation but then that’s when we’ve got to trust the refs,”:said Kane. “They can’t let that affect them, and I don’t think they do.
“They’ve got to see what they see on the day and make a decision from that. The fans might jeer or boo every time it happens but it’s down to the ref to do his job and that’s all we can count on.
Kane added: “It’s hard when people watch football and they don’t really understand. Sometimes players dive but sometimes you can’t get out of the way, and I’ve said before, if someone makes a challenge why should you jump out of the way? It’s their own fault.When you get a reputation and when it’s happened a couple of times, the fans get on your back but the ref’s there to make a call on the day and you’ve just got to go with what he says.”
The article goes on to describe how Mauricio Pochettino and his Crystal Palace counterpart Roy Hodgson also felt Ali had done little wrong and Dier believes he was unfairly singled out.
“Obviously, because it’s Dele, it probably gets more attention than it deserves,”:said Dier.
“It’s difficult sometimes because if you take the action in the game against Liverpool, where he got booked for diving, I was standing right behind him.
Dier added: “When he’s running towards the ball, he’s taken a touch and it looks like the guy is about to come and take him out. There’s a sense of ‘I need to get out of the way’. If [the opponent) then goes and stops, it’s difficult.That’s the great thing about Dele: I don’t think he pays any attention to it and that’s the most important thing.All he needs to pay attention to is how his team-mates feel and how the manager sees him and how his family see him, and the rest really is irrelevant.”
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