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Dear Roker Report,
I’ve watched the Dominguez incident many times and I don’t see Trai Hume making any contact with the player, who then goes to the floor, simulating an injury. I’m surprised that a former referee would
agree that to take no action would’ve been the correct response.
Please help me here: many such simulations take place weekly — sometimes in the penalty area — earning the opposition an advantage. Somebody correct me if I’m wrong, but this isn’t football.
In my eyes, any referee who disagrees should be banned from the game, and it’s so annoying for someone with a modicum of authority to back this sort of action.
Yes, football is a contact sport and shoulder-to-shoulder challenges should be acceptable, but simulation to get an advantage or trying to dance with opponents when a corner kick is taken…people indulging in this sort of action should see a red card.
Roll on the old type of sporting actions, when players were men and not divas.
Harry Nixon
Ed’s Note [Phil]: Hi, Harry. Thank you for your letter.
I did find the reaction to the Hume incident from a refereeing perspective quite odd, because it wasn’t even borderline in my opinion, and Dominguez certainly ramped up the theatrics in an attempt to swing the decision in Nottingham Forest’s favour.
I think this is something we’ll adapt to, now that we’re back in the Premier League. The stakes are far higher and simulation is arguably more widespread, but you would hope that referees during Sunderland games are wise to any attempts at such antics — and respond appropriately wherever necessary.
I also don’t think it’ll alter Hume’s approach — he’s full-blooded and that’s why we love him!
Dear Roker Report,
I just wanted to write in to vent about people talking bollocks about injuries in a desperate attempt to be seen as “ITK”.
Some blowhard on Ready To Go claimed that Nordi Mukiele was injured, which set people away panicking this week, and it was something that Régis Le Bris even had to address in his pre-match press conference — all because of some idiot who wanted five minutes of fame.
Even if Nordi was injured, what good can come from leaking that news? It also happened last week with Habib Diarra. All it does is make people panic and crucially, it gives the opposition an advantage by knowing something like that ahead of the game.
I can’t for the life of me understand why people do it. Just shut your hole and keep it to yourself.
Ian Hughes
Ed’s Note [Phil]: Hi, Ian. Thank you for getting in touch.
The whole “Is Nordi Mukiele injured?” wicked whisper has been a bit of a strange one this week, and Régis Le Bris sounded somewhat mystified when he was asked about it during Thursday’s press conference.
I fully agree that in an ideal world, injuries suffered to important players would be kept in-house and only disclosed through official club channels, but hopefully it was just a rumour without any substance, and Mukiele will line up for the Lads at Old Trafford tomorrow — maybe with a bit of extra zip on his long throws!
