Matt Mundy reports on Phil Brown’s perspective on the issue du jour…
Southend United manager Phil Brown is fearful of diving creeping into players in League Two.
The Shrimpers boss has spoken out after his side’s goalless draw with fellow promotion hopefuls Burton Albion on Friday night, in which a few instances of simulation occurred.
Brown was visibly irate on the touchline towards the fourth official and assistant referee for, in his opinion, failing to take appropriate action on two Burton players on different occasions.
And Brown bemoaned the fact that he was having to answer questions about diving.
“It’s unfortunate that we’re talking about diving after two good sides at our level have gone toe to toe and come out with a healthy point each,” said Brown.
“To stick all your emphasis on one or two dives in the first half is showing you where the game is going.
“I don’t want it to be creeping in at this level. There’s some good, strong, solid characters out there that are going to ground too easily for me. Dave Worrall (Southend winger) did it in the first half which I don’t like.”
Last week diving was in the news after Chelsea and England defender Gary Cahill was seen to have dived whilst already on a yellow card, which the ref ignored and left unpunished.
That is where the former Hull City manager thinks the punishments need to be handed down.
“We all watch the Premier League and Match of the Day and all saw the Gary Cahill situation. It was a red card. The lad should have been sent off for diving in the penalty box having been booked.
“If the referee gave it last week, and maybe Chelsea lost the league title because of it, then that’s a good enough advert for diving to stop.
“Until they stop it at the top end then people at the bottom end are going to do it.”
The match itself saw very little happen for either side on a frustrating night at Roots Hall. Barry Corr’s second-half header which was tipped over by Jon McLaughlin in the Brewers goal was the closest either side came to a winner.
The Shrimpers manager, though, felt it was a good advertisement for the division.
“I thought it was a good advert for League Two with two tactically aware managers going toe to toe and both coming out with a point.
“It’s a brutal league and if you take your foot off the gas like we did away to Wycombe last week, you get your comeuppance but tonight we were back at it.”