Ian Holloway 'saddened and offended' by claims Wilfried Zaha cheated in Stoke City match
PALACE boss Ian Holloway says he was "saddened" and "offended" by claims Wilfried Zaha is a cheat after the winger was given a yellow card for an alleged dive at Stoke City on Tuesday night.
The 20-year-old looked to have been clipped inside the box, but referee Anthony Taylor saw different, and Holloway, who was furious with the decision, says it's about time something is done about it – especially in the Premier League.
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Wilfried Zaha is booked by referee Anthony Taylor at Stoke City on Tuesday night
"There was only one thing that saddened me and that's the referee dishing out a yellow card to my player, who beat someone and got caught, and I had to take him off because his ankle was hurting – did he make that up as well?", he said following the 4-1 defeat at the Britannia Stadium.
"I've been labelled a cheat, and Wilfried Zaha's been labelled a cheat. That referee was so quick to make a decision and he says he was close enough and he sees it week in, week out in the Premier League, where people do cheat and dive.
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"Both of us have been labelled a cheat - I know he's not.
"I was called a cheat because the referee has told my player that he dived. And if I see any of my players dive, I'll fine them – and they don't dive.
"In the Premier League, I see people diving and cheating to get things. My player was given a yellow card and it wasn't at all. If you look at it, he was actually caught so that's what's ruined it for me.
"Some people need to realise when someone flicks it past someone and they do get brought down, you shouldn't brandish a yellow card and call someone a cheat."
Holloway also believes it's about time people started to openly admit if a player has dived instead of using another term to describe that particular action in the game.
He said: "Simulation? What a load of rubbish. Why don't you say it how it is – they're cheating.
"I have never met a referee yet who hasn't made a mistake. I don't think they make as many as others but I think he made a mistake against us.
"That hurts me. That offends me. Wilfried is not like that and he hasn't got that cynical side which is everywhere in the Premier League – it's everywhere.
"And until we start to clamping down on it, the game is in jeopardy I think.
"That's the honest truth, and if you look at that, Wilf was upset. And after that, he did give a penalty; and he got that one right.
"The Stoke fans thought he dived again. Seriously? Our fans sing 'he's just too good for you', because how many people does he beat?"
Meanwhile, after the game on Tuesday, the media further questioned the current situation surrounding Zaha's future at Palace, which Holloway didn't take too kindly to.
"He might be out for about six months to stop you (the media) talking about him all the time – he's going to be out for months and months," he said sarcastically.
And at that particular moment, Holloway's mobile phone started ringing.
"Ah, that's probably Arsene Wenger now! Well, knowing the media, it would be him calling.
"Why should I give a straight answer because I'm sick and tired of reading about him. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, it doesn't.
"How many hours and days until the end of this stupid, pathetic transfer window that forces people to do things – it's not very good.
"And there's a mad rush in January. So, all the media wait until there's a mad rush and they start speculating who's done any good in the window and you're all talking about them before it closes.
"How boring is it? Let's turn over and see some real life. Why do people put speculation on things when it hasn't happened yet?
"If it happens, great, we'll tell you about it. In the meantime, what about the rest of my team?
"If the media had an accurate story, it wouldn't be bad, would it? I know they're trying to do their job but at the end of the day, what is speculation?"
Comments
by Sharpeyed
Friday, January 18 2013, 6:49PM
“mm”
by fatclub
Friday, January 18 2013, 12:58PM
“Frankbromley &Redwyno totally agree with both comments, Firstly I think as you say we are like the game the way it is played if you are honest and have the team at heart you are blocked. & wyno as I stated if you had the referees of the likes of Taylor they stood no nonsences players never crowded them if a decision was given that was it you were never booked or sent off refes had a quiet word in the ear as they went past that was good enough, The ganging up on he ref started with Man U, Liverpool & Leeds in the late 80's early 90's when the gifted players were able to beat the non talented players or the one's who took no prisoners, I agree that the game needed to change for the talented player but not for ballariners who swan laked all the time and as for rolloing halfway down the pitch when you have been tackled thats who the ref's should book if you are hurt you would not move for making it worse, We all get behind the team but show it in different ways some with a nonsense way of showing it others with pratical way, Why do we need loan players if the players we have including the youngsters then get rid and buy players who are, its a shame we have so many on the bench & no reserve games to swap these players around to kep them fresh with the same mindset of the wa the first team play, what is butterfield going to do for us in a month why not have him for the rest of the season how many games is he going to play in a month, He s a midfielder I thought people loike Bolasie, Moritz were midfielders, we need someone to cover KG a defender not a full midfielder.”
by redwyno
Friday, January 18 2013, 11:54AM
“the trouble is most referees need to grow a pair and stop being afraid of some premier managers if you dive send them off if you hold or push in the box its a sending off and a penalty a weeked of teams being down to 9 men may soon give the message it is not acceptable and maybe after a month it will be eradicated also if players crowd the ref and intimidate them give every one a yellow card then they can make a decision without fear”
by frankbromley
Friday, January 18 2013, 11:16AM
“Fatclub,
totally agree but what about the 2 Cheats & Liars on this site?
They sneak on here & put - comments against good, honest comments, they report the comments, they snitch & grass & get good honest intelligent palace fans banned from here.
Do you think they report comments & get good people banned because they are so out of their depth on this site with their idiotic, moronic dopey comments?”
by fatclub
Friday, January 18 2013, 11:01AM
“This is just like when Vince Hillare got sent off, He had taken so much he just lost it, but the worse bit was the referee afterwards admitted he should have protected Vince more during the game, so what has happened to Wilf is not a new thing, I am afraid that since we have had outsiders in the game from all over the world they go down at the slightest touch, Wonder what referees Like Taylor,Kirkpatrick etc would have done today just turned round and said get up you Pan*y and played on with the game, also what about players like chopper Harris, or Bites yur'e legs Norman Hunter & our own Bert Howe how long would they have lasted on the pitch. Also what happens to the referees when a player contests a red card and it is recinded like the Man city player this weekend just gone, the referee could stop a team from winning and even possibly being either promoted or relegated nothing happens to them, the referees have got to change their attitude and be truthful.”
by roomster
Friday, January 18 2013, 8:54AM
“Many of the "officials" are extremely poor at the moment it's because many of them know the laws of the game but don't have any footballing skills.”