F365 OPINION PIECE ON ROONEY, THE BBC AND MATCH OF THE DAY

What is worse - the player who dives or the pundits who refuse to acknowledge the subterfuge, let alone condone it? As some F365ers complained during the week, there was remarkably little media condemnation of Steven Gerrard's antics against Blackburn, and the response of MOTD this weekend to Wayne Rooney's behaviour against the same opponents was even more craven. Even when acknowledging that there was 'a delay' in his 'fall' after a challenge by Steven Reid, neither Lawrenson nor Shearer were prepared to admit that the Manchester United striker had taken a dive. Far better to bury their heads in the sand throwing out meaningless platitudes than acknowledge any English wrongdoing. There has always been an ugly inconsistency in the media's outlook to such incidents. As this column noted in December in a segment on Aston Villa winger Ashley Young after he was booked for diving, 'Despite highlighting the youngster's performance, Match of the Day neglected to feature Young's cheating, let alone pass commentary on it. It was another depressing reminder of the programme's shallowness and the type of reverse xenophobia that has enabled Joe Cole to become an embarrassment to the nation. Had a Ronaldo or a Pires committed such a piece of shameless subterfuge then the debate about immigration would probably have been re-opened.' Perhaps the myopia is a consequence of the Beeb's policy of appointing former players and the 'jobs for the boys' pact that underpins the insidious relationship. Or perhaps it stems from a reluctance on the corporation's behalf to make powerful enemies - broadcasters need clubs' co-operation as much as clubs need their matches to be broadcast and yet boycotts only work one way. Whatever the reason, television companies are as guilty for the spread of cheating in the English game as the perceived prime suspect, those bloody foreigners. Rooney thus escaped with censure, and the comment, following his hack at Christopher Samba, of how "he took on someone bigger than him" sounded approving. Never mind that he had lost control of his emotions, it's an Englishman fighting back so that makes it alright then. Worse was to follow. That Rooney spent most of the second half subjecting both a linesman and referee Robert Styles to his full range of invective was neither approved of nor disapproved. It was simply omitted from the MOTD coverage altogether. The crusade for greater respect to be shown towards officialdom lasted just as long as it took to replace an Argentine with an Englishman in the firing line.