TIBS EXCLUSIVE – Matt Le Tissier: “Manchester United’s Ashley Young might as well carry on diving if he can con stupid refs!”

Manchester United’s Ashley Young might as well carry on diving if he can get away with it.

(Play Matt’s free goal-prediction game now on www.goaldengoals.co.uk and win £200 in November.)

Not many people will like to hear that but at the moment he’s helping his team by winning penalties.

And if the referees are stupid enough to keep falling for it he’ll carry on doing it.

I praised manager David Moyes earlier in the season for warning his player against diving after a couple of incidents against Crystal Palace.

But Young’s still at it as we saw the other night in United’s 0-0 Champions League draw in Real Sociedad.

Yes, there was a little bit of contact on Ashley – the guy might have brushed his arm.

But no-way, shape or form did the dive warrant the amount of contact made.

The referee was probably within his rights to say there was contact so it’s a penalty.

But I think that’s a cheap way out – he’s been conned really.

If that contact was enough for a free-kick then the game of football wouldn’t be worth watching because they would be stopping the action every five seconds.

The problems Young and United may face in the future is that referees will have second thoughts about awarding the player a foul.

With so much publicity here about this, the winger may well struggle to convince a referee in this country that he has been wronged.

Though to be honest if it happens at Old Trafford there’s a fair chance the ref will give it anyway!

Charlie Nicholas touched upon the subject in the Sky Studios the other night.

He said all this controversy is just masking the player’s form which, in my opinion, is absolutely horrendous.

His actual play, taking the diving out of it, is awful. He’s a player completely devoid of any confidence whatsoever.

I don’t know what has happened to him?

Maybe the criticism has affected him but he doesn’t look half the player he was in his last season with Villa and his first season with United.

Sad to say, whatever you think of Young he just doesn’t seem to learn his lesson.

Read Matt’s blogs on www.goaldengoals.co.uk  and enter his free goal-prediction game and win cash prizes.

Want the chance to take on Le Tissier and win £1000? Visit www.goaldengoals.co.uk for more information.

This photograph was provided by Goalden Goals.