McCarthy hits out at football's divers

McCarthy, an uncompromising centre-back with Barnsley, Manchester City, Celtic and the Republic of Ireland in his day, has condemned the diving culture that saw Eduardo's controversial fall against Celtic spark a media firestorm, although refusing to comment on that particular incident.

The Molineux chief said: "We used to kick them proper, they didn't need to dive. When they went down they stayed down.

"Referees' decisions are more closely analysed now in depth. None of us like it when it happens to us and we get caught out.

"We all scream blue murder, but it just depends what we all do when we have a case when we get one.

"If it looks like someone pulled a shirt or clattered someone or touches them in the face and they go down, and they get a three-match ban retrospectively, then why shouldn't it be the same for divers?

"The only problem is the result of the match can't be turned around. If they get caught and it's proved, then unlucky, they should be punished.

"If, as a defender, you get caught retrospectively on video doing something wrong, you'll get punished – it's still the same in my view.

"Why shouldn't they divers be punished when it's conning and cheating? It's the one thing that sticks in everyone's craw if it happens to you.

"If one of our players dives and gets caught and he gets done, I won't bitch about it too much because there are things that defenders do and they get caught. I'm not quite sure what the rules are.

"But if a defender is seen to slap someone off the ball – and it might not be a life-threatening slap, say a clip in the gob – and the player goes down, he'll get done for three matches."

McCarthy insists diving isn't a problem at Wolves, because he hasn't got players who cheat.

He said: "I haven't got players who do it. I can't remember when anyone here has tried to dive. I've never had the cause while I've been here to say to a player 'you're out of order'.

"I ask them to play the game in a professional manner. I want players to tackle, but I want them to go for the ball and I don't want them to hurt people.

"I want people to do things in the right manner and, if people watch us play, we attempt to do that."

In fact, McCarthy believes Wolves' players are too honest, refusing to go down when they would have been awarded a penalty.

He said: "I've said that to players after a game, and we had it with George Friend at Sheffield Wednesday last season.

"He got clattered, but he stood up and staggered on. But we all said to him afterwards if he'd have gone down it would have been a penalty.

"Someone pulled the referee afterwards and even he said if he'd gone down, it would have been a penalty.

"But George didn't and then he gets accused of being too honest."

By contrast, Andy Keogh was booked for diving in the recent 1-0 win at Wigan when replays showed he should have earned a penalty.

McCarthy said; "That was a stonewall penalty. I accept it's very difficult for the refs, but they're against the use of TV technology for goals and everything else."