Ashley Young Is a Worse Diver Than Luis Suarez, Says Dietmar Hamann

Dietmar Hamann believes Ashley Young should be hounded as a bigger cheat than Luis Suarez.

The former Liverpool midfielder spoke in light of Young’s alleged dive during Manchester United’s recent 0-0 draw with Real Sociedad in the Champions League, per talkSPORT and via Nick Lustig of the Daily Star:

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If you remember the stick Luis Suarez got, he’s cut it [diving] out of his game, but Ashley Young is much worse than Suarez has ever been.

Manchester United, with their reputation, shouldn’t need to dive and cheat to win a football match.

It’s blatant cheating to try to win a penalty when there’s no contact. The reputation of the player will suffer as well.

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Robin van Persie missed the resulting spot-kick in a night of frustration for the Red Devils. While United’s inability to consistently win matches continues to linger this season, David Moyes may have a bigger problem in the shape of Young, should the winger continue to draw criticism.

It's a situation that Suarez has also found himself in throughout his career. Henry Winter of The Telegraph once labelled the Uruguayan striker "a toxic cheat."

Suarez's most famous incidents of cheating have been extremely varied. The memory of his handball off the line during Uruguay's 2010 World Cup win over Ghana lives on, as does his decision to bite down on Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic.

With Hamann's comments in mind, Suarez's dive in last year's Premier League encounter with Stoke was the most appalling, something the player even admitted to, per The Guardian. Young has regularly been accused of similar actions, a hugely disappointing realisation for Moyes.

Although the United manager defended his player after this particular incident, per Andy Hunter of The Guardian, he previously warned the 28-year-old for hitting the deck too quickly, as reported by BBC Sport.

Hamann believes Young faces an uncertain future if he continues to soil his reputation, as noted in Lustig’s article:

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I would say to Young, "If you want to stay in the game for the next ten years, you’ve got to cut that out." He’ll end up not getting decisions any more.

If the incident against Real Sociedad happened in the Premier League, he wouldn’t have got a penalty. He only got it because the referee didn’t know him.

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Young recently received a caution for diving against Crystal Palace, a match that also saw him win a debateable free-kick which was subsequently scored by Wayne Rooney.

Hamann insists players often have to protect themselves against incoming challenges—a stance Gareth Bale advocated after being booked for simulation in 2012, per Laura Williamson of the Daily Mail. However, the former Liverpool does not think that is the case with Young.

You only have to check Young's Twitter mentions to realise how angry journalists, fans and Manchester United supporters are with the England international.

The talented winger has performed poorly for large chunks of his Old Trafford career and must quickly sort out his attitude if he is to remain in Manchester for much longer.

Moyes has shown himself to react honestly when his player dives, suggesting Young needs to eradicate all forms of cheating from his game.

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