Ashley Young Is Not the First Diver to Play for Manchester United

There is no subject that football supporters from England love to discuss more.

The subject of diving is one we have debated for years in this country. The context normally lies within incidents where our teams have been wronged by a foreign maverick, who had somehow weaved his way past four of our defenders, to then finally clip the ball away from a lunging leg, throwing himself high into the stratosphere and landing heavily on his back after a triple salchow of Olympic winning proportions.

This then normally leads to several days of public mourning and crying vocal tears of how maligned we are as a nation in this cruel world of sport. Cheaters never prosper, unless they are playing us.

The case of Ashley Young is not one full of surprise or suspense.

Here we have a boy who has worked his way through the system, from Watford to Aston Villa and finally Manchester United. Before his big money move, his credibility grew over many seasons as he scored sublime goals and delivered glorious assists by the dozen. He earned his move to the "big boys," but somewhere along the road, something happened.

Young's metamorphosis into the world of "most hated footballers" is indeed partly his fault. The dramatics we have seen from him have been somewhat embarrassing; however, the vilification he has received, especially from United fans, has been even more cringe-worthy.

After United's last Champions League game, Ray Wilkins told Sky Sports, "This is as bad for me as all these over-the-top tackles we're getting at the moment because that is a conning of the referee."

Yes, to Ray falling over is as bad as a leg-breaking tackle. Snapping your opponent in half is on the same level as an amateur-dramatic tumble.

I am no advocate of diving, but there is a fine line between blatant, violent cheating and "gamesmanship" in football.

If you travel the football world, most inhabitants of continents far and wide will tell you that "winning fouls" are acceptable. In other countries, a fall in the penalty area after minimal contact is celebrated. It is easy to say "Well, in England we do not accept this behaviour," but this statement is false.

Did people complain when Michael Owen "won" a penalty against Argentina at the 2002 World Cup?

Did United fans complain when Wayne Rooney helped end Arsenal's invincible run with a blatant dive after minimal contact?

The fact is that diving has happened in this country for years, and Ashley Young is a journalist's dream and a scapegoat for fickle fans.

Young's form has been the driver for many supporters' disdain. Many were against his transfer and will use any sign of weakness as a stick with which to beat him. The diving is not pretty, but many redshirted before him have done just the same.

Ronaldo would regularly dive, even after the early days of Sir Alex Ferguson being very public in his castigation of the boy. Nani still likes a dramatic fall today. As I said, Rooney is no stranger to finding the contact he needs to draw a foul.

I watched Shinji Kagawa try to "win" a penalty, when he was not fouled against Real Sociedad; however, when Ashley Young was fouled after having his sleeve pulled (this is technically a foul whichever side of the fence you wish to sit on) and after a dramatic fall all of five yards from the referee, he was once again ripped apart by the media and fans.

I am not trying to garner sympathy for Young, but it is crystal clear that his crimes are no worse than others, yet his punishments are disproportionate. I do not believe for one second that David Moyes or Sir Alex has told him not to go down if he feels contact. Managers and players are there to win games at all cost.

If Young can reproduce that very early form that saw him instrumental in United's 8-2 destruction of Arsenal, I have a strange feeling that the diving may become less of an issue to many. I have the most curious feeling that if Young wins England a dubious penalty at the forthcoming World Cup finals in Brazil, the whole nation may not be up in arms!

Young will never be a Cristiano Ronaldo, but he works hard and puts in a shift for his team. That needs to be appreciated more by United fans. There is no doubting that opponents and tabloids will continue to burn the player with vicious tongues and provocative print, but maybe if Young gets the backing of his own club's fans, we may well see his form improve and his dirty tricks book might be used much less.