Chris Sutton has reacted to the mixed perception of Tottenham striker Harry Kane and Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah, as posted on BBC Radio 5 Live Sport.
A BBC 606 caller claimed that the suggestion from the media is that Tottenham’s hitman ‘wins free kicks’, but Liverpool’s flying forward is a diver.
Added with that, he also felt that the England captain gets ‘bowed down’ to and someone like Salah, alongside the now-departed Manchester City striker, Sergio Aguero are treated like ‘second-rate’ citizens and underappreciated as footballers.
Former Premier League striker Sutton agreed that Kane and Salah have ‘both dived’, but still questioned who the people that underappreciate someone like Salah.
606 caller: “If he’s English, like Harry Kane, then he will get a knighthood and bowed down. Or if he is Aguero then they are classed as second-rate citizens.”
Sutton responded to those claims: “But who are these people?” said Sutton. “With Aguero, you make a good point.”
The caller responded: “It’s the media. If you got back to last season then you have instances of Harry Kane, ‘Oh, he wins free-kicks’. If it’s Mo Salah, ‘Oh, he dives’.”
Sutton added: “I think they have both dived.”
Even though it hasn’t happened with Kane this season, nor in the summer at Euro 2020, one of the claims thrown towards the Englishman was how he would back into opposition players and win fouls.
Some felt that Kane was being clever in winning free-kicks, but others felt that it was dangerous play from the striker.
Either way, it’s a topic that will always divide opinion, but officials are stamping out on giving soft free-kicks and penalties this season.
For large parts, games have flowed better and it is good for the game.
But the likes of Jurgen Klopp and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer have come out and expressed their displeasure at these changes.
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