One to Watch: Conor McAleny

He obviously gets brought down a lot because he's a nippy little player, that's all.

'With his low centre of gravity and speed of thought, McAleny can help his side'

Which way would you prefer McAleny to take to the pitch? Draw a foul or create something beautiful?

"Yeah, this lad will win us plenty of fouls".

Oscar, have a read at your post again. Shaun, your criticism of Nick is pure nonsense. For all my criticism of David Moyes I utterly respect the fact that he will not tolerate cheating."Drawing fouls" for fucks sake.

Not at all. One of them cheats, one of them draws fouls.

It doesn't matter who you support.

Nick, if McAleny can score, I'm sure he will try to. If he has the ball with two men on him and a packed defence, then trying to take them on will 'draw a foul' if he has the ability to move the ball quicker than the defender's feet can move.

Andy, I've read Oscar's post again, I don't think you understand a crucial distinction in this conversation.

I think maybe it says more about your mentality that you assumed that meant cheating or diving. It means tempting the defender into trying to tackle you but being able to move the ball quickly enough to avoid being tackled. If you're so quick he doesn't touch you at all then brilliant, get on and do something, but in my experience most of the players that are that good are called Lionel Messi.

And Nick, are you telling me a Leighton Baines free kick into the top corner isn't beautiful?

Jamie (#424); Suarez cheats, Arteta doesn't. Black and white then. I believe that Suarez is the most despicable cheat I have ever seen playing football and a hateful fucker to boot and if he "draws fouls" in the derby, I'll call him a cheat .

FFS

What a thing to focus on!!!

I can recall chants and songs about scoring goals and hard tackling defenders but "drawing a foul"?

It's the modern idiom of general over analysis of a simple game and quite frankly talking bollocks about anything to do with football.

The eulogising of David Beckham for taking a good corner being the start of it.

'Drawing fouls...' is an unhelpful comment as it's nothing but cheating and Conor, from what I saw of him, didn't really look the type any way. Why not comment on his ability, he seems to have plenty?

Conor is quick and skilful. He takes players on and is therefore more likely to draw more challenges.

There's people on this site that need therapy. How you can spin this into a negative is beyond me.

I also think some folks really need to improve on their reading comprehension.

Just because a player "draws fouls", it doesn't necessarily mean that:

a) he looks to do so at the expense of creating something.
or
b) he cheats.

It just means that he gets fouled a lot.

Messi, Walcott, Arteta, Pienaar, Ronaldo. All very, very good players who "draw fouls" because they are too quick/intelligent/good for the opposition to handle without fouling them.

If Conor has attributes which mean the opposition have to foul him a lot, then it's just another weapon in our arsenal to beat teams with.

By your definition and the articles it's implying that 'drawing a foul' is more beneficial than continuing with open play, else why mention it as a positive, which is both disrespectful to the player and the spirit of the game. If it said, 'Unfortunately, due to x y z he draws a lot if fouls" then fair enough.

Going back to Messi, he draws fouls all the time by running at people, the difference is, he's so good and well balanced he can stay on his feet anyway and keep going.

The phrase 'drawing fouls' is not being used here as a euphemism or synonym for diving. It is intended to be a clearly different thing. it is also a good and important skill if you find yourself isolated, surrounded by opponents with no passing options.

The new "Scottish McFadden" Matthew Kennedy has also stood out at times.

We're not as completely devoid of young talent as some people like to point out. Whether any of them have enough class to make the step up to the Premier League is another matter. And the rather OTT uproar after Moyes dared to make a few changes for the Leeds game, probably means we won't see any more youngsters risked in any competitions for a long long time.

Remember this: "when you draw a foul, the player actually fouls you. When you dive, he doesn't. Is that a clear enough distinction?"

Remember this: "The phrase 'drawing fouls' is not being used here as a euphemism or synonym for diving. It is intended to be a clearly different thing."

I don't see how it could be any clearer. You are either being thick or dishonest, or think you're being funny and are just a wind-up merchant. I'd like you to apologise for that post or explain which of those three options applies to you.

Can give an honest and straightforward answer to this question: do you think being fouled by an opponent is cheating?

A player may find himself in a position where he has nowhere to go and no options other than to invite a foul. It seems to me though, it might be a reflection on a player's ability. The great player might try someting special and achieve something great. Others will take a free kick. I think a young player should consider trying something special.

I'm not being argumentative ,Mike, merely suggesting that in ideal world I'd rather our young players weren't looking for free kicks. Having said that, if Jelavic "draws a foul against Liverpool and Baines slams home the free kick your distinction will be as clear as daylight.

I don't think drawing fouls is something specific, but say Arteta, he had great control and without pace could go past people and without that pace to create a gap, last ditch challenges would bring him down in a tangle of legs.

I'm with Barry, it's a term come about through the over-analysis of a simple game.

I can't get my head around why it's even debatable.

Drawing a foul us all about quick feet.

He probably doesn't look for fouls but because he has quick feet, he draws the odd foul.

It's not cheating. He doesn't dive. It's just what happens.

As for 'why isn't he trying to create something', assuming the former, the answer is simple, actively drawing a foul is much easier, and a higher percentage move more likely to benefit the team than trying something extremely difficult which is likely to result in giving away possession. If we had a player who constantly tried to do special things that would make him look amazing if they worked but they never do, a) Moyes wouldn't pick him and b) the fans would get on his back for trying to be Hollywood the whole time rather than doing what's best for the team.

I get that you're trying to promote virtuous football and the beautiful game and I can applaud that, but its just not right in every situation. Even the mega-rich clubs who can buy anyone they want don't try to play like that, its a bit much to expect us sacrifice ourselves for the noble cause isn't it?

Does it lead to you attempting to create something beautiful/special?

Toffeewebber 1: "The sky is blue"

Toffeewebber 2: "It isn't at night time though is it"

And so on.....

p.s Mike Allison won this round for sure. Well played Mike!

Not a quote from the lad himself, Moyes or anyone directly involved with the club but Greg O'Keefe, who basically says (and I'm paraphrasing) he's little and quick and therefore is likely to win free-kicks! For fucks sake, imagine the argument and debate if we ever talked about anything serious like a new ground or club ownership... oh, wait!

(First and last time I'll ever even paraphrase Jamie Carragher).