Martinez defends Barkley over 'diving' incident

Shame Nolan still gets a game..what a creep. Didn't he do Big Vic, put him out for several months.

Barkley does need to be a bit careful..this could be seen as conning the ref.

Clattenburg doing us some overdue favours these days?

Bob should tell them all to fuck off.

But still better than when TGT castigated Pip after the derby instead Rat boy for his two "career ending challenges". Good to see a manager stick up for his own.

It's embarrassing for supporters, possibly even for players. Managers however, in my view, should not defend it. Basically it's an attempt to cheat and should not be condoned.

It is a concern if this hapens regularly, but it never has, the media should move on.

The media Kopites making a big thing out of very little and I am fed up of Everton players being singled out for breaking the rules when, as far as I can see, every team nearly every week does something similar.

However, it is such an innocuous free-kick in a less than dangerous position, I'm not quite sure why there has been so much fuss made about this particular incident. Do the media question why Naismith has to be kicked a half-a-dozen times a match before he is awarded a free-kick?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/Everton/8359982/Newcastle-United-make-payment-to-Evertons-Victor-Anichebe-over-Kevin-Nolan-tackle.html

Is it supposed to make us feel less embarrassed about Ross’s dumb dive? Did Ross have the link in mind when he tried to – successfully – con the ref?

It was an embarrassing moment in a brilliant young playerÂ’s career.

Bobby had no reason at all to blab about this four days after and he should have kept his mouth shut but by opening it he has done us, himself, or Ross no favours.

I suspect that we would not have had any mention at all on TW about RossÂ’s silly seconds if our gaffer had kept it shut tight.

The only reason he got up was because he was so far away from Nolan he realised he looked a prat.

RM called this one wrong. He sounds like Rodgers defending Suarez.

He was: he is.

Sadly, if he played for Everton, he might be an Everton legend.

There was no contact whatsoever. I play football (normally winger or striker) and I've NEVER gone down simply in anticipation of being touched! What the fuck is that about, that's just a dive whichever way you look at it.

For all those going on about 'dirty Nolan', ask yourself one thing; had an oppo player done the same to us, what would your reaction be? Nolan didn't get near Ross and if I had been in the same situation I'd have been just as pissed off as Nolan was.

It's just fucking embarrassing – let's not give other players shit for diving and then try to cover up the same crap when one of ours does it. Either you condone it or you don't, regardless of who the player plays for.

As me Mum used to say, "If everyone jumped off a bridge, would you?"

Completely embarrassing and ANY attempt to condone or excuse Ross is equally embarrassing.

It was a dive. It was disgusting. Take off your blue tinted specs and call it for what it was.

Never, ever again Ross please. You're too talented for those shenanigans.

I, completely justified, expect more from an Everton player.

We support Everton because it's in our DNA – whether you were born into it, are from Liverpool and chose it, or like me are an adopted child.

We support a proper, hard-working football club and expect our players to play fair, play hard, and play with dignity.

Diving goes against Everything that Everton Football Club represent as a proper Football Club.

Off my soap box. If you're making excuses for Ross diving, please have a hard look in the mirror.

All we can hope for is that he learns he isn't as talented as ratface in the dying swan stakes and sticks to what he can do well.

Did anyone who was embarrassed go red and give a shout of "OMG"? Grow up, chaps, a little less sensitive, perrrrlease!

If you think Ross's dive was bad, try recalling the Luis Suarez ridiculous incident playing against Norwich. Tough challenge from Fer. Suarez twisting around clutching leg/knee. Looks in pain. Not going to get up any time soon. Quick glance up. Liverpool on the attack. You know the rest.

It wasnÂ’t even a tackle. It was a deliberate jump on the unprotected leg of a player already down.

Nolan found it funny.

Learn from it and move on. He's too good a player to go to ground that easily. He's got the pace and power to burst through teams.

Love the earlier comment that nothing was ever made of Suarez diving. Really?

Some have made the point that he was anticipating a challenge from a known thug, and I don't think you can dismiss that idea, but even so it was a dive. I don't like it of course but the media focus on him is totally pathetic. There's far too much pressure and criticism put on this young man. In light of that I think RM's defence of him is the right thing to do.

The amount of angry ranting posts on here shows how we feel about it, but because of one of ours, it's ok?

It was an embarrassing dive and he looked like a tit doing it. The one saving grace was that he did get up and it looked like he thought the ref blew against him... because he knew he had just acted like a tit.

Martinez should have just deflected the question and refused to be drawn into commenting about it.

No excuse, even though Nolan is a dirty shithouse.

If it had been someone else other than Nolan, I'd have laughed at Roberto's defence, but Big Vic was never the same after Nolan's horror tackle a few years back. So I'm not that concerned whether Barkley dived or was getting out of the way. Just better safe than sorry I say.

ItÂ’s embarrassing and heÂ’s got to be told to pack it in.