The latest article from The Secret Footballer is on simulation. Focusing on the circus that was Wednesday’s Champions League first leg El Clasico he talks about diving being a far too apparent blemish on the game.
It’s another great read and one that I’m sure most, if not all, readers will agree with.
And we had a huge clue this week, possibly the biggest yet in that it will allow us to rule out many players. The clue is that he once played with Paolo Di Canio:
“I played with a foreign player who was a master at winning free-kicks after minimal contact. Our manager loved him and would say to us: ‘You all need to be more streetwise like Paolo'”
Many people had already guessed that the ‘lazy’ striker from his April 2nd article may have been him and the spelling of Paolo confirms this (i.e. it’s not Paulo Wanchope!).
I will keep all of the current ‘open’ candidates open for today whilst getting your feedback on the ‘Paolo’ reference, but barring any drastic twist will rule out all players who haven’t played with Di Canio this evening.
24 responses to “TSF on diving”
Did Danny murphy and paolo di canio not play together at charlton?
Murphy joined the same month Paolo left …not sure of the exact dates …can anyone find them?
Paolo Futre?
Also I thought he was just using Paolo as a generic name
Spelt with a ‘u’
If I was TSF I’d have changed the name of the player to Paolo to set the dogs running up the wrong fell.
Di Canio only played for Charlton in the 03/04 season, and Murphy signed for them 10 August 2004. They never played together. If you’re going to rule out every player who hasn’t played with Di Canio you have to rule out Murphy as well.
http://www.thedailystar.net/2004/08/12/d40812041846.htm
Scott Parker was at Charlton and he’s played under Keegan (there were references to the Messiah in an earlier article).
Paul Konchesky played with him at Charlton. But would Alan Curbishley advocate diving?
Agree, pretty sure that was a generic name and picking Paolo also might have helped throw people off the trail.
Rio Ferdinand
Frank Lampard
Joe Cole
Michael Carrick
Jermain Defoe
Lee Bowyer
Paul Konchesky
Scott Parker
This is the list of English players still playing in the Premier League (Konchesky is a technicality) who have played with Di Canio. Glen Johnson was on loan to Millwall but may have played a few games with him.
The way I see it, TSF has never used anyone’s name that could be linked to him and gone to great lengths to do so. Any time he’s used any descriptors, it’s always with the aim of illustrating or adding to the point he’s making. So why would he name Paolo when:
a) It adds nothing to the anecdote
b) A.N.Other foreign name could have done
c) It provides a threat to his own anonymity?
The article get’s nothing out of having the name Paolo except for dangling a big juicy obvious clue to the people he knows are trying to figure out who he is.
I’m not saying it *isn’t* Di Canio being referenced here, but I don’t think you can say it definitely is either – taking it as generic foreigner, the article and anecdote works just as well.
I agree
Wanchope?
…a couple of years earlier Wayne Rooney apologised to Sir Alex Ferguson for doing the same [ie diving] in a Manchester United shirt
http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUgP96XjEpY&feature=player_detailpage#t=344s
TSF unlikely to have been an Arsenal player in 2004, and certainly not Sol Campbell.
I also agree. I thought right away he was probably just using Paolo as a generic for an Italian or other foreigner. Otherwise just too large a clue.
One addional point from the ‘feigning injury’ player is that he has played in Europe against a non-english team that featured an English player.
By the way, is it not possible that there is a pool of people involved in writing these columns? And if so, is there a point to all this?
Some other English players
Anton Ferdinand. Wiki says he joined in Dec 2002 as a trainee.
Charlton Cole was on loan to Charlton the same year Canio was there.
Luke Young was also at Charlton then.
It is one footballer
Which bit are you referring to here?
Spelt differently: Paolo/Paulo
Changes made accordingly: https://www.whoisthesecretfootballer.co.uk/index.php/guess-who/
Ignore what I’ve put about Keegan, Parker left (2007) before he was manager (2008).