Harry Maguire and Mohamed Salah used as examples to show ‘cheating players and weak referees’ are leading to more penalties in Premier League

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Diving was a hot topic in the recent Premier League matches and Simon Jordan believes the time has come for a more robust stamping out of it.

Manchester United captain Harry Maguire and Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah were caught up in diving controversy although neither player was given a penalty in their respective matches.

Maguire thought he’d won Man United a penalty in the second half of their clash at West Brom

While Salah wasn’t given a spot-kick when he hit the deck at Leicester

Salah went down in the box as he kicked the ball past Leicester’s Ricardo Pereira but referee Anthony Taylor was unmoved.

Maguire thought he’d won a spot-kick during United’s clash at West Brom after a tangle with Semi Ajayi, however, the decision by Craig Pawson was overturned following a VAR check.

The defender then claimed ‘decisions are going against Man United’ while Baggies boss Sam Allardyce said VAR ‘is making a mockery of football’.

But Jordan is in no doubt that the penalties shouldn’t have been given but insists enough isn’t being done to sanction the ‘cheating’ players.

Jordan believes drastic action is needed from the game’s authorities to eradicate diving

The talkSPORT host called on the PGMOL to ‘stamp out’ diving from the game for good.

On why diving is still an issue, Jordan said: “Players are cheats and referees are weak. And there’s a lack of consequence.

“You look at some of these decisions that are being given or contemplated… this might be slightly idealistic on my part but the players should be ashamed of themselves. These are professional footballers. You look at it and go ‘what the hell are you players about?’”

“Harry Maguire is a Goliath of a man – minimal contact! If you look at the contact itself, you’d think someone had attached him to a pulley and pulled him down. He was barely touched!

Jordan insists Maguire went down far too easily

“It’s the whole sentiment of the way the game has been allowed to go. Whether it’s players coming from abroad or a culture of coaching or a win at all costs mentality, it needs to be eradicated.

“It comes down to how the officials are prepared to referee the games. If you don’t want this in our game then it’s incumbent on the PGMOL to get the referees to stamp this out and the way you stamp something out is to consequent the players when they’re trying to buy, con or cheat a penalty for virtually no contact whatsoever. What do they get? On the whole, nothing!

“Look at some of the decisions that Mohamed Salah gets at Liverpool. He’s an outstanding footballer who scores wonderful goals but I think some of the decisions that he buys are contemptible. Some of the players bring the game into disrepute.”