Whether you love, hate or have complicated mixed feelings about Neymar, you’re well aware of his notorious reputation for theatrics. If you’re a fan of Paris Saint-Germain and/or the Brazilian forward you may not agree with what opponents say about his tactics and methods, but you’re well aware of how truly polarizing he is in within the football world.
Liverpool defender Andrew Robertson is the latest to hit out at Neymar and accuse him of simulation. After Liverpool fell 2-1 at PSG yesterday in UEFA Champions League group stage play, Robertson vented his frustrations about the tactics employed by Neymar and his teammates.
The loss now leaves Liverpool with a very uphill climb in terms of UCL knockout round qualification. The Reds, who lost to Real Madrid in last year’s UCL final, now face very long odds in terms of winning the tournament, with most betting sites backing them at either 14/1 or 16/1. They can at least reach the final 16 by either being Napoli 1-0, or winning the match by at least two goals on December 11th.
If their 2018-19 European campaign ends in the group stages, then the result last night will prove to be a major turning point.
“I suppose they were in the lead and they were looking to waste time,” Robertson said of PSG in a postgame interview with Sky Sports.
“You can use gamesmanship, playacting, you can use it all really. I would like to know how much time they wasted. It was frustrating. But when you play against PSG you know it’s something you’re going to come up against especially with him (Neymar). It wasn’t something we quite dealt with tonight.”
“It’s frustrating when he is falling like he is. It’s all part and parcel of his game and we needed to deal with that. We didn’t quite control our aggression.”
Strong words and strong emotions are present there. Hopefully, those with strong feelings on this situation will realize that Robertson is definitely not accusing Neymar of cheating, he’s just saying that the Brazilian plays within the grey areas of the rules of the game.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, regularly appears as a guest pundit on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
He also contributes sociopolitical essays to Lineups.com and Chicago Now. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram. The content of his cat’s Instagram account is unquestionably superior to his.