• Premier League

Moyes puts focus on 'diver' Suarez

History: Luis Suarez has earned a reputation for diving, according to David Moyes © PA Photos

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Everton manager David Moyes has hit out at Liverpool's Luis Suarez ahead of Sunday's Merseyside derby and claimed diving players will 'turn supporters away from the game'.

Moyes has fanned the flames ahead of his side's first showdown of the season with Liverpool at Goodison Park by shining a light on the controversial Suarez, who has been accused of diving time and again by opposition players and managers during his Premier League career.

"He [Suarez] has got history," Moyes said. "They [diving players] are very good at it. It's a hard job for the referees, it really is, but it will turn supporters away from it if they think players are conning their way to results. People like to see things done correctly.

"Of course if the ball hits your hand you're going to claim for it and you're going to take every decision that you get going for you, but I don't think supporters like it when players are out to manufacture it.

"I don't think there are many players out there who really do it, but I would hope if I got one who did I would be big enough to say: 'Would you please stay on your feet and stop going down easy'.

"Supporters just don't like the thought of people going down easily. Everybody who has played football at any level would hate that in their game and people who play the game find it very hard to go along with."

Last season, Moyes saw Jack Rodwell red carded for a tackle on Suarez. The card was subsequently rescidnded but it incensed the Everton boss. He said: "Last year a decision was made after 15 minutes which just about ruined the game. It was a dive and really poor by the referee.

"It will turn the public and fans off football if they think people are conning their way to results."

Moyes went on to call for the game's authorities to come down hard on diving players, handing out bans after reviewing video evidence.

"I'm of the view that retrospective viewing of diving should be more important than some of the technology they are talking about bringing in," he said. "I think it would make the referee's job an awful lot easier if that was there.

"If you do it and you get banned, it wouldn't take long before you cut it out. It wouldn't take much. Four or five people on a panel, some referees, players and managers. It could be easily done."

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