I'm no Manchester United fan but I am a fan of football and I absolutely love the Premiership. And we're going to lose magnificent players like Cristiano Ronaldo from this league if we persist in McCarthy-style witch trials of footballers who dive.

There is so much to celebrate and glorify about football, and yet we spend hour upon hour, week upon week, talking about simulation and diving. Talk about making a mountain out of a molehill...

Last week's furore was no surprise to me, and it certainly was no surprise that Ronaldo was the player at the centre - not because he dives any more than anyone else, but because he has become an easy target, especially after the World Cup.

Yes, he might exaggerate sometimes. But does he do it more than anyone else? Was his 'dive' any worse than Tomas Rosicky's against Tottenham? Personally I think Rosicky's was worse, and there was vfery little said about that.

And it looked exactly the same as Stevie Gerrard's against Sheffield United to me. He was running at pace, moved to avoid a tackle, lost his balance and with it the scoring opportunity. Nowhere in the rule books does it say that there has to be contact - only intent.

Ronaldo is probably one of the most fouled players in the Premiership - he keeps the ball close to his feet, twists and turns and stays on his toes. It doesn't take a lot to lose your balance when you play like that.

Yes, he embellishes it at times. But which player doesn't? Watch defenders when they're shepherding out the ball - the slightest contact in the back from the striker, and they're down. It's part of the game and it always has been.

I played against the likes of Franny Lee and Trevor Francis, who were masters of the art. If ever there was a brush, they would be down. We accepted it, and that's what people need to do now - condemning players will only see them lose their confidence and eventually even go elsewhere.

You couldn't really blame Ronaldo - at the age of 21 - if he decided he'd had enough and went to Italy or Spain, where his talents would be appreciated. That would be a massive loss to the Premiership - we need to encourage skill players, not drive them out of the country.

This game is not perfect and it never will be - people need to stop trying to make it so. People will make mistakes, as we all do in everyday life, and we have to accept those mistakes. Sometimes players will get it wrong, sometimes referees will get it wrong - launching a witch-hunt helps nobody.

A totally sanitised game - which some people seem to be striving for - will never happen, and thank God for that. Wouldn't it be dull if we didn't have controversy and argument? What on earth would I talk about for hours every Sunday?