The trouble is these pundits don't really have to do much more than repeat there well rehearsed sound bites to fit the various situations that crop up. Don't forget they are exclusively ex footballers who have latched on to an easy final pay day. Creative journalists they are not.
Thus the usual cliches are handed down week after week, 'if there is contact he is entitled to go down', 'clever play by the forward' etc etc
To my mind if a player is entitled to go down then the inference is that he has a choice in the matter. If he chooses to fall then theoretically he has dived. Furthermore if he chooses to fall when he could easily stay up he is trying to gain an advantage.
In the current climate yesterdays incident could have gone either way but I think lazy journalism has a lot to answer for
As has already been stated, this was not an issue 20 years ago but these 'clever players' and the ritual condoning of their actions by experts and trial by television has radically changed how the rules are interpreted.
PS well done the Villa boys