Martin O'Neill believes winger Ashley Young is being hammered by over-robust defenders and is being unfairly labelled a "diver".
The Irishman was staunchly critical of Robert Huth, who, he says, could have seriously injured Young in the recent draw against Middlesbrough.
Interestingly, only one of Young's five yellow cards this season, given to him by referee Chris Foy in the home defeat to Arsenal in December, was for simulation.
"I don't agree at all with the assertion that Ashley Young falls down too often," O'Neill told the Birmingham Mail. "That makes me laugh because against MiddlesbroughRobert Huth caught him and he somersaulted up in the air and came down and Huth motioned as if Ashley had dived.
"But you see it in slow motion, he almost took his kneecap off.
"Because he's lightning and he goes past goes past people maybe it looks that way.
"If Sir Alex Ferguson says Cristiano Ronaldo is the most fouled player in the Premier League, then Young must be right up there with him.
"He must have been fouled about nine times at Portsmouth."
