Not really cheating like diving or feigning injury though is it? Sledging (as it is called in cricket) is part of the game. High level professional sport is as much about mental attitude and concentration as it is about fitness and skill. Playing mind games is just another element. If you can disrupt someone's concentration or undermine their confidence that is all part of the game.
Depends what your definition is. If we're talking about what Conor Hourihane did to the Peterborough player, then in my opinion, it's cheating, and I don't like to see it. Same as when Ward-Prowse got Saha sent off. I just think it's a crap way to behave and unsporting = minimum booking / possible sending off.
I wasn't referring to Hourihane but remind me what incident you refer to. Words (short of racism or personal jibes e.g. relating to family tragedy / issues), I agree would be bang out of order, but getting under a players skin is fair game. The opponent needs to be professional enough to recognise what is going on and ignore it. Same as real life I suppose....don't rise to the bait!
Probably when he stood on the lads toes infront of the ref and got the player to shove him, resulting in the player getting a second yellow. I loved it me, wish we had someone like that in our team now us. Fans who moan about us being too nice and soft will also moan about tactics like this. It’s happened to us a few times tactics like this, so why can’t we do it? One that springs to mind is a player booting it at Dougall on a free kick and getting him a yellow for not moving back, it’s gamesmanship, shithousery whatever you call.