General Premier League Thread 2022-23 - mod note in OP 12/03/23

Because having an in-play clock was proposed as part of the Super League. Games of 60 mins with the ball in-play, which would be longer than current games in-play time of games. It was a good idea I thought.

Sky Sports and Neville etc whipped everyone into a frenzy about the Super League based on them losing out on their product, and now every idea that is associated with them will automatically be met with disdain.

Because time wasting is not really about wasting time. It's about disrupting the flow of the game, which teams would be more able to do if it was a 60 minute game.

In a 60 minute game where the clock stops, I think there would be more delaying of the game by the team in front, especially if they are under pressure.

It happened in this forum earlier in the season, when Liverpool scored a 98th minute winner.

I just think referees would be a lot less likely to give yellows for delaying the restart of the game, and players could stay down as long as they wanted for injuries. In that way I think teams could take more advantage to disrupt any rhythm in the game and frustrate the team chasing the game. The referee would be under less pressure to get the game restarted.

It's worth testing it out but then as with VAR, be careful what you wish for.

If they just grab their heads you can't move them.

No ref is going to be responsible for being the guy who gets a Christian Erikson situation wrong.

And then players try to hide head injuries so they don't miss the last 5 mins of a game.

That one would never make it past the legal team.

The players unions have a huge responsibility here.

It clear plenty of players, teams and coaches condone and encourage this play acting. It causes the few genuine injuries to be doubted, and in some cases then player welfare, both immediate and long term can be put at risk.

The players unions should be calling out players who facilitate this feigning and putting the players themselves and their cohort at risk - particularly with injuries the unseen effects eventually crop up long term, as many who played in the 60s and 70s have found out.

Players have to be protected from themselves. Their union should be stronger. I think.

Nothing at all wrong with a retrospective ban for this shte. But you can't put that kind of medical decision in the hand of the ref on the day.

What a load of nonsense.

I suppose all Italian teams are defensive and only foreigners dive too.

It was the wrong time to be trying it though, it was an unprecedented world cup during the season with concerns over burning out players, adding 10 mins onto each game was never going to do down well.