Over the past few days I’ve seen multiple discussions about whether or not the disallowed Liverpool goal should have stood, among the arguments rather violently offered by Liverpool supporters were “Donnarumma had committed himself fully by jumping for the ball” or “Robertson was not interfering with the keeper”. This, again, made me think – reverse all of the changes of the past 30 years or so to let people watch the game, undo the business. This won’t happen of course. But if it did, here’s a few things that would be better.
For starters, all these conversations about interference or blocking the view or being actively engaged in the game would go away. Robertson was offside.
Players would become better readers of the game. I think of the times when the game was slower but both defensive and attacking players had to be a lot more coordinated to either beat or trap the opposition by the offside rule.
Five substitutions is a joke. It takes a lot from the managers’ skillset to make the right substitution to change the formation/tactics, to turn the game. Seeing managers taking off their centre halves because they can is pathetic.
VAR needs to go.
A handball is a handball and this ends all discussions about “natural position of the arm”. Handling the ball is a foul.
And please tell me what was wrong with the kick off rule where the ball had to be moved in the direction of the opposition’s goal? Why did this have to change? So that people could see someone score with a direct kick? How many of those have we seen and how many of those do we actually want?
And please please please, don’t let other innovators like Arsene Wenger anywhere near the slightest opportunity of suggesting further changes.
Garry Goldman Random Angle 