Arsene Wenger is the last manager that won the Premier League for Arsenal and he is also one of the most successful managers that the club has had.
One can say that the Frenchman revolutionised football when he was at the helm at Arsenal and he is looking to revolutionise the game entirely now.
He left his managerial job at Arsenal in the summer of 2018 and the Frenchman has moved on, he is now the Chief Head of Global Football Development at FIFA, a position that gives him the chance to effect rule changes in the game.
The 70-year-old was speaking about the game recently and he revealed his plans. He wants to make changes to stuff like the offside rule, throw-ins and corner kicks.
The most interesting change could be players kicking the ball into the pitch instead of throwing in as it is now.
‘I would like to change the throw-in rule: five minutes before the end, a throw-in for you should be an advantage, but in these situations you are facing 10 outfield players in play, whilst you only have nine,’ Wenger told L’Equipe via Mail Online.
‘Stats show that in eight out of 10 of those throw-in situations, you lose the ball.
‘In your half of the pitch, you should have the possibility to take a kick instead.’
Also explaining his desire to change the offside rule, he said: ‘For the moment, you are offside if a part of your body that you can score with sits ahead of the body of a defender.
‘I would like it to be that there is no offside so long as a (single) body part which a player can score with is in line with the defender.
‘This could be too much of an advantage for an attacker, because that obliges the defenders to play higher up.’
‘We are also considering other things: a corner that goes out of play and comes back in could be made valid, this would create new goal scoring opportunities,’ Wenger added.
‘There is also the option of quickly playing a free-kick to yourself.’
Though in general I am not a supporter of too many rapid changes – indeed, I am one of the few that prefers the old days when a keeper could pick up the ball from a back pass, using the four step keeper rule – I DO AGREE THAT THROW ONS ARE UNSATISFACTORY AND SO ARE OFFSIDES.
I’d take time keeping out of the refs hands and given to a fourth offIcial in the stands and a buzzer to end the game , as in Rugby. Time and again the refs blow for full time when a goal kick is in the air having just been kicked AND never just before a corner is taken. This is cheating time and therefore wrong!
Even more so are the ridiculous handballs now used, which no one understands.
Simplify the game and then bin VAR, which is ruining our sport and marginalising the onfield ref, which is stupid thinking.
KEEP ONLY GOAL LINE TECHNOLOGY AND MISTAKEN IDENTITY SENDING OFFS. I’D BOMB STOCKLEY PARK IF I WERE IN CHARGE AND MAKE SURE FIRST THAT MIKE RILEY WAS INSIDE IT!
The introduction of a stop clock would be the first thing I would recommend if I were Wenger.This has been used successfully for years in both forms of professional Rugby and would eliminate any issues concerning extra time.It would be one less area of responsibility for refs who already have enough to contend with.The clock would be stopped whenever a player is injured or a substitution made and in that way there would be no incentive for players to waste time by slowly leaving the pitch.A simple solution to an area which has been contentious for many years.
👍
The stop watch rule should be a no brainer.
I don’t know why football is not adapting this simple technique.
But they prefer Refs pulling added time from out of their arsenals all the time.
Should have been introduced before VAR.
Thank u
When I took my referee’s exam many many years ago, we were told that we had to have a stop watch and use it whenever there was a break in play.
In my very first game, I was being assessed by the the local referee’s head man, so applied this instruction to the letter.
I ended up playing well over fifteen minutes of extra time and when I got back to the changing room, nearly every other referee and players from the other six games were showered, dressed and heading for the pub – I got a rollicking and was told five minutes maximum, unless it was for a extraordinary situation like a broken leg!!!
These pro referees get paid handsomely for what they do and pressing a stop watch when required should be within their capabilities – under Mike Riley, they obviously can’t, so Grandads idea is sound.
I think VAR needs a clearer relationship with the viewing public. As we cant go to stadiums and maybe for awhile, VAR must be better at being like us, as fans.
They need to make the ref more aware of certain incidence.
They need to let certain tackles go which is the main problem within the game. Well along side other stuff.haha
I like the idea of kick in throw ins. Maybe the option of either is more interesting.
A good old throw in is still a deadly art.
yeah unsure about that offside rule. That’s such a huge advantage to the attacker. I agree with others that a stop-watch should be added. We will groan about the time added on less too!
Hopefully ditch VAR?