World Cup style injury time is either going to be a positive or a negative for the new season!
As us Gooners know, being an Arsenal fan is never easy.
Well, if last season is anything to go by it was definitely an emotional rollercoaster.
Let me take you Gooners back one of the best games in my opinion, of last season, Arsenal v Bournemouth where it was 2-2 with injury time to go and we needed one more goal to get three points.
And so we did after a sublime goal by Reiss Nelson which gave us the crucial three points of that game.
I was there to witness that game and the nerves and emotion in that game and in the stadium from all Gooners is definitely one I will never ever forget even though we did not go on to win the league.
But let’s fast forward to this season and with the news that World Cup style injury time will be a fixture of the new season, it gives me anxiety just thinking about it.
I say that because it will not be easy being an Arsenal player or fan and potentially being 1-0 up in a game with just injury time to go and then you see 15 minutes on the board.
I mean I have a panic attack when I see just three minutes on the clock and we are in the lead let alone 10 plus minutes being added on.
Although I do understand where it has come from, given that the total amount of time that the ball was reportedly in play last season was around between 55 and 60 minutes in a game that is supposed to be 90 minutes not including “normal” injury time.
However it is not going to be easy for any club let alone clubs who are leading with a very slim and uncomfortable scoreline to sit there and wait for the new and extreme added time to be over.
But then I guess it will add to the tension and the emotional rollercoasters and the excitement of the game and maybe fans will end up getting more of their money worth if they end up seeing 100 plus minutes of a football game especially if their team comes out as winners and hopefully this will be a big benefit for Arsenal this season and not a negative.
Here’s hoping hey Gooners?
Shenel Osman
@sh3n3l_
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It would likely be good for us because it could stop time-wasting
It is a no win situation. Teams that time waste will take advantage of the additional time because they are fresher. Add that mix with 5 subs rule because the opponents sub more for attacking reasons. I would say just leave it as it is. Because teams with dark arts will eventually get kicked out by their own fans in the stadium. Opponents will improve their efficiencies to counter this thus better players, better tactics, better management and more awareness. Call me old school. Problems and challenges are part of natural order of things. Without that, there are no courage, valor or heroes. We are Gunners.
OMG!! This WC style injury time is truely nerve wrecking.
My country SOUTH AFRICA just qualified for KO stage in WWC. The amount of injury time allocated ie. +10minutes was both good & bad. Our ladies scored in added time the winner bt then we had to anxiously wait another 10 minutes before the ref blew the finnal whistle.
This was a total emotional roller coaster ride. Wow!!
“World cup style injury time procedures”
It’s a no brainer, implement it now, can only enhance the game.
Newcastle was one of the main culprit caught up in bed with this monster last season.
There was a game in the last campaign Arsenal vs Newcastle, the ball was only in play for 51 minutes.
Am suprise it took this long to address the monster.
I’m all for added minutes for time lost through injuries, time-wasting, etc, and it can be positive/negative for both sides equally depending on the circumstances at the time, so who can say until it actually occurs? Anyway, as I see it would be a fair outcome, whoever (if anyone) benefits on the day.
One negative for fans is that any game that overruns by lots can cause travel problems with catching trains etc., especially for midweek games which might go on till past 10 pm, leaving some traveling fans stranded.