After leading Liverpool to win the league title, manager Arne Slater said in an interview that he was very unhappy with the “time-wasting” tactics used by more and more teams in the English Premier League.
He said that this behavior seriously affects the flow of the game, and in some key matches, directly led to the loss of points for Liverpool.
Why is this a problem?
Slotter explained, “Many teams are now becoming more familiar with the way we play. They’re starting to study the way we play and find ways to get at us. But one thing we can’t really control is that they often disrupt the rhythm in ways that have nothing to do with playing soccer.”
He gave some specific examples, such as:
- Deliberately dragging the clock at the beginning of the game
- Players faking injuries
- slowing down the tempo of the game when taking a free kick or throwing a ball out of bounds.
Slaughter specifically mentioned, “Whenever we didn’t win, the opponents would almost always do this …… goalkeepers would sometimes take a minute or more to make preparatory moves. That annoys me and is one of my biggest concerns right now.”
But he also said he chose to say these things at this time because Liverpool have now won the title, not to whine because they have just lost a game.
Is this practice fair to the game?
Slotter doesn’t agree with these delays, but he can understand why other teams do it. He said, “I understand that it’s hard for the weaker teams to get points against the stronger teams. They may only have one chance, so they have to use every means at their disposal. But from the perspective of the league as a whole, this can’t go on forever.”
He also referred to a statement made by City defender Ruben Diaz not long ago. At the time, City played Southampton with a similar tactic used by the opposition, which Diaz criticized after the game. Slotter said, “Although it may not be the right time to comment immediately after that game, I support his point of view. We should find a way to solve this problem.”
He said, “Southampton can play the way they like, but we, as league organizers, should be thinking about how to make the game fairer and more watchable.”
Are Premier League teams getting stronger in Europe?
Speaking about the upcoming fixtures, Slaughter also mentioned the upcoming UEFA Cup final – Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur. He believes that English teams are likely to dominate more in the UEFA Cup and the European Association League (EAFTA) in the coming years.
He said, “I wouldn’t be at all surprised if you see most of the UEFA Cup and UEFA Association League finals in the next five or six years going to English teams.”
He explained, “It used to be that in Spain or Italy, teams that came fourth or fifth in the league could still play in the Champions League or UEFA Cup. But it’s different now, a lot of Spanish teams that would have made it into Europe now have to stay in their domestic leagues. And over here in England, even if you’re the fifth or sixth ranked team, you’re still probably better than a Spanish team in the same position.”
The reason is simple: **more money. **
“The overall financial strength of English teams is far greater than that of teams from other countries. Even some of the not-so-top Premier League teams are far ahead of mid-table teams in Spain or Italy in terms of money.” Slaughter added, “That’s one of the reasons why we’re getting stronger in Europe.”
Summarize:
Arne Slot, as a successful club coach, is not only concerned about his own team’s performance, but is also thinking about how to improve the environment of the league as a whole. He wants to make the game more exciting and fairer by reducing the number of “non-football related” distractions through rule changes.
At the same time, he also sees that the influence of the EPL is expanding globally, especially its dominance in Europe. He believes that as long as the current pattern of development is maintained, English teams will continue to occupy important positions in international competitions.
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