08 August 2023 , 07:39
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Outspoken pundit Chris Sutton has weighed in on the new Premier League rules that will lead to extra playing time this season.
Among a series of stringent clampdowns, referees have been ordered to make more clock stoppages and be stricter on time wasting. The notion was clearly evident in the Community Shield on Sunday, with Arsenal's equaliser against Manchester City coming in the 11th minute of injury time.
Manchester United defender Raphael Varane has thus far led the player backlash, arguing the regulations will put the physical welfare of players at risk. And he claimed the FA had ignored previous discussions, saying: "We just want to be in good condition on the pitch to give 100% to our club and fans. Why are our opinions not being heard?"
Sutton, a Premier League winner with Blackburn Rovers in the 1994/95 season, thinks there will be plenty of divided opinion when late goals fly in: "It’s going to be chaotic and controversial," he wrote in the . "It will be criticised by managers when it works against them and celebrated when it works for them."
Quipping that "Fergie Time is no longer exclusive to Manchester United," Sutton did also sympathise with Varane: "He has had his injury issues and with matches getting longer, the United defender’s risk of breaking down will increase," he added.
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"Varane is just the first footballer to voice his annoyance but plenty of others will have the same perspective. I know that would be a concern of mine if I was still playing. It feels as if football has gone from one extreme to the other."
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Sutton, 50, also urged authorities to find a middle ground in the debate, having previously not done enough to tackle time-wasting: "Now they might be doing too much!" he said. "Somewhere in between there must be a happy solution, but it will have so many implications."
Other new rules will see harsher punishments for players who surround referees, whilst managers who berate officials will also be strictly dealt with. Only one member of a coaching staff will be permitted to stand at the front of a technical area as well.
Former Premier League ref Dermot Gallagher has said the new measures will lead to a spate of yellow and red cards in the early weeks of the campaign. But he also backed the changes, arguing they would bring "short term pain for long term gain."