Blue card will ‘DESTROY football’ fumes Postecoglou as Premier League bosses react to controversial plans
ANGE POSTECOGLOU led the Prem backlash against plans for controversial blue cards which will “destroy football”.
The Tottenham boss slammed the International FA Board’s idea to send players to a ten-minute sin bin.
And Liverpool chief Jurgen Klopp reckons the shake-up will only give referees “more opportunities to fail”.
SunSport understands Ifab will give the green light for global trials of two different sin-bin proposals at a March 2 meeting at Loch Lomond.
One will see sin bins for dissent to officials, the other for cynical fouls.
Yet Postecoglou insists football has already been complicated by VAR and fears this rule change will slow games down and be a turn-off for fans.
The Spurs chief rapped: “One team being down to ten men for ten minutes, you know what it’s going to do to our game? It’s going to destroy it.
“You’re going to have one team just sitting there trying to waste time for ten minutes — waiting for a guy to come back on.
“I don’t know why a different colour card is going to make any difference.
“The remedy is there. Show a yellow card or send someone off — it’s there in the rules.
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“Most other sports are trying to introduce rules to speed up and de-clutter their game.
“We’re just going the other way and I really don’t know why.
“This game is more popular than any other sport in the world because you can get a ball, put two bags down as goals and away you go.”
Chelsea chief Mauricio Pochettino agrees with Postecoglou and says bringing in blue cards to tackle dissent is just another nail in the coffin for the ‘beautiful game’.
Poch said: “I love football and I am very romantic.
“Technology is helping the decisions for the referees and the game.
“But there are just too many things. The interpretation is going to be very difficult all at the same time.
“We’re already talking a lot about VAR and with the blue cards, or whether it is a yellow or red, is still too much.
“When I heard the news I wondered how we will apply it.
“It will be difficult to be consistent with the decisions. These people are working to try to change football or to add some rules that I don’t know if it will benefit the game.
“It’s just going to be more complicated.
“The interpretation of the referee when to apply the red, yellow or blue. What happens with the goalkeeper?
“Do you play without the goalkeeper for ten minutes or can you change? We will see.”
Liverpool gaffer Klopp said: “We should keep it as simple as possible for the referees as well. It’s a difficult job.
HOW SIN BINS MAY LAST LONGER THAN 10 MINS
SIN BINS might go beyond 10 minutes - because of stoppage time.
It’s understood any players given a blue card in the final 10 minutes of a half will not be allowed to return until the conclusion of that period, even if there is an extensive amount of time added on.
If implemented at the top level, blue cards will be the first major disciplinary change since the introduction of yellow and red cards back in 1970.
There has been backlash to the proposed changes from fans and pundits, but lawmakers on the International FA Board will confirm the green light for global trials of two different sin bin schemes next month.
But whether referees will carry blue cards and the precise details of how the idea will work is still to be agreed.
“Any introduction of a new card would just give more opportunities to fail.
“The discussion would then be, ‘Should it have been a blue card or a yellow or a red or whatever?’
“It just makes it all more complicated.
“I just can’t remember the last time that these guys had a fantastic idea. If they ever had one. I’m 56 . . . ah, never.”
Trials will not take place at elite levels of the game, with the FA considering its introduction at semi-pro level.
And it is believed players sent to the sin bin in the final ten minutes of a half will not be allowed to return to the field of play until the conclusion of that period.
That is even if there is an extensive amount of added time.
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe added: “I’m not a big fan, that’s what yellow cards are for.
“The current system works well. A blue card will just add more confusion. I’m against it.”
West Ham‘s David Moyes is worried football’s rule-makers are “playing around with too much at the moment” – and believes the focus should instead be on giving VAR more time to settle in.
Mikel Arteta was a rare voice in favour of the proposals – albeit with one big reservation.
The Arsenal chief said: “I don’t know if we are ready for that yet.
“Hopefully it’s going to be tested very well before they introduce it at this level.
“I think everything has been done with the intention to simplify football, to try to improve decisions that are hard to make in a split-second.
“Hopefully everything is done to improve the game and if that’s the case, then let’s try it.”
