Leeds United to benefit from radical Premier League change as new details emerge – Whelan
Noel Whelan has claimed Fifa’s new initiative to combat time-wasting would be beneficial for “high-tempo” Premier League sides like Leeds United.
The former Whites striker and club ambassador, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, claimed teams wanting to slow games down is a “real problem” in the top flight.
This year’s World Cup has seen much more stoppage time added in each half – with England’s marathon 117-minute 6-2 win over Iran on Monday (21 November) now the longest World Cup match ever.
As per a report from the BBC earlier this week (22 November), the chairman of Fifa’s referee committee Pierluigi Collina confirmed that fourth officials had been instructed to keep track of game time lost to goal celebrations and substitutions.
The new initiative has drawn praise from fans and pundits who want to see a similar approach taken in the Premier League – although there are no plans to change timekeeping at present.
Whelan told Football Insider’s Ewan Kingsbury: “It’s a really good idea.
“It’s going to deter teams from slowing the game down and time-wasting. It’s a problem, especially away from home.
“When you’re playing a high-tempo pressing style like Leeds United, you want to get on with the game quickly so you can keep the opponent on the back foot.
“It’s going to speed the game up and encourage a lot of teams to play much quicker, and that can only be a good thing for the league and for the fans.”
The Athletic claim (23 October) the ball was in play for an average time of just 55 minutes and seven seconds across all top-flight matches last season.
Whites boss Jesse Marsch has previously revealed he has held talks with Premier League officials about time-wasting teams after skirmishes with Aston Villa and Everton this season.
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