Ange Postecoglou told Celtic fans this weekend not a fan of the FIFA rules to add more time to games.
The Celtic manager would rather the referees hurried players along during the game and cut down time wasting. Challenging officials to get the game going.
At the World Cup, we saw added time of almost 15 minutes. It was an attempt by FIFA to make sure the game was in play for as much time as possible.
The Australian was asked if he would be in support of that rule in the SPFL. Here is the Celtic manager’s response:
“If we started adding on more time we might have some games that go into the next day!” He told CelticTV.
“No, I’m not a fan of it. I’d rather the referees just hurried the game up.
“That’s where part of the problem lies, especially early in games, when the referees aren’t as strict.
“Then all of a sudden, you get to the end of the game and they are hurrying up goalkeepers, hurrying up throw-ins.
“You think, ‘Well, do that at the beginning and you’ll get more game-time’. Ultimately, that’s what you want. That’s what supporters want to see, it’s what football is all about.
“So rather than having ten minutes added at the end, I would rather refs just hurried people along.
“A caution or two at the start, players taking liberties will cut it out.
“They won’t do it. You’ll still get your traditional two or three minutes of unavoidable extra time.
“That’s my frustration. I see it all the time. Opponents will take their time on goal kicks or throw-ins early.
“Then late in the game, if they are ahead, they are screaming at the ref to hurry the game up.”
Postecoglou added: “There’s no difference scoring in the first minute or the last. The only thing that potentially changes is the anxiety level, which might force you to change your approach.
“But we’ve stuck to our mantra from day one. That’s always how we play.
“Late goals aren’t just winners. If we’re 3-0 up, we’ll score a fourth late on because our approach never changes.
“The players have become comfortable with that. It’s not something we do by design. We don’t set up to score late.
“What we try to do is play a certain tempo right from the first minute and we don’t stop until the game is finished.
“When the goals come, sometimes it’s a by-product of the pressure we create, sometimes it’s early, sometimes it’s in the middle of the game. If you score early, that will change the opposition’s approach, which can give you more freedom at times.
“There wasn’t any panic or anxiety last Saturday. There hasn’t been for a long time now.
“If we haven’t got scoreboard advantage, they just keep playing and take the goals when they come.”
If you go to Celtic games, especially at home, wayside, always attempt to slow the game down.
Ange Postecoglou, rightly points out the time wasting can be very very frustrating. Celtic are a team that thrives on the ball being in play for as long as possible.
If you are at Celtic Park in the next few weeks, have a look at what the opposition do. It can take up to 30 seconds for them to take a throw in. A goal kick could take longer than that.
You rarely see referees intervention. As the Celtic manager says, the opposition only stop time wasting when they fall behind in the game or it’s the last 20 minutes and they’re only one goal behind.
Celtic take on Livingston on Wednesday evening and you’ll get a taste of it then. David Martindale side’s whole game is to be as defensive as possible and run down the clock.
Is it time to stamp this out?
