“It’s going to destroy it, mate.”
The introduction of the blue card looks set to be trialled in the FA Cup, but it has been met with some funny reactions by Premier League managers.
The card will shown by referees when they think a could was deemed as cynical, and the offending player will be place in a sin bin for 10 minutes, meaning that the team will be player down for that time period.
However, when the top managers of the league were asked about this new card, the reactions were as mixed, but some in particular were pretty funny.
Ange Postecoglou
Ange Postecoglou is the Tottenham Hotspur manager and has endeared himself to the media and fans with his honest, heart on his sleeve approach, so his opinion on this matter wasn’t going to be any different.
The former Celtic boss went full Australian with his response and we are big fans of the way he would finish a point with the word “mate”.
“Adding another one. What is that going to do? The remedy is already there,” said Postecoglou of adding another card.
“If it’s not being enforced to the level people are satisfied, do that. That’s the change.
“One team being down to 10 men for 10 minutes, you know what it’s going to do to our game? It’s going to destroy it, mate. You’re going to have one team just sitting there trying to waste time for 10 minutes waiting for a guy to come on.
“Every other sport is trying to declutter. All we’re trying to do is go the other way for some bizarre reason.”
Jurgen Klopp
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has never been shy in sharing his opinions on topical matters in football such as referring decisions or match scheduling, so his rather logical response to this rule had to be finished with a dry witted remark.
“I think everything what the actual situation shows is we should keep it as simple as somehow possible, for the referees as well.
“It’s a difficult job, often quite emotional when we speak about it more so because it’s after the game, and I think the introduction of a blue card would just give more opportunities to fail as well because the discussion will be: ‘It was a blue card, should it have been a yellow card, now it’s 10 minutes off, in the good old times it would have been a red card or only a yellow.’
‘These kind of things just make it more complicated. If they want to test it I have no problem with testing if that’s the first step to agreeing or it already being sure it will happen – I don’t know that.
“It doesn’t sound like a fantastic idea in the first moment but actually I can’t remember the last fantastic idea (which) came from these guys, if they ever had one. I am 56 and, pah, never.”
Pep Guardiola
No one will ever doubt that Pep Guardiola is a genuis, but you don’t really get much out of him in interviews, and given City’s current situation when they are under the microscope as they await 115 cases in against them, the Spaniard decided to play it safe on the matter.
“I have no comments on the potential introduction of blue cards (sin-bins). Maybe I have an opinion if and when they are introduced.”
Related links:
- Jamie Carragher scolds Martin Ødegaard for his celebrations after Arsenal’s win over Liverpool
- Liverpool announce All Or Nothing-style series for Jurgen Klopp’s final season
- Ange Postecoglou shuts down Spurs trophy question with clever response
