Raphael Varane was the first Premier League player to hit out at the new regulations for the 2023/24 campaign, which include a clampdown on time wasting and player behaviour
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 Daily Mail. “It will be criticised by managers when it works against them and celebrated when it works for them.”