NEW: FA wants to trial ‘coach’s challenge’ for subjective VAR decisionsIdea is that coaches would be able to have two unsuccessful challenges per game for fouls or handballs.https://t.co/fyLD1sQSXm— Martyn Ziegler (@martynziegler) March 2, 2026
The over-reliance on set pieces is one of the main drivers. Set piece goals are up from around 20% to over 27%. Teams can rehearse better as they have more control over the situation. I'm not sure there's much you can do, but one thing I would look at is banning attacking players from the six yard box at any set piece. It's not a panacea, but it will stop the ridiculous jostling, especially on the keeper.
🚨EXCLUSIVE❌No Easter football in Premier League and Championship next season📅FIFA have shifted international break to include Easter weekend❌Domestic leagues not consulted🌞PL and Champ to stop on Sep 19 and restart Oct 10https://t.co/az1hQoBg0Y— Mike Keegan (@MikeKeegan_DM) March 3, 2026
I think the domino effect of the over-reliance on set plays is that it also gives teams an excuse to take fewer risks in open play. The entertainment hit is compounded massively then.
This topic is gaining a lot of traction now, just had an hour long debate in talkSPORT about it and now you get guys like Ruud speaking out and being very critical and rightly so imo. The amount of games I turn off these days due to boredom is ridiculous. 🚨🗣️ 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚: Ruud Gullit is RIPPING into the current game of football!"I have decided to STOP watching football. I don't enjoy our sport anymore. I watched Arsenal vs Chelsea, what an absolute GARBAGE match of football!""I see players trying to create corner kicks,… pic.twitter.com/Ixy570dh7n— The Touchline | 𝐓 (@TouchlineX) March 3, 2026
Feels like you're more likely to get a more entertaining game in the Championship, even with a dip in quality. Sheffield Utd vs Boro the other week was an absolute cracker, and the first hour of the Birmingham vs Boro game last night was really good as well. I'll probably go with the Ipswich vs Hull game tonight over the PL options.
I can see the World Cup being heavily criticised this year. Most international terms already play somewhat boring anyway and now there is this football is boring/ international football is killing the leagues feeling around anyway.
This level of public criticism is necessary. It has to go on for longer and probably has to become louder too. There's no incentive for change unless it's forced.
What’s it like in other leagues. Will the IFAB and FIFA want to make major changes if it’s just the PL. .
https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...-compensation-fee-cap-academy-stars-efl-clubs The PL is such a horrible institution.
Do they really think the Regulator is going to approve this? Shows they haven’t grasped the new situation at all.
The whole compensation situation confuses me because I feel like nowadays most clubs, certainly the big ones anyway, seem to ignore the set EPPP amount & just agree a higher fee with the other club. Kind of seems a redundant system at this point but I don't know.
https://www.irishnews.com/sport/soc...king-legal-advice-ZJXBB57MS5FL5GGOE2D2CMHLPM/ Have a feeling this match will end up not going ahead, at least with a crowd and in Dublin.
FIFA will allow broadcasters to cut away to advertisements during the “hydration breaks” that will split up each half of every 2026 World Cup match, multiple people briefed on the guidelines or with direct knowledge of them told The Athletic.Soccer’s global governing body… pic.twitter.com/1tQFpIo5Vm— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) March 5, 2026 How long till the PL does this as well even in freezing conditions.
The Times is saying the FA voted against the new time wasting rules but the other 3 home nations FA’s voted for it alongside FIFA. Does feel like the FA has become noticeably more anti VAR. Wonder if they will try and make the FA Cup the test for the VAR challenge system next year
🚨🇲🇦 Despite several attempts from the Dutch Federation, promising PSV striker Sami Bouhoudane made the decision to join Morocco Under 20.He’s picked Morocco over the Netherlands. pic.twitter.com/jd4zR6ILl7— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 5, 2026
Off course he did, it’s virtually impossible to keep hold of Moroccan Duals for European Countries these days. I know there’s some exceptions but in the main they get them.
It's not just this lad either, five young Dutch players have all switched to Morocco at once. Four of them are current youth internationals for the Netherlands and are very highly rated. Pretty brutal for the Dutch. Morocco are absolutely ruthless. I do wonder how replicable it would be for other African nations if they had Morocco's infrastructure, or if there's something specific about Moroccan identity that the diaspora really feel connected to. It's certainly an interesting case study and is something we haven't seen before in football.
Yeah there certainly seems like a real identity with being Moroccan. I read a piece just last week and can’t for the life of me remember who it was about but it was an English dual ( not even sure it was football either, maybe rugby ) and the article said it was his father who really embraced what the English system had provided for them an more specifically the kid that decided he would play for England rather than his fathers homeland. Shame there’s not more thought process with this attitude for Moroccan duals. I mean sure bide your time and if nothing comes from the land you have lived in all your life and given you the opportunity then consider the options but when they are so young and specifically opt for heritage, it seem a bit cruel on the face of it for the Dutch in this case but guess most just don’t think like that father did.
Two things: First it's not only the Moroccans, but first and foremost the Turks. The bond with Turkey is far greater than that of Moroccans. Second: One huge reason for Dutch Moroccans to choose Morooco over the Orange Squad is the way in the Netherlands rightwing politicians put Moroccans away as a bunch of criminals/terrorists etc. or Muslims in general. Especially the Wilders party targets Moroccans/Muslims. So why would you want to play in the Orange shirt. One thing I don't like is that they pretend to, and use our facilities to be developed to top notch players and then make a u-turn. I'm actually advocating for a Moroccan ban for the Orange shirt, because the Moroccan nitwit federation acts as if their great football system is producing them, while in fact that FA is a parasite on the body of the Dutch/Belgian/Spanish/French systems. In fact, before 9/11 several Moroccans were Orange internationals. Turks not so much. Edit: So in fact it has zero to do with Moroccan infrastructure. Just take a look on the WC selections and see how many actually are from Morocco development! Now put that number in relation to the population size of Morocco and compare that with the number of players coming from the total of the Moroccans living in the parasited countries!!! You will notice a staggering higher per capita number of national team players from abroad than from the domestic population. Tells you enough the case study is simple and straitforward.
The previous generation of top Turkish players in Germany did play for the German team (Ozil and Gundogan for example) but I’m not sure those coming through now will through they are a couple of Turkish heritage players listed as being in the most recent German U21. We would see it often here in Engkand if Pakistan and Bangladesh were better at football and players of those heritage were coming through often. The best two recent players from those backgrounds, Easah Suliman and Hamza Choudhury have switched. Turkey’s squad seems to be a bit more home delvoped than it used to be and is now majority home developed. Plus some of those born abroad have moved to play in the Turkish League.