- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Arsenal's players react after the oppening goal from FC Porto's Bruno Alves (not seen) during their Group G Champions League soccer match at the Dragao stadium in Porto, Portugal, Wednesday Dec. 10, 2008. AP Photo/Paulo Duarte
While a scrappy 90th minute 1-0 away win to Stoke City is beautiful in its own way, I, like most football fans, love to see the free-flowing football associated with an Arsenal and Man Utd. But does the reward outweigh the risk?
After watching Arsenal at their best, I wondered, what is the incentive for teams to play attractive football when securing a 1-0 win is a much easier and safer prospect?
What do they get in return?
Sure, the fans may expect their teams to play fluid, one-touch, crisp-passing football as it is an ideal instilled into their players from a young age. But at the end of the season, invariably their style is not rewarded.
In the current setup of world football, goals scored mean relatively little.
On very few occasions have the top leagues in the world required goal difference to decide a title. This indicates all the emphasis is on winning and not style.
Surely it should be a balance of both?
I’m reminded of a concept Arsene Wenger floated earlier this year, an old idea to reward attacking teams on the basis of how many goals they score.
Under his system, a 6-2 victory such as Arsenal’s thrashing of Blackburn would have seen them pick up 6 points rather than the just standard 3-for-a-win.
While this concept has some merit, an additional 3 points seems a little excessive.
Therefore an alternative hypothesis: award all teams that win by 3 goals or more one additional point and take that point away from the losing team.
Under this scheme, this is how the Top 10 of the EPL would have panned out for each of the last 3 seasons:
2006–2007
2007–2008
2008–2009
The Trophy’s final destination would have been the same, but it would have changed the UEFA Cup/Europa League Places as well as the all important television payments, which are based on the final standings.
More importantly, though, this could have a huge effect on the way teams play, meaning everything from tactics to personnel would need a re-think to be more conducive to attacking football.
Sure the relegation battlers will still come and park the bus, but the top and mid-table teams will be more willing to have a crack if the rewards are greater.
As it stands, teams are content to sit on a two goal lead, what commentator’s refer to as “the comfort zone.”
They’ll hold on to the ball and play out time as there is no need for them to continue attacking and risk conceding, but under this system, they would have an incentive to push on to get that extra point.
This in turn should keep the game open for the losing team, offering up more chances to strike on the counter, hence resulting in more attacking football over the 90 minutes and a better spectacle for all.
While the game is in such a healthy state it’s hard to envisage the powers that be tinkering much with the game.
Nevertheless, with the recent speculation that a European League is on the horizon, this concept (or another version of it) could fit such a league nicely, serving to further improve the spectacle that is football by providing an incentive for teams to attack and placing more emphasis on style over substance.
Are you the ultimate team manager? Pick your own superstar team and go head to head with other football fans for glory and cash prizes on Draftstars. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.