Renee Slegers: Time-wasting by goalkeepers can harm ‘attractiveness of WSL
Arsenal manager Renee Slegers said losing time for goalkeepers in the Women’s Super League could harm the “attractiveness” of the game.
Slegers’ side were held to a 0-0 draw by Manchester United, who were reduced to 10 players at the Emirates Stadium for almost 30 minutes on Saturday.
After United full-back Jayde Riviere was sent off, goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce went down to seek medical attention, giving his team-mates the opportunity to speak to coaches on the sidelines for several minutes.
Arsenal fans cheered when he later received a yellow card for what was perceived as a waste of time
United boss Marc Skinner said there was “something going on” with Tullis-Joyce and doctors continue to see it but admitted he could understand the “cynical side”.
Asked whether he would welcome the introduction of a rule to help prevent wasted time, Skinner said: “I think the referees are trying to put things right.
“If one of us [outfield] If players are injured by an accidental tackle, they are forced to leave the game for 30 seconds, so you lose the advantage there. That’s why I think it’s difficult.
“But from my point of view, I would happily explore it because we face this situation ourselves on a regular basis.”
Arsenal were dominant for much of the game but were wasteful in front of goal on a frustrating afternoon.
However, Slegers said the breaks in the game affected the momentum and made the game less appealing to watch.
“When you look at the big picture, there are a lot of people who are invested in coming and watching us in the stadium or on television,” Slegers said.
“The product needs to be attractive, and that’s probably one of the areas where it takes the fun out of it a little bit.
“I haven’t had much time to think about the exact solution, but I think there are other people thinking about it… hopefully!”
One of the recommendations was that club captains should only be allowed on the sidelines and that the team would be prevented from gathering around coaches for tactical advice.
When the idea was presented to Slegers, he said: “Yes, I’ve heard of that suggestion. That could be an example. But I think there’s so much at stake that teams, players and coaches are always looking at how they can bend the rules.”
“The important thing is that we keep the game attractive.”
