A Matter of Principle

[stockyfox]

So those very nice people who are charged with the efficient running of the Premier League have it seems, given notice that as guardians of the game, as part of their role, they also reserve the right to vet the team selection of any Club that plays in their league.

Ian Holloway made ten changes to his side. So what?

Is there a maximum number of changes that a manager is allowed to make?

Is there a maximum number for a squad?

And is there a secret pecking order that is used by these faceless experts to check who they think ought to be playing compared with those chosen by the Club manager.

If so, might it not be far better if it was made obligatory for each manager to submit his team selection to these knowledgeable persons at least 24 hours in advance to ensure compliance with perceived standards and receive prior approval.

However, as an ordinary insignificant, unimportant humble football supporter whose only real contribution, along with thousands of other ordinary insignificant, unimportant humble football supporters, is to fund all these very important people by paying swingeing admission prices to watch two very carefully chosen teams play (so long as we don’t stand up, don’t shout and don’t take a banner in with us), on a matter of principle, I really do have to support not just Ian Holloway but the right of every Club manager to manage without outside interference, answerable only to his Chairman and Board of Directors who employed him - and pay him.

Thus I must totally deplore and absolutely condemn what I regard as nothing short of totally unwarranted crass interference of the PL bosses and which is yet another example that serves to reinforce my long held view that there is no one person or player more guilty of bringing the game into disrepute than those who purport to run it.

[James.]

Reading that made me think of Samuel L Jackson in Pulp Fiction.

And you will KNOW my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee!!

[easilee]

English football will eat itself.

Up the Leicester Fosse FC.

[stix]

I'm disgusted with this issue, so its fine for the top four to field the kids in the cup games but holloway fielding a starting 11 with over 400 appearances between them that included seasoned internationals and a keeper that played in the quarter-finals of the world cup is considered a weakened side?! Besides the fact that they were minutes away from getting something out ofthe game?!

The world has gone completely doo-lally

[Jon the Hat]

They will make themselves a laughing stock if they push this one.

[MrSpaM]

I dont understand this issue either, if you've got players in your squad, i was under the impression you could play whoever you liked in the starting 11. It's the managers choice at the end of the day.

If you were the manager of an office in a big company, you wouldn't get rival companies complaining to the trading standards that you've given certain staff days off and they didn't like it. I don't get why it's any different for football. It's a business at the end of the day.

[Finnegan]

Reading that made me think of Samuel L Jackson in Pulp Fiction.

And you will KNOW my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee!!

May I have a sip of your tasty beverage?

[FoxyPV]

That is a TASTY burger