31 Jan 2018 07:24:16
Ed01 and everyone else away from transfer talk what's your thoughts on taking away draws. Imagine 20 teams playing trying to win 38 games everytime they go onto that pitch. Can anyone else name me a sport where teams or individuals play for a draw or even celebrate when they do draw. For me it's only football.

{Ed001's Note - isn't that part of its charm? That you get unsatisfying draws as well as miserable defeats and glorious victories adds to the allure of the game.}


1.) 31 Jan 2018
31 Jan 2018 07:48:25
when a team like Swansea parks the bus, literally shuts us out for 90 minutes - I jsut think, you're bottom of the league, why don't you do that every week?


2.) 31 Jan 2018
31 Jan 2018 08:06:39
Not for me Ed 01 mate. Watching teams park buses or play for a draw and then celebrate is everything that is wrong with a sport that is meant to be entertaining for spectators. I just think both teams trying to win a game from the 1st to the 90th minute would be amazing. Not being biased we do under Klopp so we don't really see it as much. But I very rarely watch other games now when I know beforehand both teams will happily take a draw. Just my opinion though enjoy the hectic posts that today will no doubt bring and keep up the amazing work this site brings 👍.

{Ed001's Note - I understand that, and I agree with what you are saying, however I really do think it is partly those frustrations that make the game so absorbing and addictive.}


3.) 31 Jan 2018
31 Jan 2018 08:21:34
Taking away draws would probably ruin the premier league. Small teams can not be expected to compete with some of the bigger teams and if they can't try for a draw results would more than likely become more predictable. It's frustrating but it's what it is. They would probably park the bus anyway in and attempt to nick a win. That bus was still parked when we were 3 nil up last night sure.


4.) 31 Jan 2018
31 Jan 2018 08:24:41
I agree Ed001. Would like to hear your views on VAR. Appologies if you’ve already given one. I’m not a fan as I believe controversial decisions also add to the spice of it all.

{Ed001's Note - but controversial decisions are also a good way to hide match fixing and corruption of the results. The addition of VAR makes that more difficult. That is why I feel it has to be made to work.}


5.) 31 Jan 2018
31 Jan 2018 08:26:09
Get rid of relegation and swap prize money around from top to bottom. So 20th gets 1st prize money and so on.

Park the bus will stop and the game will simply even out.

It wouldn't go back style because the top clubs do have huge revenue still but imagine Brighton for example getting 120mil at the end of the campaign and no relegation.


6.) 31 Jan 2018
31 Jan 2018 08:37:12
Fair point Ed001. I just think too much technology and too much money are taking the soul away from the game. I remember when it used to be about winning and trophies, not how big bank balances are.


7.) 31 Jan 2018
31 Jan 2018 09:20:05
Jayden - in Cricket, teams often play for a draw. Rugby teams will settle for a draw in many circumstances, although considering the higher and less even nature of scoring it's much less often that they get the chance, but many teams will take a last minute penalty kick to score and draw rather than risk going for a try.

Other than that, I can't think of any major sport where going for a drawer is an option. I think maybe american football can but basketball, hockey, ice hockey, tennis, darts, badminton, pretty much all athletics and baseball only can based on the weather making it impossible to play. So the acceptability of those tactics isn't really portable to other sports because the rules of other sports! What is portable is that teams can build exceptionally tight defenses and force a game to be low scoring to compensate for low offensive capability.

Personally I'd never want to see my team play like that - I don't particularly care how our opposition play, I love sport for the entertainment and I'd struggle to watch my team not play with intent to win.


8.) 31 Jan 2018
31 Jan 2018 09:50:42
I would say football is one of the only games where you can play for a draw due to the low scoring nature of the game.
You saying cricket teams and rugby teams go for a draw but is only a decision made at a certain part of the game, I. e a cricket team has zero chance of a win so digs in for a draw and with a kick in rugby it’s a percentage call, if it was football would you take a penalty for a draw or a corner and if you score you win? No brainer really.
The American sports have overtime so you can’t finish in a draw so it’s the only major sport you can really play for a draw and have success but if your good enough you should be able to break them down but for some reason we really struggle to do this.


9.) 31 Jan 2018
31 Jan 2018 09:50:51
Kloppshop The so called smaller teams only play 6 top teams mate. The other 13 teams they play they would still have a chance of winning if they went for it. Even with draws in now the so called lesser teams normally get relegated so i don't really see the difference it would make there.
Hjikle i 100% disagree with Rugby teams play for a draw. No way in hell does any rugby team step onto that pitch aiming to draw it and cricket is a boring sport because of that.


10.) 31 Jan 2018
31 Jan 2018 10:36:11
Corba - often cricket teams will make the call from the start, bowling as slow as possible without being fined and batting to build massive scores over high lengths of times by taking on zero risks. Depends who is playing who and what the situation is really. Rugby like I said erratic scoring rules make it rare but you do see it occasionally. But yes like you say, it's more common in football because it's more likely to get you where you want to be. let's face it, Portugal just won the Euro's by playing for a draw in every game - they didn't actually win a game until the knockout stage and only won 2/ 7 in normal time.


11.) 31 Jan 2018
31 Jan 2018 10:39:50
Ed001, you mention the prevention of corruption of results and match fixing. excuse my ignorance but is this something that is a widespread problem? For some reasons I thought it was something that happened in lower leagues and foreign countries (Italy off the top of my head)
Are the powers that be worried that corruption of results happens more generally across the top leagues?
Cheers and apologies if you've already covered this I just find it fascinating.

{Ed001's Note - no one knows for sure. However there are so many ridiculous decisions etc they could easily be a bit of fixing. The English game is certainly not as clean as the FA would like to pretend it is. They cover up failed drugs tests etc, so how can we trust that they are keeping it clear of fixing too?}


12.) 31 Jan 2018
31 Jan 2018 11:00:53
That's sounds like a rubbish yank idea ;) . Personally having been brought up a St Johnstone fan my whole life (local team) I love a draw. Nothing better than beating the old scum but sometimes when they spend the whole game banging about 100 shots towards the goal, a draw feel amazing to a minnow club. especially given my dad would never leave a game early so I sat through many a drubbing. 7-0 to rangers is one I particularly remember as we were in a mixed stand and the huns were leaving as much as 20mins early so my dad was given them cheak and got a few threats in return. I was crapping it haha.


13.) 31 Jan 2018
31 Jan 2018 14:21:50
I actually think the park the bus strategies just adds to the diversity of the game - I enjoy watching Liverpool having to learn to take on different styles of opposition rather than everyone playing exactly the same way. Sometimes there’s a draw that feels like a victory and that’s part of the charm of the game.

Oh. just one exception. Mourinho. Anyone who has those resources and that much talent at his disposal and plays for a draw is just a bit disappointing.


14.) 31 Jan 2018
31 Jan 2018 14:29:04
I always wonder how exactly a team fixes a match, like do they just play horrendously on purpose? Or like in penalties someone agrees to blaze it over?


15.) 31 Jan 2018
31 Jan 2018 15:43:46
what I did see last night that I was happy about, was that with Huddersfield parking the bus, we pushed Robbo much higher up the left side, thus giving us more width,
its a big factor in breaking these teams down, so I hope that we use this tactic more often .


16.) 31 Jan 2018
31 Jan 2018 18:15:06
4 pts for a win,1 for a draw might encourage more open attacking games, that was the thinking when it when it went to 3 pts I think.