As more rules are introduced into the sport, football fans’ experience has shifted. Today, renowned TA journalist George Caulkin pens an article arguing that the increasing regulations are altering football’s soul.
Caulkin writes that football in 2024 is not what it used to be. Previously, a player’s stardom was judged by their on-field performances, but now it’s about spreadsheets and data analysis. The Performance Squad Rating (PSR) rule forces clubs to sell their young talents to comply with regulations.
Soccer is a religion, where goals trigger ecstatic celebrations, except when VAR intervenes to nullify them. In this era, we can no longer trust our eyes, as goals are repeatedly scrutinized, eroding those thrilling, spontaneous moments.
The game should flow with emotion, allowing anything to happen. With VAR, anything can be revoked. While referees once made mistakes that were accepted post-match, VAR’s persistent intervention raises questions, especially when high-profile errors occur, like last season’s Forest incident.
Since the implementation of PSR, league tables may not reflect reality, as points can be deducted. Everton lost eight points, and Nottingham Forest four last season. Post-transfer window, clubs frantically sold players to meet PSR criteria, even champions Manchester City, who faced 118 charges at the time.
The intent behind PSR is to prevent clubs from reckless spending and eventual collapse. However, wouldn’t stricter scrutiny during initial ownership acquisitions be a more effective solution? Preventing financially unstable individuals from buying clubs could have avoided such issues.
Football strives for fairness and perfection, but perfection is unattainable, and fans don’t genuinely embrace this sanitized version of “fairness” and “perfection.”
