Blackpool fined £25,000

[Marko77]

The Prem Lge were going to fine Liverpool but they decided the whole 25 man squad was rubbish so they couldn't work out a stongest 11

 

[HomerJSimpson]

It is a joke and to be fair I think Ian Holloway has handled it brilliantly. I can't see what justification the league has to impose such a fine if he's picking from the 25 mand squad. I can understand it if you put two or three youth teamers in but why have the squad system if you can't use it. How do the FA dictate who is better and who anyway?

It sums up the sorry state of affairs in the PL and FA. It might be "the" best league but if that comes at the price of money dictating all and beauracratic interference then its a tainted boast

 

[Driven2Distraction]

I really don't understand why people get so hot under the collar on this one. It has ALWAYS been the rule that you must never field a deliberately weakened side.

I think we all understand this - BUT - at what point is this law actually broken? and who decides where this point is?

If Man U decide to "rest" Rooney, Van der Saar, Ferdinand, Scholes, Giggs, Neville.... more than 50% of their team who have umpteen winners medals between them..... are they also deliberately fielding weaker team, or are they merely rotating their squad (I'm sure Sir Alex could easily claim that some them have "niggles") it's not an outlandish scenario, it may even have actually happened for all I know, but they are all in their 30s and need the rest with the exception of WR who's problems are well documented.....

OR

is it OK to give of these guys the day off because Man U have the resources to fill the gaps with equally "good" players? like Kuszac, Berbatov, O'Shea, Brown etc

indeed, ARE these replacement players as "good" as those that they are replacing?.... who decides if they are? and if they're not as good those that they are replacing then the likes of Man U, Chelsea (who are the masters of squad rotation), Arsenal et al should all be penalised under the same rules.... even if you keep ONE player back it could be considered that you are "deliberately fielding a weakened side".... after all - a manager supposedly knows his "strongest" side

surely the rule HAS to be, if you're good enough for the first team squad of 25 then you're god enough for the first team..........

gonna stop now, I'm even starting to bore myself

 

[rickg]

The people who run the FA & EPL are a bunch of cocks for making this decision!!!

 

[Fyldewhite]

I really don't understand why people get so hot under the collar on this one. It has ALWAYS been the rule that you must never field a deliberately weakened side.

I think we all understand this - BUT - at what point is this law actually broken? and who decides where this point is?

That's what I said, it's very difficult to decide that and I think they only take action when it's a blatant case. Which this certainly was.

 

[Bacardibatman]

I wonder if Man utd will get fined By The FA for devaluing the Fa cup with that line up

 

[mspence]

It would never happen to the likes of Man Utd or Chelsea. Just because Blackpool are considered a 'smaller' club they get it. Shame

 

[smange]

I wonder if Man utd will get fined By The FA for devaluing the Fa cup with that line up

Different rules for the cups as the only club who can be directly affected by fielding a weaker side is that particular club.

The rule(wrong in my opinion) is enforced in the league to "protect the integrity of the league", for example if Blackpool field a so called weakened team against say Wolves and Wolves win then Wolves avoid relegation by 1 point over say West Ham, who Blackpool fielded their full team against and beat them then its seen as unfair against West Ham.

 

[richart]

Do you think Holloway might regret playing what was obviously a weakened side. Still think they are in a relegation struggle, as are Villa. Seemed a strange decision to me, and once you start losing games in the Premiership it is difficult to turn around. Burnley and Hull found that out.

Still agree that a manager should be able to pick whatever side he likes from the 25 player pool.

 

[dangermouse]

how many changes constitutes a "weakened" team? should liverpool be fined every time ngog is selected, or manchester united for picking gibson? what about when everton picked a 16 yr old rooney against the champions arsenal? surely that wasn't taking the game seriously?

a manager has ONE responsibility - to get his side as high up the league as possible at the end of the season. He should be able to do this however he wants. If this wasn't the case, then why is prize money awarded (by the league!) in terms of where you finish in the league? Why not instead award most prize money to the team the league feels fielded its best eleven most times? Seems a massive double standard in its own procedures to me.

 

[MVP]

The people who run the FA & EPL are a bunch of cocks for making this decision!!!

The most accurate post on the thread!