Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has proposed a change
to the points system in the Premier League in a bid to encourage
attacking football.
With the financial price of relegation from the top flight
so high, managers have been known to adopt defensive tactics with a
view to holding out for a draw, rather than risk being exposed and
suffering defeat.
This campaign, in the 30 rounds of games so far, there has been
an average of 2.45 goals per game - down from 2.64 last term.
And Wenger has suggested that teams should be rewarded for a
forward-thinking ethos by offering extra points for their winning
margin in an encounter.
The Frenchman told the club's official magazine: "I would like
to see a scheme brought in where you get more points for scoring
more goals.
"In France they experimented with something before. When you
scored three goals, you got an extra point. It was not a good
system because you didn't care how many goals you conceded.
"A fairer system would be three points for a victory as now,
then extra points for your positive goal difference.
"For example, if you win 6-3, you get three points for the win,
plus three more for the goal difference, while the team that loses
gets none."
He added: "I explain the statistics by the fact the league has
been so tight this year, and also because the pressure on managers
is enormous, so most of them adopt a cautious attitude.
"In the longer term that could be detrimental to the quality of
the game here. It will have an effect because, if we have more and
more strikers sitting on the bench, and more defensive midfield
players being used, the quality will not go up.
"Who is the most dominant team in the last 12 months? You have
to say Manchester United, but they have won about 10 games 1-0 this
season.
"That means nobody has found the solution to break down these
teams that are resilient, well-organised and excellent
physically."
Agree?