Arsenal manager Renee Slegers says time-wasting by goalkeepers in the Women’s Super League can harm the “attractiveness” of the game.
Slegers’ side were held to a 0-0 draw by Manchester United, who were reduced to 10 players at Emirates Stadium for almost 30 minutes on Saturday.
Following United full-back Jayde Riviere’s sending off, goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce went down requesting medical attention and it allowed her team-mates the opportunity to speak with coaches on the sidelines for several minutes.
After the game, United defender Dominique Janssen said her side regrouped quickly “before Phallon [Tullis-Joyce] went down for us to discuss tactical changes”.
United boss Marc Skinner said Tullis-Joyce “had something and the doctors went on to see it” but admitted he could understand “the cynical side”.
Asked whether he would welcome the introduction of a rule which helps prevent time-wasting, Skinner said: “I think the referees have tried to put things in place.
“If one of our [outfield] players gets injured by an accidental challenge, they have to come off for 30 seconds so you lose an advantage there. So I think it’s hard.
“But from my perspective, I’d happily explore it because we regularly face it ourselves.”
Arsenal were dominant for large spells of the game but were wasteful in front of goal on a frustrating afternoon.
But Slegers said the breaks in play affected their momentum and made the game less attractive to watch.
“When you look at the bigger picture, there are so many people investing to come and watch us in the stadium or on TV,” said Slegers.
“The product needs to be attractive and this is one of the areas that probably brings the entertainment down a little bit.
“I haven’t had much time to think about the exact solution but I think there are other people who are thinking about that… hopefully!”
One suggestion has been to only allow club captains to go to the side of the pitch and prevent the squad huddling around coaches for tactical advice.
When that idea was put to Slegers, she said: “Yeah, I’ve heard that suggestion. That could be an example. But I think there is so much at stake that teams, players and coaches are always looking at how they can stretch the rules.
“What is important is that I think we keep the game attractive.”
Ben Haines, Ellen White and Jen Beattie are back for another season of the Women’s Football Weekly podcast. New episodes drop every Tuesday on BBC Sounds, plus find interviews and extra content from the Women’s Super League and beyond on the Women’s Football Weekly feed
