Kick-ins 'would be biggest mistake', insists Liverpool throw-in coach

06/14/2022

Kick-ins ‘would be the biggest mistake and RUIN the joy of the game’, claims Liverpool throw-in coach – as he blasts Arsene Wenger’s proposal because it’ll ‘bring more long balls’ into football and ‘take a beautiful thing away’

Football’s lawmakers IFAB have agreed to trial kick-ins instead of throw-ins
The idea was first put forward by former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger
IFAB are looking for ways to reduce time-wasting – with this seen as one proposal
Thomas Gronnemark has revolutionised Liverpool’s throw-ins since his hiring

Liverpool’s throw-in coach Thomas Gronnemark has launched an attack on Arsene Wenger, calling his proposal of introducing kick-ins the ‘biggest mistake’ in football.

On Monday it was announced that football’s lawmakers IFAB have agreed to test kick-ins as a replacement for throw-ins to speed up the game. Last season, effective playing time dropped to its lowest level in the Premier League since the 2010-11 season – with just 55 minutes and seven seconds of action on average.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said proposals were in place to test kick-ins, first suggested in a raft of potential reforms put forward by Wenger in 2020.

Liverpool throw-in coach Thomas Gronnemark (right) says proposals to replace throw-ins with kick-ins ‘would be the biggest mistake and ruin the joy of the game for everyone’

In his role at FIFA, Arsene Wenger has set out to radically change old rules – including throw-ins

Last year, legendary ex-Arsenal boss Wenger argued for the return of the kick-in option that was removed in 1863. ‘The target is to make the game more spectacular and quicker,’ he said. ‘Maybe with throw-ins you could play with your feet in a limit of five seconds, for example.’

However, the Frenchman’s viewpoint is vehemently different to that of Gronnemark, who believes that idea would only prove detrimental to the sport from a playing and spectator viewpoint.

‘It would be the biggest mistake,’ the 46-year-old told Sky Sports.

‘They would be taking a beautiful thing away. But I am 100 per cent sure they will keep them because they will soon see if they trial it that maybe the ball won’t be lost as much with no pressure on the kicker and it will ruin the joy of the game for everyone.’

Elaborating as to why it would be ruinous for football, Gronnemark believes it would just mean more long balls will be played as teams go direct and try to pack the penalty area.

Ex-Arsenal boss Wenger feels the change would make football ‘more spectacular and quicker’

The likes of Rory Delap’s legendary long throws, which caused havoc during his time at Stoke, might not be needed any longer if Wenger is able to push through his new rules

AVG TIME BALL IN PLAY ACROSS ENGLAND’S TOP FOUR LEAGUES

Division

Premier League

Championship

League One

League Two

2020-21

56m 22s

51m 26s

51m 45s

49m 57s

2021-22

55m 7s

52m 39s

50m 23s

49m 45s

*Source: Opta

‘There are many different reasons for it,’ he said when explaining his reasoning.

‘First of all, one of the big challenges with kick-ins is that when you have a free-kick in the opposition half there are teams who decide to put a lot of people into the box and treat it like a corner but from further out.

‘Introducing kick-ins will, for sure, bring more long balls into the game. There is no doubt about that. But even though that is a big challenge, and one of the big differences to a throw-in, for me it is just the start of the challenges that come with kick-ins.’

Gronnemark has been working with Liverpool since 2018, signing a new contract with the Reds last year. The Dane was recruited from trailblazing Scandinavian side Midtjylland and did hold the world record for the longest throw-in at 51.33m recorded in 2010.

The season before he moved to Anfield, Liverpool were 18th out of the 20 Premier League teams in retaining a throw-in under pressure (2017-18 term).

One campaign later and Liverpool had improved their throw-in retention under pressure percentage from 45.4 per cent to 68.4 per cent. This saw them rise from 18th in these standings to first in the Premier League – and second in Europe overall only behind Gronnemark’s other side Midtjylland.

Gronnemark’s impact on Liverpool’s throw-ins has been clear since joining the club in 2018

AVERAGE TIME BALL WAS IN PLAY FOR PREMIER LEAGUE TEAMS

Team (2021-22)

Manchester City

Liverpool

Tottenham Hotspur

Chelsea

West Ham United

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Manchester United

Leicester City

Brighton

Arsenal

Norwich City

Crystal Palace

Watford

Everton

Leeds United

Brentford

Burnley

Southampton

Newcastle United

Aston Villa

Ball in Play

60m 45s

57m 12s

57m 8s

56m 59s

56m 38s

56m 32s

56m 11

55m 46s

55m 43s

55m 34s

55m 8s

54m 5s

54m 2s

53m 41s

53m 10s

53m 0s

52m 45s

52m 37s

52m 35m

*Source: Opta

Share this article

Source: Read Full Article