Jose Enrique has thrown his support behind Liverpool’s throw-in coach, Thomas Gronnemark, after the Dane criticised Arsene Wenger’s latest rule change proposal.
The Spaniard called for football to be left ‘the way it is’ on Twitter in response to the ex-Arsenal manager’s suggestion of swapping throw-ins for kick-ins.
The Frenchman’s ideas have not always been well-received, particularly the former coach’s interest in pushing for a biennial World Cup.
There’s absolutely no question that Wenger means well when suggesting potential changes to the format fans have been familiar with for years, however, we fail to see how kick-ins would noticeably improve the game.
Perhaps it simply boils down to a misunderstanding around the value of a throw-in and how it can clearly contribute to attacking play and, thus, boost the attractiveness of any given game.
It’s an area that remains fundamentally underappreciated by many sides across Europe despite Liverpool having added it to their growing repertoire of marginal gains.
If the ex-Premier League manager truly wishes to make a difference, we at the Empire of the Kop would encourage him to pay attention to the complaints that have been directed his way around player safety and wellbeing amidst the rising number of games in the average international footballer’s schedule.