Watching Stains vs Massive last night, it was clear that kicking the ball away and other forms of time wasting got an instant card. A keeper was booked the first time he did the Martinez shuffle. And at the end of each half, international competition-style time added on was used. I think there were 17 minutes of added on time in total last night, in a game that may have had 5 mins total added on last season (no lengthy injury breaks, penalties or other tomfoolery).
The question is whether this will transfer to the EPL and, if so, how long it will take before the refs panic and go back to their previous gloriously-capricious and inconsistent selves.
The question is whether this will transfer to the EPL and, if so, how long it will take before the refs panic and go back to their previous gloriously-capricious and inconsistent selves.