Wolves fined for fielding weakened team

[sam86]

I think fining them is harsh and punitive, but at the end of the day McCarthy has chosen not to be competitive, and has completely wasted a matchday for the fans. If United win the title by 3 points or less Chelsea would have reasonable grounds to appeal.

If United put out a "threadbare" line up they would still be looking to win (ie being competitive). McCarthy is effectively choosing not to compete, which like I said with Burnley getting a draw on the same day at Arsenal, shows that it was daft.

Of course there isn't fair competition between all teams, are you suggesting we should do everything we can so no teams are better than others?

 

[severnside gull]

thinking back to the game I recall wolves missing at least two very very good chances when it was 0-0. They could and arguably should have been 2-0 up and you have to wonder if a very poor and out of form Man U team would have come back from there. I wonder if wolves would have been fined had that been the case

 

[Husty]

I think fining them is harsh and punitive, but at the end of the day McCarthy has chosen not to be competitive, and has completely wasted a matchday for the fans. If United win the title by 3 points or less Chelsea would have reasonable grounds to appeal.

If United put out a "threadbare" line up they would still be looking to win (ie being competitive). McCarthy is effectively choosing not to compete, which like I said with Burnley getting a draw on the same day at Arsenal, shows that it was daft.

Of course there isn't fair competition between all teams, are you suggesting we should do everything we can so no teams are better than others?

Oh please, if Man U win by 3 points considering how crap they've done this season then all it says to me is Chelsea don't deserve to win either, he is entirely in his rights to field a weakened squad if he feels that the next game is more important, how many times have we seen a midtable team field a shit team at the end of the season to give some fringe players the chance to play and that affects who goes up/goes down? Or the number of times Man U / Chelsea e.t.c. field a crap team just before a European match. There is no difference, and it should not be the case that because your reserve team is better, you are allowed to do it while others cant.

 

[rcf0712]

It's a tricky one this, obviously more stringent rules in the EPL than League Cup then.
I guess where Wolves came unstuck is that no one has done this so blatantly in the EPL before (correct me please if I'm wrong) and it's that which has forced the EPL's hand.
A suspended fine of £25,000 is hardly making a statement either is it? It's almost like they had to take some action because it was so obvious but just made a gesture of a fine because they really didn't want the hassle of an ongoing debate. I mean £25,000 is absolute peanuts to any EPL team (other than perhaps the fast sinking Pompey).
I'm sure if Wolves stay up they won't give a f*** and would do it again in a heartbeat....

 

[CHAPPERS]

The fact that teams can now field SEVEN substitutes (ie first team squad members) means this fine is RIDICULOUS.

Premier League squads now have such large squads that they are able to change a whole side and still have players in the team that would play a regular role in a first team squad. The Premier have created this monster and are now going to fine the smaller teams for a big squad roation (which is what this is). Chelsea could rest 11 players and still have a strong side out (I don't reckon they would get done for fielding it either), just because Wolves can't put a similar quality side out does not mean they should get fined.

Cech/Hilario
Ivanovic/Bosingwa
Cole/Ferreira
Terry/Belletti
Carvalho/Alex
Zhirkov/Cole
Lampard/Deco
Essien/Ballack
Mikel/Kalou
Drogba/Malouda
Anelka/Sturridge

 

[Marc]

thinking back to the game I recall wolves missing at least two very very good chances when it was 0-0. They could and arguably should have been 2-0 up and you have to wonder if a very poor and out of form Man U team would have come back from there. I wonder if wolves would have been fined had that been the case

exactly another point, what if Wolves had won...would they still get fined? like f*** they would!

 

[Gritt23]

Usual pointless crap from the EPL. If they think Wolves have done wrong and need to be made to feel it's not worth doing this again, then I don't think £25k will do it, when the reason for doing this was to give them a better chance of the MILLIONS that staying in the Premiership will earn them.

 

[Twinkle Toes]

I can't believe what I've just read there. The words integrity & The Premier League used in the same sentence! Shirley you can't be serious Crodo??

Sake.

 

[hillbilly]

This action does seriously hack me off.

Just as one example, which pissed off our dear friend Neil Warnock:
On the last day of the season in 2007, Man Utd fielded a weakened team against West Ham at Old Trafford. West Ham won 1-0 and avoided relegation. Instead, Sheff Utd were relegated as in effect both teams were playing 'Cup Finals' to stay in the Prem.

Again just one example but did they get fined, did they f*uk.
Have Chelsea, Arsenal or Liverpool (who I now remember made 8/9 changes away to Fulham also in 2007 towards the end of the season as they more concerned with the Champs Lge) been fined, have they f*uk.

Either let everyone play whoever they want, or charge everyone for breach of rule E20!

Will there ever be a level playing field, will there f*uk.

Rant over.

 

[philsussex]

Bloody stupid.

Who is going to define which players are weaker than others? Will teamsheets need to be approved before each game in the future?

 

[Common as Mook]

I'm not being funny, but making ELEVEN changes to a starting ELEVEN is taking the piss somewhat. If he had made 5 or even 6 he may have got away with it.

If I were Chelsea or Arsenal I would have been mightily f***ed off.

 

[Marc]

think its time to start writing to the FA to tell them how pathetic they and the EPL are with this matter....might do that later!

 

[crodonilson]

Bloody stupid.

Who is going to define which players are weaker than others? Will teamsheets need to be approved before each game in the future?

The fact that they changed the entire 11 that played in the victory at Tottingham on the Saturday, and then reinstated that entire 11 for the game at home to Burnley the following weekend gives away the fact it was not his strongest 11.

 

[Iamapen15]

It's Wolves and moreover Premier League so who gives a f***

 

[beorhthelm]

poor decision given the rotation the top clubs employ.

so what he made 11 changes, some would have been injury/tired and it could have been tactical - change from a passing game to physical, ball chasing, pressing game for instance.

will we see fines for taking off a top class player only to replace with a youngster? will the EPL require a full independent doctors report for all "injuries" now?

 

[Simon Morgan]

Good decision, on the basis that I find Mick McCarthy to be an utterly abhorrent, Northern, miserable bastard

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

If they are going to start dong this they need changes the rules to cover number of players like in the Paint pot

 

[Hove Seagull]

If we were travelling to, say, Yorkshire, to play one of the top teams in our league, and I was driving all the way up there to support them, and we didn't field our top scorer, I would be a bit upset. Oh, what a coincidence!

 

[Tricky Dicky]

He made ELEVEN changes. He clearly had accepted before kick off that they would get 0 points from it. To be fair he now has to do exactly the same against Chelsea otherwise he has handed United an unfair advantage.

Perhaps a fine is a bit far but I thought it was terrible sportsmanship from McCarthy, like I said, cheating.

I can see the arguments against, but it's his job on the line and he is doing what he thinks he has to, to keep Wolves in the prem. Completely entitled to pick whomsoever he wants from his squad if he wants to - presumably, anyone in his squad is of a good enough standard to be awarded a contract, so they are good enough to play for the first team.

The only valid contra-argument for Mick McC as far as I can see, is that this year, anyone stands a chance of getting points from anyone else, so maybe they could have gotten something from the game, albeit unlikely.

 

[Simster]

It shows what a farce the Premiership is when the league season is all about staying up at any cost, rather than enjoying the opportunity to play at Old Trafford, Anfield, etc.

Correct.

Fining McCarthy is completely ridiculous. Obviously the FA would rather he put his first XI out on the pitch and just said to them "look lads, be nice and gentle in this one. It doesn't matter if you lose 8-0, I'd be more angry if you pick up a booking"

Either it's a squad game these days or it isn't. In the end, the FA need to have a look at the way the game turned into one of haves and have nots, a long long time ago. This is the real problem, quite clearly.