BIG TWO’S SUB PLOT
Don’t set new benchmark, says Andros
Reds boss Jurgen Klopp and City’s Pep Guardiola both spoke out on the issue after the sides drew 1- 1 on Sunday, and are lobbying for change.
They claim five subs are necessary to protect overworked players from burnout but Crystal Palace winger Townsend claims it gives them an unfair advantage.
He said: “I watched that game the other day and obviously Pep and Klopp were speaking at the end.
“It’s interesting. You look, and Pep made one sub. Klopp made two. One was enforced.
“So, you desperately want five subs to protect the players. But when it comes to it, you don’t even use the three that you’re given.
“Not for me. I think it unevens the playing field. Gives an advantage to the sides with the bigger squads.
“They don’t want it they’re playing each other.
“But against the smaller clubs when it’s harder to break them down, they want to be able to when bring on five worldclass international forwards to help break down the mid- table sides.”
The Premier League is the only major European league which does not allow teams to make five changes in a match, having gone back from their stance at the end of last season to the normal three.
Townsend told TALKSPORT: “It’s fine the way it was. Three subs has worked for many years and I don’t see a reason to change it.”
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters told the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee yesterday that the status quo would not be changing any time soon.
Masters said: “There is an argument to be made that five subs changes the competitive balance of a match versus the argument to be made about player welfare.
“It’s a fine balance. We’ve had two votes. Relatively conclusive.”