Away Goal Rule

It may in the Champions League.

 

Yes, I was there. One of those Tranmere-Bristol Rovers-Wrexham-Sheffiield Utd occasions when it feels so good to be a Saints fan! I can't say the fact that they needed et to beat us consoled us at the time.

 

Isn't that odd though that I have gone through 30 odd years of supporting Saints since that day and I hadn't never realised it was in extra time?

Was it 80/81 or 81/82 season?

 

You have to remember why it was introduced in the first place. Teams would go away and just shut up shop knowing that 0-0 was a good result. The result was extremely dull football.

This rule makes it rewarding for the away to to show some adventure and we have much better games because of it.

It is much more sensible than the lottery that is the penalty shoot out. If you ask me, that is something we have come to accept that really needs to be questioned, bearing in mind that it was only introduced as a way to cut down on replays.

 

I agree on the away goal rule... remember the old 70/80's European Cup dull ties? I would add that away goals in extra time shouldn't count double, simply as only one team gets the extra 30 minutes away from home.

On penalties, it is not a lottery, it is a football skill. I don't see an alternative. It is exciting, entertaining and if players don't fancy it then they should bust a gut to score in the game

 

Yes and no to that. It should be down to skill but it isn't always. I was once in a penalty shoot out and I completely fluffed my shot, somehow it trickled over the line. Our next taker smashed an unstoppable shot which the goalkeeper somehow fell over and it hit him and stayed out.

The other thing about penalties is the fact that the taker is really expected to score and I sometimes think that the burden of missing is an unfair one and can have a huge impact on the individual who misses (unless its John Terry of course, then).

If we have to have a decider I would like to see something that is skilful but isn't necessarily expected. Not this but something like the crossbar challenge.

 

Ooooooooooooh..we're good at hitting the crossbar

 

Can we have Pelle take all 5 ?

 

And we can see it worked like a peach. Chelsea and Monaco were playing extremely adventurously in the away matches.

With this rule, both teams set up really cautiously in the first leg. The away team is happy to sit back and wait for an opening, knowing very well that the away goal will give them a huge advantage. The home team is also aware of that fact and so doesn't want to concede, and so even they don't really rush forward, not wanting to risk conceding a goal at home.

It's not ideal, I agree, but if nothing can separate the two teams after two legs, than the question of who's going through needs to be settled in some manner. They can't go on and play endlessly

 

The mental part of the sport is just as important as the skill part.

I think maybe we should just award the game to either: 1. whoever has Jack Cork in the team, or 2. if Jack Cork isn't playing, then award the game to the team with a player who looks most like Jack Cork

Ps, sounds like in the game you played in, the keeper made a great save and the shot wasn't quite as "unstoppable" as you described

 

Maybe it's time to introduce "a goals from distance" rule .....

 

How about if level on away goals after normal time bring back the golden goal for extra time??

 

Two lots of extra time?

 

Edited.

 

I think, either that the Away goal rule is completely scrapped, and the second leg just has extra time and penalties, or one accepts the Away goal rule. I think, overall, it does encourage the visiting team to attack, so you get a better game.

 

Trust me, I was there. He was trying to get out of the way (this was the level I played at!).

 

I agree, however I don't think the away goals rule should count for goals scored in extra time. PSG and Chelsea were even over two games and then even over an extra half an hour. PSG scored 1 away goal in 90 minutes of away football, as did Chelsea. I actually think it should go straight to penalties rather than extra time.

 

Yeah, I think I agreed with your point, about Away goals not counting in extra time, earlier in the thread. There isn't a simple rule change that doesn't unfairly favour one side or another. If there was no extra time at all, and the game went straight to penalties, that would solve one problem. But aren't we giving the home side advantage by allowing the penalties to be taken on their patch..? It's difficult.

The ultimate fair change to the rules is that away goals are scrapped [or kept, it doesn't matter really]. The teams play home and away legs, that last for 90+ minutes only, and if they are equal after normal time the game goes to a replay at a neutral ground [where the away goals rule obviously wouldn't count]. The penalties could be at the neutral ground if the teams are still tied. Things used to be more like that, donkey's years ago. Of course, it is somehow impossible these days, chiefly because the telly doesn't like it, I think, but also because of fixture congestion.