Lampard Laments “Tactical Timeouts” after Hull City Victory

Coventry City manager Frank Lampard became the latest manager to highlight the increasing tendency of goalkeepers to go down “injured” in key moments after his side’s 2-1 victory over Hull City.

Discussing an incident around 20 minutes into the match where Hull goalkeeper Ivan Pandur fell to the ground and received treatment, allowing the Tiger’s outfielders to be instructed by boss Ruben Selles, Lampard stated: “I have to be careful how I comment on this, but what happened was clear. And I think they have to look at it. It’s the modern thing, isn’t it.”

Lampard is, of course, referring to the trend over the last few seasons of goalkeepers going to ground unchallenged in order to provide their teammates with a valuable break in play. With the rules stating that the game cannot immediately continue after a goalkeeping injury, there appears to be no way of preventing a significant stoppage if a goalkeeper chooses to go down – an irritating situation for opposition managers seeking to control the flow of the match.

A brief tactical reset with the whole squad present on the touchline can completely change the nature of a game

The use of extended breaks in play by managers to instruct their players is by no means a new concept in football, but the increasing tendency of such stoppages to originate from within the 18-yard box has led many coaches to express their frustrations. Lampard additionally commented that the fourth official’s response to his complaints at the time of Saturday’s incident was a submissive “What can you do?”

Uncertain of whether a player is truly injured or receiving false treatment and cautious of bias in assuming the latter, referees are bound to uphold the current laws of the game, which prioritise the safety of goalkeepers. For top-level teams and coaches – such as the regularly accused Arsenal and Manchester City – this offers an opportunity to quickly change their approach to the match when things aren’t going their way. A brief tactical reset with the whole squad present on the touchline can completely change the nature of a game and set sides on the path to victory after a difficult period of play.

Balance between scepticism and support remains key

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) have recently stated their awareness of the power goalkeepers currently possess to feign injuries. IFAB Chief David Elleray made the comment that “it’s not easy to deal with because the goalkeeper has a right to be treated” and concluded that the issue was “something that’s on our radar.”

With no clear decision made on football’s latest underhand tactic, it appears Lampard will have to carry his frustrations forward as he searches for festive victories over South Coast strugglers Portsmouth and Plymouth Argyle. Were his outspoken remarks merely retrospective pedantry after a close-run match, or do they draw valuable attention to a larger issue within the game? The answer appears to be the latter but with the fixture pile-up meaning that all players are frequently picking up real, recurring injuries, a balance between scepticism and support remains key.