West Ham striker Mikhail Antonio jokingly claims he’ll ‘fight a referee’ in the event that they ‘impose 15 minutes of stoppage time’

Mikhail Antonio and Callum Wilson have jokingly expressed their views on the novel new strategy to stoppage time in English soccer, with the West Ham striker claiming that ‘players are not robots’.

Football lawmakers are encouraging referees so as to add extra minutes to EFL and Premier League matches for mid-match breaks to keep away from losing time.

It comes after matches on the 2022 Qatar World Cup lasted over 100 minutes, together with England’s 117-minute match towards Iran, with officers anticipating top-flight matches to enter triple figures this season as a brand new norm.

Manchester City remained on a 1-1 draw with Arsenal in regular time after Leandro Trossard nullified Cole Palmer’s second half within the one hundred and first minute of the Community Shield final week.

Michael Antonio (left) has spoken about English soccer’s new guideline to introduce longer durations of stoppage time, jokingly claiming that ‘players are not robots’

Speaking on a brand new BBC podcast, The Players Channel, he was joined by Callum Wilson (pictured), who additionally added that the brand new guidelines may very well be good for these on the bench

Arsenal went on to win 4–1 on penalties, whereas a number of opening spherical matches of Premier League and EFL fixtures featured lengthy durations of additional time.

The new tips have divided opinion amongst some, with Kevin de Bruyne and Raphael Varane each decrying the brand new guidelines, with the Man United defender claiming he was involved in regards to the burnout this improve in stoppage time might trigger.

And it appears West Ham striker Antonio agrees with the Frenchman, jokingly claiming gamers want relaxation.

“Don’t they know this is a quick game, like we need the rest. We’re not robots mate,” the 33-year-old stated of the brand new guidelines on the brand new podcast, The football channel.

‘Imagine you’re 5-0 down they usually (the referees) have gained quarter-hour (damage time) – I’m preventing the referee. I battle with him. We’re going to bang,’ he added jokingly.

“I don’t play anymore. Blow the whistle mate. Manchester City gets an extra 15 minutes. Oh my God.’

Wilson interjected with a laugh: “They can score four, five goals in that time.”

Antonio: ‘There will definitely be double figures this year.

But Wilson, who notably scored in Newcastle’s 5-1 win towards Aston Villa this weekend, jokingly added that there may very well be some advantages to extra stoppage time, particularly in the event you begin on the bench.

“But don’t you think as strikers you would lick your lips,” Wilson added, to which Antonio replied, “100 percent.”

‘For me, when someone says, ‘more minutes,’ I feel ‘Boy!’

“Even if I’m on the bench now and then, which will eventually happen, if you fill in after 60 minutes, at least you know I’m getting 45!” he added with fun.

After Man City’s defeat on the protect of the neighborhood, Pep Guardiola notably expressed his contempt for the brand new guidelinessuggesting {that a} basketball-type shot clock ought to be used as a substitute of 100-minute video games.

Manchester City have been held to an equalizer on this month’s FA Community Shield match after Leandro Trossard scored within the one hundred and first minute of stoppage time

Meanwhile, Raphael Varane is without doubt one of the gamers talking out in regards to the new guidelines, expressing his issues about gamers getting burnt out.

He stated: ‘Players are treated like numbers. It’s not going to vary, it’s simply getting worse.

“Many players asked me ‘give me more days off, Pep’, but I said I couldn’t. We have to go to Asia (on tour) and the club has to pay our salaries, and then we have the Community Shield.’

“I don’t know how we can last 11 months,” he added.

“I did it a very long time in the past in Barcelona, ​​however the Spanish league is just not that demanding. I don’t know what’s going to occur. We’re going to drop off, that’s for certain.’