IAN LADYMAN: Premier League are RIGHT to block Burnley’s attempts to save Victor Moses from Russia
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/03/27/20/55868503-10657587-image-a-108_1648409826327.jpg)
IAN LADYMAN: The Premier League were RIGHT to block Burnley’s attempt to rescue Victor Moses from Russia… and could Manchester United’s manager hunt impact Spurs?
- The Premier League blocked Burnley signing Victor Moses from Spartak Moscow
- Moses is in an uncomfortable position but the transfer rules should not be bent
- If Burnley really wanted to sign him, they should have tried to do so in January
- Manchester United’s managerial search could have repercussions for Tottenham
- Do not rule out Antonio Conte to PSG if Mauricio Pochettino goes to Old Trafford
Burnley tried to sign Victor Moses from Spartak Moscow but have been blocked in their attempts by the Premier League. This is entirely the right decision.
Moses finds himself in an uncomfortable position at the Russian club as the war in Ukraine intensifies. It is not a surprise that he wishes to leave.
But the Premier League transfer window closed in January and does not open again until the summer.
The Premier League blocked Burnley’s attempts to sign Victor Moses from Spartak Moscow
Why Burnley feel that arrangement should be bent out of shape for them is a mystery.
Also, had they really wanted Moses so badly, they could have tried to recruit him in January. That’s when everybody else did their business.
Time-wasting cheats have got your backs up
By the look of the email responses to last week’s column, it seems I am not the only football supporter irritated by the scourge of time wasting.
For those who weren’t paying attention, the suggestion on this page was that the clock is stopped every time a player is injured and also when goals are being celebrated, VAR checks are being made or substitutions are taking place.
All manner of suggestions followed. Some entirely sensible, others more extreme.
![Lots of people were in support of the idea to stop the clock every time the ball is out of play](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/03/27/20/55868501-10657587-image-a-110_1648409834258.jpg)
Lots of people were in support of the idea to stop the clock every time the ball is out of play
Most impressive of all though was word from a chap at Walsall, who has been stopping and starting his watch during home games every Saturday for the last few seasons. His rudimentary research tells him that the ball is actually in play for about 60 minutes of every 90 at the Banks’s Stadium.
I occasionally used to cover Friday night Walsall games during an earlier posting for this paper and back then such a statistic would have been seen as a blessing.
In the here and now, though, it’s just another piece of evidence that tells us things must change.
Time-wasting can be dressed up any way you like. But it’s a form of cheating, pure and simple, and the current system is allowing too many to get away with it.
Repercussions for Spurs in United’s managerial hunt
Much intrigue at Manchester United as their search for a sixth manager in nine years finally picks up pace.
The Dutch coach Erik ten Hag has the backing of current Old Trafford interim manager Ralf Rangnick, while the other leading candidate, Mauricio Pochettino, continues to receive the support of the last man to win a league title at Old Trafford, Sir Alex Ferguson.
![Sir Alex Ferguson has backed Mauricio Pochettino to be Manchester United's next manager](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/03/27/20/55868511-10657587-image-a-107_1648409822452.jpg)
Sir Alex Ferguson has backed Mauricio Pochettino to be Manchester United’s next manager
United were close to making a firm move for Pochettino before Ole Gunnar Solskjaer convinced them he was worth persevering with, but will be available when he parts company with Paris Saint-Germain this summer.
Meanwhile, at Pochettino’s old club Tottenham, there is growing unease about how all this may impact on them in the summer.
Antonio Conte to Paris? Do not rule that one out.
Bale turns it on for Wales
Gareth Bale’s magnificent display as Wales beat Austria was a reminder of his prodigious talent and ability to bring his best when it really matters.
But those who seek to lay all the blame on Real Madrid for the 32-year-old’s struggles at club level should remember that he was given an opportunity at Tottenham last season and failed to make a mark there too.
![Gareth Bale’s magnificent display as Wales beat Austria was a reminder of his prodigious talent](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/03/27/20/55868485-10657587-image-a-109_1648409829550.jpg)
Gareth Bale’s magnificent display as Wales beat Austria was a reminder of his prodigious talent
Talented and fun, Rest in Peace Ian
When I joined the Mail in 1999 I was soon fortunate to work with one of the brightest and best football writers I have known. He was also the most fun.
Ian McGarry was chief football correspondent of this newspaper in the early part of the millennium and died far too young at the end of last week.
Rest well, Garbo, you certainly left your mark.
For all the latest Sports News Click Here