What is the 25 man squad rule supposed to achieve?

At Four o’Clock on the 4th September 2012 every top flight club had to have let the Premier League know the names of the 25 squad players that they want to play for their squad. My question is why?

The reason I ask this is the transfer window is closed so you can’t buy anyone till January anyway.

Players born on or after 1st January 1991 are classed as under 21 players and are therefore eligible to feature throughout the season despite not being named in the 25 man squad.

So if you’re a young player playing well you can still get a game; but if you’re a 29-year-old and you don’t get into the squad you have nothing to play for until January.

In theory this helps the Championship clubs who circle once the main squads are announced.

Let’s say a player gets injured in the second game of the season and he’ll be out for three months; that would mean he’d be back for November.

Is the manager supposed to name him knowing he won’t play for three months or leave him out till January? It’s almost as if the player is getting punished twice for getting injured which unfortunately is part of the game. Hardly fair I’d say.

Joey Barton's 12-match suspension made him even more unattractive to QPR, and accelerated his departure from the club, although the player should look in the mirror rather than blame the league on that one.

I could understand it a bit more if the transfer window was open but it’s not. It’s not like you can buy replacements because you’re not allowed.

Some of the rules in football really do take the biscuit. Another one is the tape that’s wrapped around a player’s sock to keep his shin pads tight has to be the same colour as the kit.

The reason given; so the ref can see whichcolour sock it is more easily. I’m sorry but that’s just rubbish. The ref should be looking at the whole incident and if he or she doesn’t see it then the assistants on either side should.

Of course we need rules in football but sometimes it makes me laugh at some of them. If a player is injured he needs to go off the field; in serious cases he’d be stretched off but in most cases the players should be allowed to get up and carry on.

It’s all about keeping the game going. The rule makers, it would appear, sometimes have too much time on their hands.

image: © winton