Ainsley Walters, Freelance Writer

(Left)Patrick Roberts ... likes changes to league's format. - File

(Right)Geoffrey Maxwell ... not a fan of the extended league. - Norman Grindley /Deputy Chief Photographer

ARNETT GARDENS manager Patrick Roberts believes the new Premier League format of 38 games spread between this month and June of next year will benefit local clubs which perennially suffer from the late arrival of their better players from the popular New York summer league.

In a bid to put the local Premier League on par with other top domestic leagues, the new Premier League Clubs Association (PLCA) on Thursday unveiled a format of an additional fourth round, comprising five games, as opposed to the normal 33, which existed under the straight league format played for the past two seasons.

Under the format, which was announced at the launch of new sponsor Cash Plus Group's three-year $150 million sponsorship of the league, the fourth round will be split with the top six teams playing in a separate group from the lower sides.

This, the PLCA said, should serve t competition as the fourth round will intensify the title race among the top teams as well as afford the bottom-placed sides another shot at leaping out of relegation.

hectic year

However, former Premier League coach Geoffrey Maxwell said the new format should have been delayed as what he expects to be a hectic year of friendly internationals and World Cup qualifying games, starting as early as January 2008, will put a greater demand on clubs to release their top players for national duties.

This demand, Maxwell said, would defeat the PLCA's purpose of having like teams face each other in the fourth round as the top three sides would be missing key players for a longer period, which would put them at a disadvantage against their rivals in the final rush for the title.

An extended season of five additional games, Maxwell said, could run into July when World Cup qualifying would be well under way.

"I thought with a World Cup qualification year coming up, it would have been structured just for three rounds, which would have kept everybody on a level playing field with the league ending in April or early May," he said.

"The new format may benefit the clubs by them playing more games and getting additional revenue but I suspect with a regime change expected at the JFF, we will have a flood of international games heading into World Cup qualifying.

"You also have to consider Mother Nature, international fixtures and rescheduled games, which could take us well into July," he reasoned.

suitable substitutes

Maxwell agreed that each team should have suitable substitutes but said that was an idealistic situation.

"A starter is a starter or else he would be on the bench," he said.

Whereas Maxwell focused on the implications of a longer domestic season during a crucial World Cup qualifying year, Roberts spoke of immediate benefits to clubs.

"I love it," he said.

"Most of our senior players go overseas when the league ends to play in New York. What this will do is keep them in the island."

Each year, the late arrival of players from New York affects top teams, which are now keener than ever to get off to a flying start in a straight league format.

The Arnett manager dismissed the suggestion that players would earn more in the summer when playing abroad as opposed to staying at home.

"Not necessarily," he said. "What I hear some of these players saying they get for one game per week, it's not that great. At home, some top players get between $35,000 to $40,000 per month," he pointed out

However, Maxwell insists the new format would be detrimental to top clubs.

"I think we should have gone back to the normal format for this year, allowing everybody to have full-strength teams.

"With a shorter league, a coach could have planned the fixtures carefully in a World Cup qualifying year," he said.