Newport County boss Graham Coughlan unhappy with new added time rules

Newport boss Graham Coughlan estimates his players have played an extra 70 minutes in four league games this season

Newport County manager Graham Coughlan says new rules calculating added-on time are putting players at risk.

The English Football League has introduced a more "accurate" way to calculate playing time, leading to far more beyond the regulation 90 minutes.

But Coughlan does not expect anything to change until "the Klopps and Guardolas" complain.

"There you go again, you see another nine, 12 minutes on the clock, that's not healthy," Coughlan said.

Eleven minutes were added on at the end of Newport's 3-0 win at Forest Green on Saturday, but Coughlan believes that action will only be taken when the game's biggest names raise the issue.

"That is not healthy for professional footballers but I'm guessing it won't be until the (Liverpool manager Jurgen) Klopps and the (Manchester City manager Pep) Guardiolas of the higher echelons of the football pyramid start complaining that they'll start listening," Coughlan said.

"They aren't going to listen to Graham Coughlan at Newport County, but they are putting the players in danger and they are going to cause serious injury to players if it's not looked at and it's not done properly.

"It is what it is. I don't make the rules, we've just got to abide by them, but it is disappointing.

"We're now nearly into 70 (more) minutes and we've only played four (League Two) games, so that's near enough another game for us with the extra minutes that we've been playing. It can't be healthy."

Coughlan has also raised concern at their schedule, having played five games in all competitions in the first 15 days of the season.

"The programme doesn't let up," he added.

"We've got a ridiculous, ridiculous October as well where we've got eight or nine games in October all because West Ham couldn't schedule or couldn't play us in August (in the Football League Trophy).

"I just don't know what the EFL is expecting from us to be quite honest with you, it's just game after game after game, it's relentless."