“It’s like watching non league” – Jamie O’Hara causes a stir with criticism on long throws in the Premier League.
The former footballer turned pundit took issue with the rising use of long throw-ins in the Premier League, calling it “non-league” football that disrupts the game’s flow and entertainment value.
He blames Arsenal for popularising set-piece tactics, which top teams now copy poorly and one-dimensionally.
While accepting it from smaller clubs like Brentford or in desperate late-game moments, he argues it’s killing fluid, enjoyable football at the elite level.
🗣️ “It’s killing the game, it’s like watching non league”
“It’s all down to Arsenal, they killed the Premier League in terms of fluid football”
Jamie O’Hara is not a fan of long throws. pic.twitter.com/lsSijPud5h
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) October 21, 2025
Interviewer Tom White: “Right, a classy central midfielder in your day, Jamie O’Hara, are happy to see long throws come back in?”
Jamie: “Can’t stand it. I hate it. It’s killing the game. Especially the Premier League, the product. I uh mean, it’s like watching non-league at the minute, some of the football I’m watching.
“You know, Spurs at the weekend, territory football, you know, head it out, Danso comes up, gets the tower, starts throwing. It’s so one-dimensional. And Carragher’s right. I get it. Some of the, you know, the lesser teams like Brentford, you’ve got a long throw in it, you can cause problems, can maybe create a chance.
“But the top teams doing long throw-ins. I can’t believe what I’m watching. It’s all down to Arsenal. Arsenal started this. Arsenal started the long throw, the set pieces. They’ve killed the Premier League in terms of fluid football and enjoyable football.”
Interviewer: “But Arsenal still play good football.”
Jamie: “No, they don’t.”
“Interviewer: “They’ve just tried something different, which is working.
Jamie: Yeah, and now everyone’s run with it. And Arsenal are the best at it. You can’t get away from it. Set pieces, throw-ins, the best, but everyone’s copying what they’re doing and they can’t do it like that. I’m seeing teams do long throwings, You even got a long throw. It’s not even reaching a six-yard box. But everyone’s trying to do it. It’s so one-dimensional.
“What do you get from a long throwing? You pack the box out, you throw it, and you might get a flick on and you create a chance. But it’s so boring to watch and it’s so non-league. It’s the Premier League we’re talking about here. You’re meant to be the best of the best.
“I can understand it every now and then or the last five minutes of a game. You want to get the ball in the box and cause a bit of chaos. But every time we’re looking at long throws, stop, start, stop, start.
“What happens if you get the ball down, move it quick, play, crosses in the box, get to the byline, crosses in the box?
“The top team’s doing it and Thomas Frank’s been doing it at Spurs and I don’t like it. I’m not a fan of it and I think it’s killing the Premier League.”
“I am frustrated that EVERY team this season are taking long throws”
Jamie Carragher on the increase of long throws into the box in the Premier League 👀 pic.twitter.com/0NJOus1DV5
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 20, 2025
“It’s like watching non league” – Jamie O’Hara causes a stir with fans on social media amid his criticism on long throws…
@john_nufc42: It’s like watching non league 🤣 Jamie man I’ve been to non league games for my MatchDay vlogs and I’ll make this clear I’ve been to quality non league games and it’s been exciting attacking and hardly any sideways and backwards passes. Show some respect to non league football please Jamie or you’ll end up having egg on your face !!!!
@JoshM_2002: failed billericay manager btw
@AllAtSeaFanzine: There are so many reasons that this is thick.
@MatchDayFeverr: This is an awful statement. Non-league is where it’s at… the fans, the passion, the fight, the 94th minute winner against top of the table…. Non-league is so much more exciting.
@MatthewKing10: This is coming from a bloke whose only experience in non league was earning 10k a week at billericay, because he was too washed to get the size of club to match his ego. He just talks absolute shit and always has. But he’s incredibly clever and knows how to stay relevant.
@JohnRoutledge11: This is the most pathetic thing I’ve ever seen in football Pundit complaining because the team who is top of table is unreal at set pieces. And try and use them at every opportunity. Imo every team should have 1/2 who can throw it long. Can make a nothing throw in into a chance
@TheDB30: Spoken like a true ex-pro that’s played in Non League and couldn’t hack it
@ellishall_12: I also don’t understand the argument against a long throw. Why would you not use something that can create chances and enhance your team’s possibility of success? Football is a results business – it doesn’t matter how flashy it is.
@ThePoolsPod: Such a reductive comment. I’ve seen better football in non-league at times than in the top-flight. Football becomes a good watch when different styles clash. No-one wants to see two teams pass it around 50 times in their own half. It’s boring, and not many can execute it well.
@shirt_arsenal: So Sky employs someone to publicly criticise the game they pay £billions to broadcast… So if we take his word then the content shown is low level and the games are not worth watching as the league is dead. Interesting way of driving subscriptions.
@gavgray: Not only is this complete nonsense, it’s also very disrespectful to what he refers to as “non league” and shows a complete lack of awareness in his knowledge of what is really happening in both the Premier league and the leagues below.
@tttonlf: What an insult… Non League is much more enjoyable to watch !
@JPMc99: 😂😂😂 I’m not kidding when I say this is one of the funniest pieces of ‘analysis’ I’ve ever seen. Listen to the words he says vs how little sense he makes. I know it’s all rage bait, but you shouldn’t even begin to get angry about how stupid this is.
@BFC_WestStander: Can’t stand the snobbery around long throws. By this logic every team should only take short corners and pass their way into the box instead of just whipping it in
30 passes in the build-up to this “non-league” goal, btw.#rafc https://t.co/gcc9oNePCe pic.twitter.com/xsCSdEk1v6
— Rochdale AFC (@officiallydale) October 22, 2025
“It’s like watching #NonLeague“.
The arrogance of Jamie O’Hara.
Tell that to Worthing, Forest Green, Rochdale, Weston, York, Boreham Wood, South Shields, Radcliffe, AFC Fylde, Dorking, Walton… I could go on.
There are some teams that play some LOVELY football.
Tut tut. https://t.co/EpdLF9vlUI pic.twitter.com/8hOLQCd50b
— Off The Line Blog (@OffTheLineBlog) October 22, 2025
This man has never witnessed Ash ball https://t.co/gTiVgo8zo1 pic.twitter.com/Jft7owregx
— Tom (@slewpanova) October 22, 2025
Non league btw… 😘 https://t.co/qEut0aAr7r pic.twitter.com/eSMPDmLUEP
— Jen (@jenhunt_) October 22, 2025
