Ask Mina: Arsene Wenger's offside idea, Ivan Toney's SPL form and Roberto Mancini's future

In her weekly Q&A, The National's resident expert addresses topics from around the football world

Former Brentford striker Ivan Toney has been in top form for Al Ahli in the Saudi Pro League. Reuters

Each week sports reporter Mina Rzouki answers a selection of readers' questions submitted via social media. If you have a question for Mina you can ask her on either X or Instagram – both @MinaRzouki.

Q: Are Fifa taking Arsene Wenger’s suggestion on changing the offside rule seriously?

@Ashay via Instagram

A: Yes, very much so. Changing the offside laws has become something of a personal crusade for the former Arsenal coach and Fifa wants football’s lawmaking body IFAB to proceed and expand with trials.

In short, Wenger has been Fifa's chief of global football development since 2018 and has sought to change the offside law since 2020, to not only make offsides easier to spot, but to encourage more attacking play. Wenger’s proposed rule change would state that a player would be considered onside if any part of the body that is permitted to touch the ball is in line.

While this law change would encourage more attacking play, critics worry it would severely impact the game on a tactical level. Defenders would struggle to play a high line, potentially forcing them to drop deeper to contain attacks.

In May 2024, A Fifa spokesperson said: “Fifa committed to trialing the amended offside law, favouring the attacker, which has been applied in selected youth competitions across Europe. We will continue with these trials, assess the results and discuss with all relevant stakeholders.”

Fifa conducted trials of this rule change in the Italian U18 championship to better assess the impact on a game. Wenger and Fifa are now aiming to expand these trials to other countries and senior football competitions.

Q: Thomas Tuchel did not call up Ivan Toney for England. Considering his form for Al Ahli, did he deserve one?

@Manamaayad via Instagram

A: Tuchel announced a 26-man squad on Friday to face Albania and Latvia in 2026 World Cup qualifiers later this month, and chose not to call-up Toney who has been in excellent form in Saudi Arabia but did offer hope for a future call-up.

Tuchel picked Tottenham striker Dominic Solanke, who has seven Premier League goals this season, and when asked about Toney said: “It was a purely sporting decision for Dominic in the end. It was nothing to do with Saudi Arabia, or if we don’t trust the league there. I had just much more evidence and observation live of the matches from Dominic so straight away I made that choice.

“It will, I think, be important to go to see Ivan in the coming weeks, to watch a game live, maybe watch training live, to get a better feeling for him. He is on the list.”

Being on the list is good news for a player who has been incredibly good this season. Toney has scored 16 goals in the Saudi Pro League and delivered three assists in 1,817 minutes, currently averaging a goal involvement every 95 minutes.

In comparison, Cristiano Ronaldo has averaged a goal involvement every 94 minutes, scoring 19 and delivering three assists in 2,085 minutes of football for Al Nassr.

Toney’s hat-trick for Al Ahli against rivals Al Hilal last month brought his total to 12 goals in just seven games. After a slow start he is now on fire in the kingdom.

Q: What are your thoughts on Roberto Mancini possibly moving to Juventus?

Carmine Silveroli via X

A: Roberto Mancini left his role as manager of the Italian national team in 2023 and was appointed by Saudi Arabia just two weeks later.

He guided the team to seven wins in 18 matches during a disappointing 14-month tenure that was ended by mutual consent in October 2024. He has been without a job since.

According to Italian media, he is the front-runner for the Juventus job because of his proven track record, his charisma and experience of managing a dressing room.

Juve have the second youngest squad in the league and have struggled to demonstrate the famous Juve mentality this season, collapsing in games and conceding seven goals in their past two matches, against Atalanta and Fiorentina.

Winning is all that matters for Juventus and a wily coach who has won trophies and was a boyhood fan of the club could make him an interesting choice.

He has shown that he can play good football and put together an excellent Italy side for the Euros who lifted the trophy at Wembley in 2021.

One important thing to note about Mancini is that, like Carlo Ancelotti and Max Allegri, he is a pragmatist and is excellent at masking player weaknesses, something Thiago Motta, the current Juve coach, has struggled to do.

Mancini would shape the tactics to suit the players and ensure that the strengths of the players are highlighted rather than exposing their deficiencies by adhering to a rigid style of play.

He has previously been accused of prioritising experienced players over youth to secure wins. But to be fair to him, he did call up several young players to the Italy squad and showed genuine interest in their development.

It’s thanks to him that Italy have Mateo Retagui to rely on. The player has proved lethal in Serie A this season and is the league’s top scorer with 22 goals.

One worry about Mancini is that his behaviour has been questioned. Under the Italian, Saudi Arabia were knocked out in the last 16 of the Asian Cup. The 60-year-old faced criticism for walking down the tunnel before South Korea had taken their final penalty in a shoot-out and later apologised for his early departure.

It is time for Juventus to move away from the past. Consistently linked to a return of either Antonio Conte or Allegri, it’s time to look to the future.

Mancini has the authority to help shape and develop the youngsters within the squad and initiate a new cycle. But Juve have bigger problems than the coach and it’s important that Mancini is supported by sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli and the overall management.

The squad needs to be better balanced with players who have the mental fortitude to carry the weight of expectations that comes with wearing the Juve jersey. Right now, a lot of those players are somewhat below the level expected.

Q: How has Scott McTominay impacted Napoli's run for the title this year versus last year without him?

Duanepatrickphotography via instagram

A: He has been, without a doubt, one of the most important players for Conte’s Napoli this season. Since making his debut as a substitute in Napoli’s match against Cagliari on September 15, the former Manchester United midfielder has started every single one of Napoli’s league matches.

Corriere dello Sport described the midfielder as a “dominant all-rounder”, and Conte shared the same view. Loved by the fans and highly regarded by the club, Conte altered the team's formation to take full advantage of the Scotsman's abilities, and Napoli continue to rack up victories.

There have been concerns that the player is struggling with an overload before last week’s match against Fiorentina, having played so many minutes for the Serie A club this season. This only serves to demonstrate how integral McTominay has been.

However, as important as he is, the biggest difference between last season’s Napoli that finished in 10th and this term is having a winner like Conte on the bench and ensuring stability across the board.

Mistakes were made last season by owner Aurelio De Laurentiis, who admitted Rudi Garcia was hired to take over from Luciano Spalletti despite not being his first choice for coach.

He later said: “I should've sacked Garcia after his first day! Because someone who arrives and says 'I don't know Napoli, I've never seen a match' … I should have understood at that moment.”

Garcia was sacked after 16 matches and his replacement Walter Mazzarri was sacked after 17. Instability wrecks a team’s chance to challenge for honours and bringing in Conte was an excellent choice for a team that had suffered on a mental level.

McTominay has been key, as has immaculate Italian defender Alessandro Buongiorno, and the Brazil forward David Neres before his injury.