Coronavirus in football

They shouldn't have gone full steam ahead with every cup in my opinion. At least the Carabao Cup could have been scrapped + International friendlies too.

It's almost as if the FA, UEFA and FIFA are all run by greedy fecking idiots isn't it really? I've got to say I think any international competitions should have been cancelled this year, much as I enjoyed the PSG and Leipzig games. It's just irresponsible for that many people to be travelling round the world for totally non-essential activities. I certainly see the argument for league and domestic cups though to give everyone something to look forward to and keep the clubs ticking over but I would have drawn the line at international travel, at least until the vaccine has started to take effect properly and if the competition goes through the winter months when Covid was always going to be worse.
 
Gotta cram those Nation league and fecking friendlies of 3 games 10 days into an already disasteous season. So when the seasons cancelled, at least we dont have to give back any money..

Its a fecking farce. Im shocked we even played any first team players last night and feck the game v Watford.

Cancel the Euros already and solve the problem.
 
In hindsight, I think League Cup should have been the competition to be cancelled and replaced by just Fa Cup this season but too late now, it's completely played and has only one match remaining, so cancelling/postponing Fa Cup is more reasonable.
They shouldn't have gone full steam ahead with every cup in my opinion. At least the Carabao Cup could have been scrapped + International friendlies too.
Internationals and League cup should definitely have been called off.

The clubs should have agreed contingency measures if the season couldn't be completed.

I do agree international games were pointless but ultimately they didn’t cause massive covid related issues.

For all this talk about cancelling Cups etc. Remember everything was going fine until this last month when the U.K. had this disastrous second strain. There were no postponed games from top flight clubs between August and December. Other countries are coping fine at the moment.

The biggest problem is this new strain and the fact we know footballers in this country have been breaking rules left right and centre continuously over the last month.
We’ve still even at this point only had outbreaks at what four clubs? Most clubs have it under control. With the nationwide lockdown now in place numbers should start to go down.
 
I'd say it if it was the same for us, but postponing games shouldn't be happening. It might seem unfair but youth / reserve teams gotta be used.

I haven't followed the criteria that well, but im still unsure what the cut off point is for postponing a game
 
I do agree international games were pointless but ultimately they didn’t cause massive covid related issues.
Surely they would have caused fixture issues though? In that time teams could have got on with fixtures and it would have led to less possible congestion issues later down the line.
 
Should have separate bubbles for the U23 and the main squad with only mixing for Matches.

That way even if one squad has problems can just get players from the other one to fill in.
 
Surely they would have caused fixture issues though? In that time teams could have got on with fixtures and it would have led to less possible congestion issues later down the line.
Yeah absolutely and that’s why they shouldn’t have gone ahead. But actual covid related issues from the nations league games wasnt too bad. European countries still managed a winter break. It’s only us in England who are facing this feckery.
 
I suppose the Liverpool fans will claim its fair because they had to play Villa last year with the reserves while the first team were travelling.

What does the Arsenal news mean?
 
I suppose the Liverpool fans will claim its fair because they had to play Villa last year with the reserves while the first team were travelling.

What does the Arsenal news mean?

Liverpool will probably play a mostly U23 team anyway in fairness!
 
I do agree international games were pointless but ultimately they didn’t cause massive covid related issues.

For all this talk about cancelling Cups etc. Remember everything was going fine until this last month when the U.K. had this disastrous second strain. There were no postponed games from top flight clubs between August and December. Other countries are coping fine at the moment.

The biggest problem is this new strain and the fact we know footballers in this country have been breaking rules left right and centre continuously over the last month.
We’ve still even at this point only had outbreaks at what four clubs? Most clubs have it under control. With the nationwide lockdown now in place numbers should start to go down.

Spot. On.

Edit : For logistic/scheduling reasons, I agree the international games should have been axed. The Euros might pay the price if things don't improve soon.
 
I do agree international games were pointless but ultimately they didn’t cause massive covid related issues.

For all this talk about cancelling Cups etc. Remember everything was going fine until this last month when the U.K. had this disastrous second strain. There were no postponed games from top flight clubs between August and December. Other countries are coping fine at the moment.

The biggest problem is this new strain and the fact we know footballers in this country have been breaking rules left right and centre continuously over the last month.
We’ve still even at this point only had outbreaks at what four clubs? Most clubs have it under control. With the nationwide lockdown now in place numbers should start to go down.


Very true.
While there was always a "risk" things would escalate, you can't put everything on hold for that.
That's why I think a 2-3 week football break isn't what we should do either, unless we're getting to the situation of 4-5 games being called off in 1 round of premier league games.

Otherwise all we're doing is trying to avoid having games called off...by calling loads more games off, and giving ourselves a huge issue fitting them all in later.

It's similar sentiments of why I thought the winter break was nonsense. You have 2 weeks off, but then what if the next week is the week we get mad snow issues.
 
And just to show that you don't have to be male or a millionaire to be simultaneously entitled and naive - a bunch of women players went over to Dubai for a Christmas holiday. Or, a business trip, as they're now described.

Unfortunately the City and Arsenal players brought covid home with them. Their matches this weekend are now postponed.



Incidentally, another WSL club (Bristol - who, of course, don't have a rich PL team backing them) were made to play their juniors when they had a bunch of players test positive, and others quarantined, a couple of months back. City beat them 8-1.
 
I'd say it if it was the same for us, but postponing games shouldn't be happening. It might seem unfair but youth / reserve teams gotta be used.

I haven't followed the criteria that well, but im still unsure what the cut off point is for postponing a game

It was presumed to be 14 players available between seniors and u23's but City, Newcastle and Fulham all had games postponed when they had less than 14 senior squad members but the latest I've heard is its purely at the PL's discretion.
 


I think that's incredibly harsh on Villa. City were allowed to have a game postponed due to Covid but Villa have to send their kids out.

Scenes when they beat us.
 
Difference is it's tricky to postpone a FA Cup game, because of the tightly packed schedule. I'm sure they'd rather chance it and play kids than just forfeit the game though.
 


I think that's incredibly harsh on Villa. City were allowed to have a game postponed due to Covid but Villa have to send their kids out.

Scenes when they beat us.


Of the two I'd rather have the Spurs game postponed next week as no way can we play that if our training ground is shut.

Just will have to take the hit tomorrow. Will probably be more than 5-0 one we gave to your under 18s last season but hey ho.
 
Of the two I'd rather have the Spurs game postponed next week as no way can we play that if our training ground is shut.

Just will have to take the hit tomorrow. Will probably be more than 5-0 one we gave to your under 18s last season but hey ho.
Or you beat us in the most heroic underdog story ever.
 
How is it Aston Villa have to play but Abu Dhabi FC got a week holiday for having dumbarses in their first team?

So it's a moral hazard where if you have idiots, you get a break and delay but if you play fair, you have to field the U23s. Absolute joke.
 
How is it Aston Villa have to play but Abu Dhabi FC got a week holiday for having dumbarses in their first team?

So it's a moral hazard where if you have idiots, you get a break and delay but if you play fair, you have to field the U23s. Absolute joke.

Its a disgrace.
 
But seriously, can anyone explain why it was different for City? I’m genuinely trying to understand what the rationale behind this is.

None of that nonsense about “it was a new strain, we didn’t know how bad it would be” please.

Are they literally winging it?