Coronavirus in football

At what point to the PL just tell teams to get on with it?

We better not hear about Dyche lamenting his injuries in the second half of the season with games that close together.
 
Everton played us with youngsters. Leeds reserves beat West Ham. Burnley are rodents who were always likely to look for the easy way out.

A disgusting club and the sooner they’re out the league, the better.

I hope the fixture build up affects them badly.
 
Burnley are seeing how long they can get away with it for aren't they?

 
I don't get what the criteria is anymore. Think teams are just taking advantage of how lax the prem rules are.

I bet Arsenal 11 that they'd have had to put out v Spurs would've been similar to opening day v Brentford if they only had odd covid positive but after putting in plenty of effort v Liverpool and losing Xhaka and Partey they just didn't fancy it.

Burnley haven't played for nearly a month now so surely can't be having loads of different players getting covid positive, injuries are just part and parcel for every club during the season so those should be discounted.

Leicester just calling off games when four of their players were at the Darts the other week isn't a clever look either.
 
Klopper76 said:
Burnley are seeing how long they can get away with it for aren't they?

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Guess they just don't fancy playing Watford which is must win game for them until they sign replacement for Chris Wood. They could put out Vydra and Jay Rogriguez if they really wanted to upfront for example and have some youth strikers on the bench.

I could understand it during xmas when Omicron was rampant but cases are generally coming down gradually in the general population so football clubs shouldn't just be able to request games off so easily now.

Edit: I forgot they played FA cup tie last week so clearly have no issue putting a team out in competition they have no chance of winning so that's where the manipulation comes into it.
 
Klopper76 said:
Burnley are seeing how long they can get away with it for aren't they?

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Maybe they had a high number of Covid cases come back positive.

That being said, the latest round of fixture delays have been farcical. No other major league in Europe is doing it at this level. You have youth players, effing use them!
 
What is even worse is that absolutely nobody has the humility and common sense to stop this farce that has already seriously adulterated the competition.
 
FootballHQ said:
I don't get what the criteria is anymore. Think teams are just taking advantage of how lax the prem rules are.

I bet Arsenal 11 that they'd have had to put out v Spurs would've been similar to opening day v Brentford if they only had odd covid positive but after putting in plenty of effort v Liverpool and losing Xhaka and Partey they just didn't fancy it.

Burnley haven't played for nearly a month now so surely can't be having loads of different players getting covid positive, injuries are just part and parcel for every club during the season so those should be discounted.

Leicester just calling off games when four of their players were at the Darts the other week isn't a clever look either.
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It's a huge piss take to be honest. Burnley will have 6 games in hand on some teams now. How is that even remotely acceptable when they have a nearly fully fit squad to choose from and a capable academy to supplement if needed?
 
Won’t happen but Burnley should be made to play their games without the Afcon players or any new signings.

They’re clearly manipulating the rules using covid as an excuse. A despicable club and their behaviour surprises no-one.
 
WeePat said:
It's a huge piss take to be honest. Burnley will have 6 games in hand on some teams now. How is that even remotely acceptable when they have a nearly fully fit squad to choose from and a capable academy to supplement if needed?
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They should make them play the games all inside one week, see who's laughing then.
 
Always have had somewhat of a soft spot for Burnley as a PL team, punching above their weight massively, with a manager who it's difficult not to like.

But this saga has definitely turned me against them.

Each time this subject comes up now they mention 4 things - injuries, suspensions, AFCON and Covid.

Now correct me if I'm wrong, but only 1 out of 4 should have any bearing on the PL's decision to postpone a match.

So why are they all being mentioned? As soon as anything other than Covid is mentioned, the PL should just interrupt them and say "sorry let me stop you there - how many Covid cases? That's all we're interested in".

They've made a rod for their own back here by being so soft on the issue. Wind the clock back pre-Covid and they've have had no choice but to play these matches, now the PL have opened the door and Burnley have walked straight through it even though they don't really need to.

They simply can't face the idea of playing matches with a slightly weakened side and would rather wait until a couple of injuries clear up and Cornet, their key player is back from AFCON.

This doesn't take in to account that they'll end up playing about 3 times a week if they're not careful, although their weak surrender at home in the Cup to a Championship team (shock) does free up some Saturday afternoons.
 
WeePat said:
It's a huge piss take to be honest. Burnley will have 6 games in hand on some teams now. How is that even remotely acceptable when they have a nearly fully fit squad to choose from and a capable academy to supplement if needed?
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Which games have they had postponed? Their squad, even when all fit is not that deep. It will depend on the opponents and how they fit the games in, that will be the big problem for them. Also if people want them punished it is up to the teams round them to do their job and pick points up. Games in hand are fine, but does not mean you are going to win them.

Also this is down to the PL. It should have been just Covid cases not injuries or international call up. Although during the international breaks there are plenty of Championship and EFL clubs who get their games postponed for international call ups.
 
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MayosNoun said:
Everton played us with youngsters. Leeds reserves beat West Ham. Burnley are rodents who were always likely to look for the easy way out.

A disgusting club and the sooner they’re out the league, the better.

I hope the fixture build up affects them badly.
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Burnley played against united with loads of players out, my old man is a Burnley fan, yeah the football is awful but they are literally doing what arsenal Liverpool Leicester etc are doing, also Chelsea tried to do it to
 
DomesticTadpole said:
Which games have they had postponed? Their squad, even when all fit is not that deep. It will depend on the opponents and how they fit the games in, that will be the big problem for them. Also if people want them punished it is up to the teams round them to do their job and pick points up. Games in hand are fine, but does not mean you are going to win them.

Also this is down to the PL. It should have been just Covid cases not injuries or international call up. Although during the international breaks there are plenty of Championship and EFL clubs who get their games postponed for international call ups.
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I don't know the specific games they've had postponed, but they've played 2 league games since Dec 12. West Ham have played 6. Most other teams in the league have played 4 or 5. They have a 25 man squad, same as everyone else. From what I can tell, at the moment, they have one injured player [Connor Roberts] and one player missing because of AFCON [Maxwell Cornet].
 
WeePat said:
I don't know the specific games they've had postponed, but they've played 2 league games since Dec 12. West Ham have played 6. Most other teams in the league have played 4 or 5. They have a 25 man squad, same as everyone else. From what I can tell, at the moment, they have one injured player [Connor Roberts] and one player missing because of AFCON [Maxwell Cornet].
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That few. If they have no Covid cases they should be playing. Covid has to be the main cause for a postponement. The other things have always been there and will in the future.
 
DomesticTadpole said:
That few. If they have no Covid cases they should be playing. Covid has to be the main cause for a postponement. The other things have always been there and will in the future.
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Should be the only cause for a postponement. Wasn't that the whole point? Injury crises and international call-ups have been part of the game since long before Sean Dyche was around.

Even 1/2 Covid cases, is that enough to get a game called off? I would suggest not.
 
ChrisNelson said:
Should be the only cause for a postponement. Wasn't that the whole point? Injury crises and international call-ups have been part of the game since long before Sean Dyche was around.

Even 1/2 Covid cases, is that enough to get a game called off? I would suggest not.
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Now I am inclined to agree. I thought the crisis they had was much worse. Looking like them selling their best striker and Cornet being at AFCON is the reason.
 
they've now 5 games to re-arrange

4 at home

Leicester
Watford
Spurs
Everton

1 away

Villa

next 3 fixtures are Arsenal (a) United (h) Liverpool (h) they look doomed to me.
 
I was listening to the Mckola and Chelsea Rory podcast earlier and they mentioned about the call-offs and saying it is more farcical than the behind closed doors season when Liverpool won it. It is getting to that point. You can't have teams with 4 or 5 games in hand on others. It's mad.
 
SilentWitness said:
I was listening to the Mckola and Chelsea Rory podcast earlier and they mentioned about the call-offs and saying it is more farcical than the behind closed doors season when Liverpool won it. It is getting to that point. You can't have teams with 4 or 5 games in hand on others. It's mad.
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We're the only league in Europe who have allowed this to happen. I checked the table of 6 other leagues - Germany, Spain, Italy, Portugal, France and Holland - and in all of those leagues, the biggest difference in games played I could find between teams was 1 game. This situation where some teams have so many games in hand is utterly farcical. I know Chelsea and Burnley aren't in direct competition with each other but the fact that we have 24 games played and they only have 18 is ludicrous.
 
Rules update. Clubs now need 4 positive cases to request a postponement.

 


Two of Chelsea’s first team players, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and N’Golo Kante, have both been left out of the club’s pre-season tour to the United States this week, as a consequence, the club said, of “their Covid vaccination status”.

One source said that this summer, as soon as it becomes common knowledge among interested clubs that a potential new signing is not vaccinated, “the phone calls stop immediately”.

In domestic leagues in Italy and France vaccination was made compulsory for players after the rise in infections over the winter although some leeway has been given
 
Samid said:


Two of Chelsea’s first team players, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and N’Golo Kante, have both been left out of the club’s pre-season tour to the United States this week, as a consequence, the club said, of “their Covid vaccination status”.

One source said that this summer, as soon as it becomes common knowledge among interested clubs that a potential new signing is not vaccinated, “the phone calls stop immediately”.

In domestic leagues in Italy and France vaccination was made compulsory for players after the rise in infections over the winter although some leeway has been given
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They're essentially a liability, in a certain way injury prone
 
Walters_19_MuFc said:
And that has now changed because he's not vaccinated?
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Yes, I think in most cases, you're cnut or a dumbass if you didn't take the vaccine and willingly risk passing it on to the vulnerable (or the unlucky healthy population).

cyberman said:
Apparently he’s doubled vaxed, just doesn’t have the booster within the last 9 months to get in.
Saying that its not as if this tour crept up on him
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Oh, that's odd.
 
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