Coronavirus in football

You think not having a game against a depleted Leeds team works in your favour? It was a home walkover, probably 5 or 6 nil job.

Instead You'll have it moved to a midweek in a packed schedule later on with Leeds back to full strength.

It could still be 5 or 6 nil. It's Leeds after all

Games go ahead if there is 13 fit players and 1 fit goalkeeper.

Not hard to understand the threshold.

Unless you've had to close your training ground and weren't able to train in the lead-up to the game. Leeds only had 5 or 6 cases.

We haven’t closed anything but we are training with an ultra thin squad, having to use our youth team and having to rush back people like DCL just to play which doesn’t seem fair as he will be classed as one of our ‘fit’ players when he is nowhere near match fit. Doesn’t seem fair to me but we just have to do what we can if it still goes ahead.

No, it doesn't seem fair and seems to be a bit arbitrary. However, the thing which seems to be swinging it is if you have to close your training facilities due to the outbreak. I think if Leeds didn't have to do that the game would have gone ahead with the under 23s or whatever.
 
If only some of that 300 bn quid spent on Covid restrictions instead went on building new wards and paying docs and nurses 50% more.
Now we’re back to WWII hospital ideas and soon NHS claps! More short term planning is definitely what we need, our leaders have learnt so much.
Personally, I thought my country would have plans already made up for any and every scenario. Instead we don't even have a strategic supply of masks that would cost is than 1 tank that's useless in modern warfare.
 
That's a bit of a weird one. Presumably it's driven by Leeds but I thought their issues were around injuries rather than covid as they have a high vaccination rate.
Yuh it was Leeds, no chance Arsenal.
If you’ve got a few of injuries, are out of form and pick up a few covid cases you’re gonna try your luck with a postponement regardless of whether you have the required amount of players available.

That’s why we’ve heard of rejections from the Pl by Chelsea, Leicester and Everton. It’s obvious that it’s going to be abused in the next few weeks.
 
Van D has missed 2 games (3 with yesterday) already hasn't he?

Newcastle was on 16th December, so surely unless he went down with it on the day, he'd have been back for the 26th?
I kept hearing his 10th day would've bee Boxing Day so he would've missed Leeds.
 
I kept hearing his 10th day would've bee Boxing Day so he would've missed Leeds.

Fantasy footy has him 25% chance, so it depends what the actual rule is.
He did miss the 16th, so would have to have been positive at latest on that day, so it depends if they include that day, or it's 10 days after testing positive.
 
It's just dumb playing these games with a crowd. Risking lives.
 
Thinking of using chips?

If Chelsea v Villa went, which took another 3 of my players, I could see one of these free hits as a great tactical device.

Could clear 40 or more points than the 3-4 players left and 1 transfer would give.

The key is that there are 3 very promising Boxing Day 3pms, (forget Everton & Burnley, i expect that to go), that we'll be certain are on or off by the deadline.
 
I think the level of panic is often inappropriate too. I just think you’re better making that political point rather than embellishing it with misinformation about the science. The things we’re most ignorant of are often the things that seem most obvious or simple, simply because we don’t understand the nuances. It just isn’t the case that the path you think it will follow is the only path it can follow. That’s only true in viral Facebook posts, not real life.
Fair enough.
 
Pardon the pun but that's a bit of a game changer if turns out to be true.

It's not true. Or, at least, a host of actual scientific studies have suggested that it's not true. But the NFL desperately doesn't want to cancel important games, especially playoff games, and the easiest way to avoid having to cancel them is to simply stop testing most of the players. And the way to justify that decision is by pretending that vaccinated, asymptomatic people can't spread the virus.
 
Not ideal for us given Burnley will be fresh against us on the 30th when we played 3 days before. Still, we've had a couple of weeks off to Ralf should know who is full of energy.
 
Injuries should not be included in this. Everton and Leeds have now had games that are postponed due to an injury crisis disguised as Covid postponements.
 
Isn’t in part due to the quarantine rules of unvaccinated players? If an unvaccinated player has a close contact who tests positive, they themselves have to isolate for 10 days, even if they test negative.

so it’s not so much a health issue but a government rules issue.
 
Injuries should not be included in this. Everton and Leeds have now had games that are postponed due to an injury crisis disguised as Covid postponements.

I don't think it's been disguised at all. They said it was due to covid and injuries.

It's possible were some inconsistencies along the way but the PL have eventually published the criteria they consider and injuries is part of it.

The Premier League will then consider the following factors when deciding whether to grant the request:

  • Impact of Covid infections, injuries, illness and isolation on the squad, plus the number of first-team and 'appropriately experienced' U21 players available
  • Matches will be postponed if a club does not have at least 13 outfield players and a goalkeeper available
  • Status of any Covid outbreak at the club, including the number and source infections, and the proximity to the match
  • Club's ability to safely prepare its players
  • Medical advice over whether there is an unacceptable risk to the health and safety of players and staff by playing the match
  • Advice from UK Health Securities Agency and other public bodies
  • Other exceptional circumstances

https://www.skysports.com/amp/footb...vid-19-outbreak-and-injuries-in-everton-squad
 
Predictions on the next game to go?

Got to be a toss up between Tottenham v Palace and Chelsea v Villa?
 
so it’s not so much a health issue but a government rules issue.

Aye, but the poster in question asked what the difference between a vaccinated player and a unvaccinated player was in terms of their availability. The quarantine period is the differential. There's apparently been an uptake in players getting the vaccine, and I imagine those who had been hesitant probably did so because of the 10 day rule. I actually have to prove my vaccination status just to get into the stadium (well I did, now it's behind closed doors).
 
Calling off the Everton Game only today is crazy, when they have been asking for 3 days to call it off.

The PL should have taken a 2 week break.

How are teams expected to play 2 games in 48 hours when they are mostly all struggling with Covid cases.

United seem to be clear for now... but they will go to Newcastle and no doubt pick up covid again (or worse) from the Geordies and it starts all over again.
 
They are waiting till the last minute to act.
I doubt our match will go on.

Matter of time before the season is suspended.

What a complete mess.

Our cases have settled haven't they?
It'd need a new infection from outside the camp to screw us up wouldn't it?
Unless Newcastle have something festering?
 
Calling off the Everton Game only today is crazy, when they have been asking for 3 days to call it off.

The PL should have taken a 2 week break.

How are teams expected to play 2 games in 48 hours when they are mostly all struggling with Covid cases.

United seem to be clear for now... but they will go to Newcastle and no doubt pick up covid again (or worse) from the Geordies and it starts all over again.
Utd had most of their squad exposed, if we could just pick it up v Newcastle again then there really is no need for a break?
 
I am wondering about Newcastle.

Has there been any word from them?

Everton felt inevitable as they were making noises about it for a while.
Norwich and Palace have every chance for the same reason

But not heard anything from Newcastle yet?
 
They are waiting till the last minute to act.
I doubt our match will go on.

Matter of time before the season is suspended.

What a complete mess.

Why would they do that? Omicron will still be here in January, nothing will have changed. There will be suspensions of some games as outbreaks occur in squads for the rest of the season and beyond. Nothing the league can do about it, even with an 100% vaccination rate teams can still get plenty of Omicron positives.
 
I thought Newcastle already had an outbreak of some sort? Pretty sure that game is going ahead.
 
a large Proportion are now. 92% of players and staff are.

That figure is PR spin. It doesn't count unless they are double vaxxed and the 92% figure includes those who have only gotten one dose.

The PL is lagging woefully behind the other big leagues. 77% of PL players are fully vaxxed compared to high 90s in Serie A and Germany but that 77% varies from over 90% at some clubs to apparently as low as 50% at United, for example.
 
Has there been any word from them?

Everton felt inevitable as they were making noises about it for a while.
Norwich and Palace have every chance for the same reason

But not heard anything from Newcastle yet?

The late cancellations are I'm sure to do with broadcast rights.
Even if rescheduled they may be at times when not favourable to advertisers.

Lets hope the match does go on.
 
Why would they do that? Omicron will still be here in January, nothing will have changed. There will be suspensions of some games as outbreaks occur in squads for the rest of the season and beyond. Nothing the league can do about it, even with an 100% vaccination rate teams can still get plenty of Omicron positives.

If a team has to catch up with say six or seven matches surely we are looking at a need for an extension of the season which may not be possible.
 
That figure is PR spin. It doesn't count unless they are double vaxxed and the 92% figure includes those who have only gotten one dose.

The PL is lagging woefully behind the other big leagues. 77% of PL players are fully vaxxed compared to high 90s in Serie A and Germany but that 77% varies from over 90% at some clubs to apparently as low as 50% at United, for example.

Yeah I saw that 92% figure earlier on BBC and thought, that's crap.

PL using spin now to not look so pathetic.

Double jabbed is still very low compared to other top leagues.

Still so many on 1 jab or none even.

EL is even worse.
 
If a team has to catch up with say six or seven matches surely we are looking at a need for an extension of the season which may not be possible.

It's easily done for teams out of cups and Europe to catch up.

Problem is, the PL don't care about teams in Europe so they will put United in a game the day before Champs League if they can cos they don't care.