Topic: Christmas fixtures and Covid

[markedasred]

Just up on the BBC site as breaking news.
Premier League clubs have chosen to fulfil festive fixtures despite ongoing disruption caused by Covid-19 cases.

The league's 20 clubs met on Monday to discuss how they could deal with the challenges faced after six fixtures were postponed because of Covid-19 numbers over the weekend.

The postponement of a round of games over Christmas was a possibility.

No vote took place and so two rounds of fixtures are in place across five days from 26 December.

It had been expected that gameweek 20, starting on 28 December, would be postponed in order to ease the pressure on Premier League squads.

Instead, clubs have been advised if they have 13 fit players, plus a goalkeeper, they should fulfil their games.

There are however talks between clubs and authorities to scrap FA Cup replays in rounds three and four, and to reduce EFL Cup semi-final ties to one-leg matches.

In Sunday's Premier League fixtures, Chelsea named just six substitutes for their draw at Wolves and Liverpool drew at Tottenham without a number of first-team names.

Five of Saturday's six fixtures were called off. Chelsea tried to get Sunday's fixture at Wolves postponed and boss Thomas Tuchel said his players were put at "huge risk... not just because of Covid but also physically".

It is understood Liverpool were among a group of clubs who pushed for the postponement of gameweek 20.

[Circa1892]

Just impossible for teams with potentially half a dozen players out to play twice in 48 hours.

[buttersstotch]

What's the betting the likes of us, Chelsea and a few others tried to get the games postponed and some of the smaller clubs said no!?

Can't help but feel this is going to come back and bite clubs on the arse.

[SouthDerryLaggo]

I’m glad they are going ahead. The fixture pile up could potentially be worse

[paisley1977]

It is understood Liverpool were among a group of clubs who pushed for the postponement of gameweek 20.

Why just mention us ?

[thaddeus]

It is understood Liverpool were among a group of clubs who pushed for the postponement of gameweek 20.

Why just mention us ?

I think because Klopp has had the courage to speak out on the subject directly.  Tuchel spoke out but more saying he wanted to postpone the Chelsea game, as far as I know he offered no thoughts on the wider implications.

As Tuchel suggests some clubs will just take matters into their own hands and get their games cancelled.  We'll have to wait and see if Leeds or Leicester do so.

As one of the clubs that have played all their December fixtures so far we did look a bit leggy yesterday.  Understandable and usually everyone is in the same boat but this season that's not the case.  Spurs were fresh as daisies and Leicester likely will have had a nice rest as well before then.

[rawcusk8]

I’m glad they are going ahead. The fixture pile up could potentially be worse

We have 4 players out already, any more and we’re in serious trouble. I would rather these useless twats listened to managers and helped the teams out but of course they won’t do that, it’s all about money and satisfying the likes of Sky etc. I’m amazed at how often the FA just fuck up, be it refs or the covid situation yet nothing is done, if the clubs unite they can change things but unfortunately seems like every club for itself rather than coming together to put things right.

[Fromola]

Game 20 would have been a no-brainer to postpone but money talks as Amazon Prime have the rights which they've paid money for and would want a rebate as it's their main matchweek (based around Christmas time subscriptions).

It makes a mockery of the league but as I said last week there's no real solution to the mess because in a jam packed schedule there isn't 4 or 5 free midweeks to fit games in later in the season.

They should at least move the League Cup semi to one leg and do away with FA Cup replays. No competition will ever budge though.

[Samie]

Kloppo might play the Under 12's against Leicester in the League Cup on Wednesday.

[Jookie]

It's madness that teams who may be down to 15-16 senior players will be asked to play 2 games in 48-72 hours. We are one of the teams with a bigger squad so realistically we may be able to handle this more than  the teams we play. But it does feel like it's an uncontrollable and relatively random element that could potentially dictate the outcome of the title, European places, relegation etc..

We'd all like to watch football over the festive period but the very least they should be doing is removing 1 of the games over Xmas.

If I was Liverpool I would put an U23 team out for Leicester. Maybe play Minamino, Phillips, Gomez, Williams, AOC at max. Generally I'd like us to win a domestic cup and am normally disappointed when we get knocked out, But needs must and I'd sacrifice the game against Leicester. Arguably not having the 2 legged SF helps more than hinders our season.

No idea what we do for Leeds and Leicester. Players, across all clubs, will be ragged by 29th December.

[Schmarn]

If I’ve worked it out correctly Virg, Fab and Curtis should be available on Boxing Day. If so, we might be ok with Thiago then being the only positive.

So long as there is no extension to the season I’m ok with it. All these teams who’ve begged off sick will have a fixture pile up at the end of the season.

[disgraced cake]

Until the end of 2021, I think we can handle the situation. Calling off the games on the 28th/29th etc would probably have been a smart move. That's probably why they won't though.

Leicester on Wednesday is never going to be a full strength team, that leaves only two league games left in the year. We couldn't be playing anyone better than Leeds on Boxing Day, because even with a rotated first team we should be beating whatever they can field. Leicester away in the league is the trickiest of the three before ending the year, but if we come back with no more positives until then, we should be alright as by that stage it'd probably only be Thiago who is left isolating.

There's not many left with injuries now that I can think of. In fact it's probably only Elliot and Phillips. Virgil and Fabinho wouldn't be playing on Wednesday but they should be good for Boxing Day. Hopefully Henderson is back too as they said he didn't have Covid. Not ideal but we could be in a far worse situation, of course it is all depending on getting no new cases though.

[QC]

So 3/4 of the league had a little winter break, other half were still playing every 3-4 days. Brilliantly handled.

[paisley1977]

It makes a mockery of the league but as I said last week there's no real solution to the mess because in a jam packed schedule there isn't 4 or 5 free midweeks to fit games in later in the season.

That only applies to the 4 champion league teams Leicester and West Ham all the rest have every free midweeks.

[Mister Flip Flop]

We should fail to field a full side against Leicester to make a point. It's gone beyond a joke now.

[Father Ted]

Ideally they'd cancel games for a week or two, it's like the situation with the government not wanting to 'cancel Christmas' - what are we ten years old? We can deal with Xmas being curtailed for good public health reasons just as we could accept the traditional Xmas football being put off for the same reasons, disappointing as it would be.

No doubt the clubs who are least affected by things like this (i.e City, who basically have two squads of quality players available) will benefit whilst clubs like ourselves will have to struggle and potentially drop points due to not having a massive squad - as we did yesterday, a fully fit Liverpool goes there and makes light work of Spurs. Just makes it a lottery for everyone else - will we have players available? Is a whole area of the team decimated by Covid? Are we having to put out youth team players and squad members who'd ordinarily only feature in the easier games?

Having 60,000 people gathering together whilst a very contagious virus is blowing through society is another stupid decision that should be considered, but like the governments responses throughout the pandemic I doubt much is really considered beyond the bottom line and keeping the money flowing.

[smicer07]

Idiots.

[Coolie High]

What’s the solution otherwise? I don’t know what everyone is so mad about.

[Cracking Left Foot]

I'll have to mention this to the Leeds fan I know who claims the Premier League "bend over backwards for the Big Clubs" (he was, quite rightly, annoyed that Leeds game against Arsenal had gone ahead, but blaming it on 'Premier league bias' against the bigger clubs was insane imo).

Anyway, guess we'll play the kids on Wednesday. Can't see Klopp being arsed one way or the other about the League Cup

[CraigDS]

Fairly certain in all the games that were called off already both sides easily had 13 players available. The all likely have the 14 min in PL rules. Yet it seemed to be just made up who was allowed and who wasn’t.

[Cafe De Paris]

"If squads have 13 fit players and a keeper, they play"... Wow that is unreal. How did Spurs etc all manage to postpone games when us and Chelsea are being flogged.... We should just tell them we only have 12 fit players with the rest testing for covid. Who is going to know.

[Andypandimonium]

The idea of playing two games in two days is always daft regardless of current Covid spike. The couch potatoes have their Boxing Day fix on Sunday, why do they need another one two days later. Can't they watch something else?

[newterp]

Fairly certain in all the games that were called off already both sides easily had 13 players available. The all likely have the 14 min in PL rules. Yet it seemed to be just made up who was allowed and who wasn’t.

"If squads have 13 fit players and a keeper, they play"... Wow that is unreal. How did Spurs etc all manage to postpone games when us and Chelsea are being flogged.... We should just tell them we only have 12 fit players with the rest testing for covid. Who is going to know.

[Lynndenberries]

What a farce. Another pandemic season filled with asterisks because of lack of structure and rules.

[Lynndenberries]

Fairly certain in all the games that were called off already both sides easily had 13 players available. The all likely have the 14 min in PL rules. Yet it seemed to be just made up who was allowed and who wasn’t.

Pretty much. Didn't United only have a few players with COVID? Just shut down the training ground and anything goes.

[OkieRedman]

City seemingly is putting their players in cryo storage or something. This title race could be over by mid Jan. if we keep picking up positives. 

[Kenny's Jacket]

no consistency at all.
so a team are forced to play even if they can only make two subs against a team who can make 3.

There is no accountability, and that needs to stop

[Barneylfc∗]

Until the end of 2021, I think we can handle the situation. Calling off the games on the 28th/29th etc would probably have been a smart move. That's probably why they won't though.

Leicester on Wednesday is never going to be a full strength team, that leaves only two league games left in the year. We couldn't be playing anyone better than Leeds on Boxing Day, because even with a rotated first team we should be beating whatever they can field. Leicester away in the league is the trickiest of the three before ending the year, but if we come back with no more positives until then, we should be alright as by that stage it'd probably only be Thiago who is left isolating.

There's not many left with injuries now that I can think of. In fact it's probably only Elliot and Phillips. Virgil and Fabinho wouldn't be playing on Wednesday but they should be good for Boxing Day. Hopefully Henderson is back too as they said he didn't have Covid. Not ideal but we could be in a far worse situation, of course it is all depending on getting no new cases though.

We then play Chelsea away a couple of days after Leicester away with a team that'll be made up of players that have already played twice in the previous week

[Lynndenberries]

no consistency at all.
so a team are forced to play even if they can only make two subs against a team who can make 3.

There is no accountability, and that needs to stop

Premier League? Accountable? Don't make me laugh.

[Fromola]

So 3/4 of the league had a little winter break, other half were still playing every 3-4 days. Brilliantly handled.

City pulled the same stunt last season. Came back and won every game.

[Fromola]

What a farce. Another pandemic season filled with asterisks because of lack of structure and rules.

While the rest of Europe carry on uninterrupted .

[Circa1892]

Dodgy as fuck unless they have to name everyone unavailable. Pretty sure we're the only club who've actually named everyone unavailable?

I think the rules are basically "get it off if you want, unless you're on tele in which case you must play"

[Fromola]

Dodgy as fuck unless they have to name everyone unavailable. Pretty sure we're the only club who've actually named everyone unavailable?

I think the rules are basically "get it off if you want, unless you're on tele in which case you must play"

We're too honest for our own good, Klopp is nothing if not honest.

Other clubs have shithousery permeating throughout the place, particularly those with English players.

[Circa1892]

We're too honest for our own good, Klopp is nothing if not honest.

Other clubs have shithousery permeating throughout the place, particularly those with English players.

I wonder if the lack of naming for some is less the amount of shithousery permeating throughout the place and more the lack of vaccination...

[Lastrador]

Arise Mateusz Musiałowski.

[Lynndenberries]

We still have every chance to compete and win any major trophy this season, but it’s hard to look at how the last few weeks have played out and say it hasn’t hurt us. Just like Klopp said yesterday, we’re not alone (Chelsea is being penalized similarly, but it’s just a joke. They had no plan in place to deal with this situation and now we’re being punished.

[OkieRedman]

I wonder if the lack of naming for some is less the amount of shithousery permeating throughout the place and more the lack of vaccination...

This is what is really driving me crazy. All these sides with terrible vaccination rates should be forfeiting their matches. Be party of the solution or suffer the consequences. 

[RainbowFlick]

the way this is spreading there will be continued disruption unless they ask players to form 'bubbles' and be less out and about. difficult though as players often have spouses and kids who may pick it up from school etc.

[Fromola]

the way this is spreading there will be continued disruption unless they ask players to form 'bubbles' and be less out and about. difficult though as players often have spouses and kids who may pick it up from school etc.

One option would have been to give players Christmas at home with their families and then staying on campus with the club through January to cut down on contacts, transmission and get the games played (like June/July 2020)

[Oscarmac]

Money. All about money. Simple as.