Topic: The Impact of COVID 19 on Sport...

[Barneylfc∗]

3 more away wins in 4 games as it stands in the Bundesliga.

13 in 22 games, with 6 draws and only 3 home wins.

[Jm55]

If it fucking comes to it just start it July 26th.

Honestly, if you’d told me that we’d be restarting on July 26th at the point it got halted (when Arteta tested positive) I’d have bitten your hand off for it.

I’m sure that those in charge at the PL are in agreement.

[BoRed]

Premier League bosses are pushing for Project Restart to go into extra time.

But it is understood that managers and players are now firmly behind Premier League taking the next step towards games kicking off again next month.


Players and managers were both involved in separate meetings with Premier League chiefs and the Professional Footballers’ Association and League Managers’ Association ahead of a vote on Wednesday to begin phase two of contact training.

But the only sticking point is when games resume as the Premier League are sticking by the original restart date of June 12, and although they may be willing to push back to June 19, managers would prefer June 26.

PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor said: “The talks were very good, open and constructive and the players were given answers to some deep, searching and good questions.

“The Premier League have been very responsive on this from answering questions on the BAME issue to listening to the players and managers who are at the top of their profession. The respect has been there and it’s been hugely appreciated.”

The big fear on the managers’ side is that if contact training starts this week then that will not give them enough time to get their players match fit in three weeks.

They want a bit of leeway after more than two months off in lockdown as several clubs - including Tottenham and Liverpool - have players who have already suffered muscle and soft tissue injuries.

Managers want players to be fully fit to restart games, although Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho was a notable exception last time as he made it clear he wants to start again as soon as it is safe to do so.

But the overall feeling was positive as the players in particular were given medical evidence and science to show it is safe to step up training.

Mirror Sport understands the players’ meeting lasted barely an hour, they were all on board and that will be a huge boost for the Premier League and their hopes to return.

The Premier League has a crunch meeting on Wednesday when a vote will be held to give the green light to return to phase two of training.

Then the 20 clubs will meet again on Thursday when they hope to set a return date as well as discuss the fixture schedules and TV issues.

What's that all about? Are these injuries suffered earlier in the season or have there been new injuries since training restarted last week?

[jillcwhomever]

If it fucking comes to it just start it July 26th.

Honestly, if you’d told me that we’d be restarting on July 26th at the point it got halted (when Arteta tested positive) I’d have bitten your hand off for it.

I’m sure that those in charge at the PL are in agreement.

The 26th would be the best date anyway. At least progress is being made now.

[Jm55]

What's that all about? Are these injuries suffered earlier in the season or have there been new injuries since training restarted last week?

The way that reads it suggests it’s happened recently.

[Jm55]

The 26th would be the best date anyway. At least progress is being made now.

For me it would - I’m on a rotating 3 week Furlough (3 weeks on, 3 off) meaning that if the league started July 26th, I’d almost certainly be off work when we won it.

That said I just want it back ASAP, within the boundaries of respecting the sports scientists.

[Barneylfc∗]

For me it would - I’m on a rotating 3 week Furlough (3 weeks on, 3 off) meaning that if the league started July 26th, I’d almost certainly be off work when we won it.

That said I just want it back ASAP, within the boundaries of respecting the sports scientists.

It wont be starting July.

[Jm55]

It wont be starting July.

Doesn’t that article say that they’re looking at either the 12th,19th or 26th of July?

[Dim Glas]

June surely! Where has the talk of July suddenly come from?

[Barneylfc∗]

Doesn’t that article say that they’re looking at either the 12th,19th or 26th of July?

June

[Jm55]

June surely! Where has the talk of July suddenly come from?

From me talking shite .

Just realised my error!

I do, of course, mean June.

[Caston]

Doesn’t that article say that they’re looking at either the 12th,19th or 26th of July?

It says June! 

[Dim Glas]

From me talking shite .

Just realised my error!

I do, of course, mean June.

 

All good! I thought I'd missed some important news about the re-start getting pushed further back, thankfully not!

[jillcwhomever]

All good! I thought I'd missed some important news about the re-start getting pushed further back, thankfully not!

There is a disagreement between the date, but its more likely to be the 12th or 19th.

[Welshred]

It won't be the 12th

[TepidT2O]

It won't be the 12th

They won’t start back on a Friday.. isn’t that right?

[jillcwhomever]

They won’t start back on a Friday.. isn’t that right?

Only going from what the article quoted.

[Welshred]

They won’t start back on a Friday.. isn’t that right?

Well we started this season on a Friday

[jillcwhomever]

Well we started this season on a Friday

Guess it depends on how they stage the games, especially if they are going to put it on other channels.

[Welshred]

Either way I'll be absolutely stunned if they choose to start in 2 weeks time. It's simply not enough time to get the players fit enough to deal with the intensity required, especially when injury rates went from 0.27 per game to 0.88 per game in the first weekend's fixtures of the Bundesliga. That's before we add the injuries that have happened since and it looked like Haaland went off with a muscle injury today, I'd expect another rise from the first round of midweek fixtures since the return.

[Avens]

BBC Sport's strange emphasis on the negative continues. An extremely positive interview with Henderson saying how he and the boys can't wait to get back and how safe they all feel, the fact that all the players are in good nick, admits that if we win the league without fans it'll feel pretty strange but we've got to win it first.

BBC Sport's headline... "Jordan Henderson: Premier League trophy win without fans would be 'pretty strange'"

[Mighty_Red]

BBC Sport's strange emphasis on the negative continues.

It's obvious that this the editorial direction that BBC Sport has chosen to go down - push everything to do with restarting football as a bad thing. Talk about biting the hand that feeds them. If the PL and other sport shut down for a year most of them would be out of a job.

Think we just have to accept that they are no longer a trusted source anymore.

[Stockholm Syndrome]

It's obvious that this the editorial direction that BBC Sport has chosen to go down - push everything to do with restarting football as a bad thing. Talk about biting the hand that feeds them. If the PL and other sport shut down for a year most of them would be out of a job.

Think we just have to accept that they are no longer a trusted source anymore.

BBC both in politics and sport have turned to controversy, as they seem to believe people talking is more important that accuracy.

Push bad news so people call the phone ins in 5Live to talk

[TomDcs]

Being totally blunt I wouldn’t have got a ticket anyway, so the impact on me is fairly minimal - obviously it would be better to watch it happen in a packed ground but as I’ll be bouncing round the room like a loon anyway I’m not overly arsed.

It upsets me for the people that did/would have had tickets though, but then those same people were likely in Madrid and the vast majority of games along the way so they at least have that.

Obviously the parade is a big loss but I’m sure this won’t be the end of the trophies we win. For me a big thing is us not losing months of this team’s peak years - at least if we start playing again now we haven’t really lost any time watching them play.

Hadn’t thought about it like that before, great points, well made. Winning it with such little fanfare might further cement the mentality of this squad. They know how much it means to everyone from the last parade and have tasted success; will being shielded from a bit of the massive emotional release be helpful in their current context?

[Son of Spion]

How are the eyes?

Now I've finally read today's paper, I get your reference.   

[Barneylfc∗]

Either way I'll be absolutely stunned if they choose to start in 2 weeks time. It's simply not enough time to get the players fit enough to deal with the intensity required, especially when injury rates went from 0.27 per game to 0.88 per game in the first weekend's fixtures of the Bundesliga. That's before we add the injuries that have happened since and it looked like Haaland went off with a muscle injury today, I'd expect another rise from the first round of midweek fixtures since the return.

Hopefully they start back on 19th. I'm back to work on 3rd June for 2 weeks then off for 2 weeks. Means I will definitely catch the first 2, maybe 3 games and be able to celebrate properly.

[Mighty_Red]

BBC both in politics and sport have turned to controversy, as they seem to believe people talking is more important that accuracy.

Push bad news so people call the phone ins in 5Live to talk

It's a direct consequence of this govt trying to strip them down and the Beeb reacting by chasing ratings in an attempt to justify their existence.

The irony is that trying to be like Talksport or a red top rag will only hasten their demise which we really can't afford.

[Number 7]

What's that all about? Are these injuries suffered earlier in the season or have there been new injuries since training restarted last week?

You could probably work it out by looking at today’s training pictures. I haven’t seen them all but it didn’t look like anyone was missing. Unless they are referring to Shaqiri.

[Number 7]

They won’t start back on a Friday.. isn’t that right?

I reckon they will start on a Friday and it will most likely be the 20th.

Edit: 20th isn’t a Friday, so 19th it is then

[LovelyCushionedHeader]

Cannot believe we're not starting until the 26th of August

[FiSh77]

3 more away wins in 4 games as it stands in the Bundesliga.

13 in 22 games, with 6 draws and only 3 home wins.

As of last weekend 6 teams out of 18 had a better away record than home and another 2 had identical home & away PPG, Werder Bremen have one win at home all season with over 75% of their points coming in away games, there's only really Eintracht Frankfurt who have a vastly superior home record and are rock bottom of the away table, there was one weekend in September with 8 away wins and a draw and if you included the previous 13 games to make a sample of 22 there was 13 aways, 5 homes & 4 draws

Think a bit more is being made of it by commentators who're usually doing premier league games, there's usually plenty of odd results and I've lost way too much money on what should've been home bankers

[Craig S]

As of last weekend 6 teams out of 18 had a better away record than home and another 2 had identical home & away PPG, Werder Bremen have one win at home all season with over 75% of their points coming in away games, there's only really Eintracht Frankfurt who have a vastly superior home record and are rock bottom of the away table, there was one weekend in September with 8 away wins and a draw and if you included the previous 13 games to make a sample of 22 there was 13 aways, 5 homes & 4 draws

Think a bit more is being made of it by commentators who're usually doing premier league games, there's usually plenty of odd results and I've lost way too much money on what should've been home bankers

Prior to suspension there were 97 home wins from 224 games = 43.3% home wins.
Post suspension it is 3 from 22 = 13.6%

It's still too small a sample, but it is a noticeable difference.

[Son of Spion]

Prior to suspension there were 97 home wins from 224 games = 43.3% home wins.
Post suspension it is 3 from 22 = 13.6%

It's still too small a sample, but it is a noticeable difference.

Maybe the bottom clubs in the Premier League were a bit hasty insisting they got to play at home when things get up and running again?

[wah00ey]

Yep, because of all the funerals attended etc.   

[HardworkDedication]

Premier League players drop concerns over full training
GPS tracking may help fight spread of infection

Matt Lawton, Henry Winter
Wednesday May 27 2020, 12.01am,
The Times

The Premier League’s Project Restart is set to receive a significant boost today with all 20 clubs agreeing to a return to full contact training.

English professional football has been suspended since March 13 but the latest steps to resuming the season next month involved a series of video calls between Premier League medical staff and senior players, managers, club doctors and directors yesterday.

The meeting with senior players was scheduled to last two hours but was over after only 45 minutes, The Times understands, with little opposition to the stage-two return-to-training protocols that were presented by the Premier League medical adviser Mark Gillett.

Sources have suggested the view of players has shifted significantly in the last week, not least because of the results from two rounds of Covid-19 testing. A total of eight positives from 1,744 tests — with at least three of those non-playing staff — has given the players confidence in a system designed to make training as safe as possible.

A meeting last week with the black, Asian and minority ethnic players’ advisory group, to address specific concerns around risks to players, also appears to have eased any anxieties, so much so that the majority of players who stayed away from training last week are expected to return.

Yesterday’s managers’ meeting is also thought to have gone smoothly, with club insiders confident all 20 representatives will approve the stage-two protocols at today’s shareholders’ meeting.

One senior executive warned last night that there could yet be issues with the third stage of Project Restart, which is the return to playing matches, expected to be on June 19 or 26. The executive said that playing another team “changes the risk profile massively”.

They also acknowledged the success of the first stage of the process, as a drop from six to two positive tests over the first week demonstrated.

One of the factors that has made players feel increasingly safe while training is the use by clubs of GPS technology that allows them to check instantly which players have been in close proximity to any team-mate who tests positive for Covid-19.

The GPS tracking devices — worn by players between their shoulder blades in vests — also allow clubs to monitor the amount of close contact between players during training sessions.

Players at some clubs underwent a third set of tests yesterday, with Watford’s Adrian Mariappa attending the club’s training ground at London Colney for a test after revealing last week that he had contracted the disease.

“You have to give the Premier League some credit for this but the clubs have done a good job too,” one club executive said last night. “The players and managers seem to be comfortable with where we’re at, and it’s now a case of how we progress. The results from testing will offer the best guidance.”

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/sport/premier-league-players-drop-concerns-over-full-training-whdj37btc

[ljycb]

Premier League players drop concerns over full trainingSNIP

Fantastic. I can’t wait for this to start again.

[rob1966]

One senior executive warned last night that there could yet be issues with the third stage of Project Restart, which is the return to playing matches, expected to be on June 19 or 26. The executive said that playing another team “changes the risk profile massively”.

What a load of utter bollocks that is, West Ham exec by any chance? Every club is working to the exact same guidelines and testing with the same restrictions on players - getting a parcel via Amazon, Hermes whatever, or nipping the local shops is a bigger risk than playing footy and with the number of positive tests, even the things I've mentioned carry extremely low risks.

[Raid]

What a load of utter bollocks that is, West Ham exec by any chance? Every club is working to the exact same guidelines and testing with the same restrictions on players - getting a parcel via Amazon, Hermes whatever, or nipping the local shops is a bigger risk than playing footy and with the number of positive tests, even the things I've mentioned carry extremely low risks.

They've tried everything and this is all that's left. Fixture congestion, and now heaven forbid two teams have to actually play eachother?!

[Brain Potter]

Some teams are trying all they can do to delay a restart. They’ll be talking July next and praying for a second wave .
Just fucking get on with it you fucking moaning twats. 19th of June is ample time.

[Statto Red]

Some teams are trying all they can do to delay a restart. They’ll be talking July next and praying for a second wave .
Just fucking get on with it you fucking moaning twats. 19th of June is ample time.

The clubs have already been told that the season is going to finish one way or another, either on the pitch or on PPG, so they're whining over nothing.