Premier League 2020/21

[DavidMarrio]

I'm sure Aston Villa u15s can play our u14s tomorrow...

[Szumi]

It would be fitting for Liverpool to play Villa's youth side in a Cup.

And @Lineker apparently it would be a Villa forfeit, not a postponement.

[Lineker]

 

[Lineker]

Quote

The Premier League has issued a hardline directive to its clubs in a bid to reduce the spread of Covid-19 and threatened action against players who break the rules.

A number of managers have argued the case for a pause in the season while the latest wave of Covid engulfs the country but the Premier League continues to insist the show must go on.

All top-flight clubs have now been given an “enhanced” set of measures that ban all shirt-swapping and warn against handshakes or hugging during matches. The new rules would be ratified at the next shareholders’ meeting but, because of the urgency, the proposals will be implemented immediately.

The Premier League is aware of the rising public anger with high-profile footballers who have flouted lockdown rules in recent weeks and has therefore decided to reinforce the message of responsibility to its clubs and players.

In an email sent to clubs, the Premier League said: “It is vital to ensure public, government and stakeholder confidence in the training and matchday protocols that individual transgressions by relevant persons are appropriately investigated and sanctioned by clubs.

“Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action by the league individually against the relevant person, where appropriate (for example, where his or her conduct brings the league into disrepute) and/or against the club (where the relevant person’s conduct constitutes a breach of the training protocol).”

Among the new rules, spot-checks will be carried out within Premier League dressing rooms while more powers have been given to the Covid-19 compliance officers, who each work with two clubs.

Other measures include limiting the numbers of guests in the matchday directors’ box and reinforcing the rule that substitutes should wear face masks while seated. Indeed, clubs have been warned they can only remove masks when playing, warming up or if giving socially-distanced post-match interviews.

Clubs must now use three separate coaches when driving staff while any external workers likely to come into contact with players – in hotels or during transportation – must have returned a negative Covid-19 test. At the training grounds, “clinical passports” will now be used by all players and staff which can be inspected by the compliance officers.

Clubs will also come under increased scrutiny and investigation if they experience a Covid-19 outbreak. This follows previous outbreaks at Newcastle, Fulham, Sheffield United, Manchester City and now Aston Villa. The Premier League can ill afford for the season to be disrupted, and risk facing further rebates to broadcast partners.

 

[Lineker]

Premier League Statement

Quote

Aston Villa's match against Tottenham Hotspur, due to be played at Villa Park on Wednesday 13 January, has been rescheduled following a decision by the Premier League Board.

Following Aston Villa's request to rearrange the fixture, and due to the number of players and staff who have either tested positive for COVID-19 or have been placed in isolation by the club, the Premier League had no other option than to reschedule the game.

With the health of players and staff the priority, the League continues to work with Aston Villa on measures to ensure their League season resumes safely and at the earliest opportunity.

The Premier League wishes those with COVID-19 a full and swift recovery and will rearrange Aston Villa's game against Tottenham Hotspur as soon as possible.

As a result of this rescheduling, Spurs will now play their home match against Fulham FC in its place, on Wednesday 13 January at 8.15pm on Amazon Prime Video. The fixture was previously postponed on 30 December.

With Fulham now playing on Wednesday 13 January, their home fixture against Chelsea FC will be moved from Friday 15 January to Saturday 16 January at 5.30pm, and will remain live on Sky Sports.

Everton's away game at Aston Villa will be rescheduled from Saturday 16 January 5.30pm to Sunday 17 January 12pm, and will remain live on Sky Sports.

The Premier League, in consultation with its clubs, has enhanced its COVID-19 protocols, in addition to reimplementing a twice-weekly testing programme. The protocols, which strengthen key elements of the current guidance, came into immediate effect this week.

• Villa v Spurs in Premier League OFF on Wednesday (due to covid outbreak at Villa)
• Spurs v Fulham postponed on 30th December RESCHEDULED for THIS Wednesday (13th)
• Fulham v Chelsea moved from Friday this week to Saturday this week to avoid them playing 2 games in 3 days as a result of this fixture roundabout

[DavidMarrio]

It's good for Villa that they've been given the chance to actually allow people to recover rather than be forced to play anyone they can. (Precedent set so if they didn't allow it then if you were a Villa fan you'd be rightfully annoyed)

For Spurs it's probably mixed in the sense of least you can still play a game on that day, it's just less time to work on tactics or a game plan for a different team

It's shit for Fulham. They've now got an extra game shunted into a tight run of games against a big team and then have to go and play Chelsea. 

 

[Colly]

Surely the precedent was already set when Newcastle called off their game with Villa?

[DavidMarrio]

Well that's what I mean with the precedent had been set. Just doesn't help that you've got one thing for the Prem and then one thing for the FA Cup. 

[Colly]

I suppose the difference is you've got 4 months to reschedule a league game, but the next round of the cup is weeks away.

[Chris2K]

Scott Parker is complaining about it, but I'm struggling to find much sympathy. These postponements are taking place because players are not being as strict with adhering to the guidelines as they need to be.

If Spurs had to postpone or even forfeit a game because of Lo Celso, Lamela and Reguillon's New Year's party idiocy then the blame is on them and anyone else that attended, not the league.

[Tigerstyle]

I dunno man, there’s a lot more to the spread than ‘people went to party, got it’

All of our electricians have to self isolate as we had an outbreak, it came from one of the guys kids schools and he went to a team meeting - they were all socially distanced wearing masks but several people have picked it up and everyone else is isolating.

I think it’s quite easy for an entire football staff to have to consider that this could happen to them.

I also think cancelling elite sport sends a message that things aren’t ok and things aren’t normal.

[Liam]

13 minutes ago, Chris2K said:

Scott Parker is complaining about it, but I'm struggling to find much sympathy. These postponements are taking place because players are not being as strict with adhering to the guidelines as they need to be.

I'm somewhat in the middle as a Fulham fan, but the large issue about it is that it was confirmed post our match with QPR. Considering the Villa outbreak was revealed almost a week ago now, that decision could have been made sooner than that. Instead, Parker played a team with the belief that they had a 5 day break before the next game, only to have one placed much sooner against a different team. The different team thing doesn't overly bother me, but there is no doubt he would have played different players, rotated his squad differently, used his squad in a different manner, if he knew he had a game coming up much sooner.

To change it after the fact is ridiculous and also I do feel that it isn't the type of decision that would befall a Man City or a Man United or  Liverpool. We have no real point of comparison so maybe I'm indulging a bit in tinfoil helmet thinking, yet I just don't see the league doing that to one of the bigger clubs.

[Colly]

I think this is probably the tip of the iceberg though, odd games are going to be called off and there's a season to fit in before (hopefully) the Euros. There's maybe a gripe that this has been fit in for Spurs benefit rather than Fulham's (Dale Johnson has a great image showing Spurs' crazy schedule assuming they progress in the cups) but considering the original game was postponed due to Fulham's inability to fulfil the fixture I'm not massively sympathetic that they have to play it.

How many games are Villa behind now? They've been really unlucky with having the first game of the season postponed anyway, Newcastle calling another off, and now their own outbreak?

[DavidMarrio]

40 minutes ago, Liam said:

I'm somewhat in the middle as a Fulham fan, but the large issue about it is that it was confirmed post our match with QPR. Considering the Villa outbreak was revealed almost a week ago now, that decision could have been made sooner than that. Instead, Parker played a team with the belief that they had a 5 day break before the next game, only to have one placed much sooner against a different team. The different team thing doesn't overly bother me, but there is no doubt he would have played different players, rotated his squad differently, used his squad in a different manner, if he knew he had a game coming up much sooner.

To change it after the fact is ridiculous and also I do feel that it isn't the type of decision that would befall a Man City or a Man United or  Liverpool. We have no real point of comparison so maybe I'm indulging a bit in tinfoil helmet thinking, yet I just don't see the league doing that to one of the bigger clubs.

I don't know about that. Look at us with the Club World Cup and the League Cup last season. We got no leeway with that hence the kids played against Villa in the League Cup.  Different situation but the FA could have easily moved the fixture of the league cup game to accommodate us and we got no special favours 

 

22 minutes ago, Colly said:

I think this is probably the tip of the iceberg though, odd games are going to be called off and there's a season to fit in before (hopefully) the Euros. There's maybe a gripe that this has been fit in for Spurs benefit rather than Fulham's (Dale Johnson has a great image showing Spurs' crazy schedule assuming they progress in the cups) but considering the original game was postponed due to Fulham's inability to fulfil the fixture I'm not massively sympathetic that they have to play it.

How many games are Villa behind now? They've been really unlucky with having the first game of the season postponed anyway, Newcastle calling another off, and now their own outbreak?

Do they still want to do the Euros in the multi country format? Cause I still don't think that's a wise idea during a pandemic. 

[GA!]

4 minutes ago, DavidMarrio said:

Do they still want to do the Euros in the multi country format? Cause I still don't think that's a wise idea during a pandemic. 

As someone who has a ticket to the quarter finals in Rome, I'd be fucking surprised if they go ahead with the format. I have already decided not to go, even if I'm vaccinated by then (doubt it).

It wouldn't surprise me if one country holds it mainly behind closed doors.

[Colly]

They should play it on that oil tanker Eric Cantona had converted for football.

[Liam]

@DavidMarrio I think what I'm getting it is that there is a difference between enforcing a match that is already provisionally on the calendar versus creating one that wasn't before at short notice. They are both shit, but the second one is shitter.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

13 minutes ago, GA. said:

As someone who has a ticket to the quarter finals in Rome, I'd be fucking surprised if they go ahead with the format. I have already decided not to go, even if I'm vaccinated by then (doubt it).

It wouldn't surprise me if one country holds it mainly behind closed doors.

It was always said that England were the country always on backup for if a country couldn't fulfil WC or Euro hosting. We have the stadiums, infrastructure etc.....But I doubt anyone would want to send their national team to this disease-infested hellhole right now!

[Colly]

Playing against the worst team in the league. Setting up like we're playing Man City. 4 centre halfs. Jeff as an "attacking midfielder". Fucking hell.

[Baddar]

Sheff Utd might not get a better chance to win a game all season after that red card for Fraser.