We are all loving watching Arsenal climb up the League and now we are up in the Top Four, we would love to keep our impetus going with a win at Leeds coming up on Saturday evening.
But the dreaded Covid virus has come back with a bang and the UK is now posting record numbers of infections every day at the moment, and new restrictions don’t seem to be holding back the tide, especially with the new highly transmissible OMICRON variant spreading like wildfire.
In midweek, we had one EPL game on each day postponed, but other games were played with many players stuck in isolation. Chelsea played on last night just hours after announcing another three players were out, Liverpool were missing many top players, and even Arsenal suffered an outbreak this week but luckily no first team players have been affected yet.
Already 5 of this weekends matches have been postponed by Covid, half of the 10 scheduled games, and yet more may follow. The EPL have brought in the Covid passport conditions at last, but surely fans would be wary of joining big crowds and risk being isolated over the Xmas celebrations? I know I would.
The League table is becoming unbalanced with Tottenham already having 3 games to be replayed. The Brentford manager Thomas Frank, whose side have had matches with Manchester United and Southampton postponed, thinks it is now time to stand back and get things back under control before continuing with the schedule. Frank said: “We think we should postpone the full round of Premier League games this weekend.
“Covid cases are going through the roof at all Premier League clubs, everyone is dealing with it and having problems.”
The Newcastle manager Eddie Howe agrees that things are getting out of hand: “I don’t think we want half the games played and half not played.
“I think a decision needs to be made for the benefit of the league to make sure there is integrity through the competition.”
Of course the Premier League are not going to want any more games postponed, and released a statement that read: “While recognising a number of clubs are experiencing Covid-19 outbreaks, it is the league’s intention to continue its current fixture schedule where safely possible. The health and wellbeing of all concerned remains our priority.”
I think I will take that statement with a pinch of salt as we all know that the TV money will be high in their thoughts at this time, but if “health and wellbeing” were top of the agenda, then they would at least play the games behind closed doors if they won’t cancel them completely….
As much as I’d miss watching matches, especially AFC’s, I agree wholeheartedly with this. Considering the way this virus is ravaging the population, not to mention the toll it’s recently taken on football players. IJS…
👍!!
@jon fox
😁
The IJS kid strikes again!
It’s time to understand COVID will be around forever like most viruses and will get increasingly less dangerous. This omicron is statically showing itself to be quite mild yet very transmissible.
If they are going to keep the schedule going then they need to keep the fans out again unfortunately until start of February or so.
We dont want teams having 3 or 4 games in hand of eachother, Waiting on other results for the outcome of the league table.
They really do need to consider a 10day postponement of all leagues, 10 day isolation it is for being sick, for all the high numbers in the league of players having covid it gives all players time to recover and come back fresh at the same time.
@Sean
I agree. Soon it will be teams with 5/6 games in hand. How do they make up for that? Would probably have to suspend their season or suspend relegation for those teams in the drop zone as well. Meaning no teams from the Championship gets promoted.
I agree Sean on the 10 day postponement
Also a mini lock down in this country (UK )for the Xmas period which TBH alot of people now have 2 weeks off so no better time (if there is ever a good time )
The town where I live as a population of 9000 and last 2 weeks apparently 800 had tested positive with covid ,the highest in the county ,and numbers will keep on rising I’m afraid .
I know some people and their businesses would be hit hard but I’m sure the government could find away of looking after them seeing they have been taken back slowly in the hike in everyday living .
Dan I wouldn’t be so sure that Tory government are a bunch of clowns in suits, if businesses shut again they will probably stay shut unfortunately.
For my fpl’s sake, Yes.
This will continue for a long long time I can see this going on for the next 4 or 5 years especially every winter there will be variant after variant the world is in a very very bad way.
Delta or omicron shouldn’t scare us, infant the first covid 19 wave had no such names but claimed alot of lives in China, Spain, Italy and USA, unlike then, now we have vaccine, if we are fully vaccineted then games shouldn’t be postponed
According to media reports, PEA and the club have agreed that he will train on his own at Colney. Also he apparently won’t be used in any of our games until AFTER the African Cup of Nations. If this is true, then it says to me that his time with us is over.
If they take a break then they come back and Covid starts all over again? I think they should just push on with the games coz there’s no guarantee anything will change after the break.
Time to start looking at serious hospitalizations stat more than infection rate stat as most experts are saying now. If serious, long term hospital stays are increasing then 100% postpone the games otherwise not. People are getting stronger and virus mutations are getting weaker(not my words, professionals consensus)
Otherwise we might as well suspend games when the flu is going around.
The virus is here to stay guys. Lets stop being paranoid and scared of it with all these lockdowns.
The world economy is already damaged since the first lockdown in 2020.
Most of us are not scared of the virus anymore, let’s carry on with life as this virus is here to stay. Can’t keep opening and closing down the economy due to being scared.