Premier League 2021/22 Thread

[Ric Flair]

3 minutes ago, Matt said:

This is beyond a joke on many levels now.

 

For starters do they not realise thousands of travelling fans could well be spreading it only for it to be called off at such short notice - the risk of those fans spreading it is by the by, they’re going regardless but what a waste journey and needless risk taken.

 

Not to mention there’s a massive deal made about cHrIsTmAs FiXtUrE pIlE uP!!! Part of me thing clubs are doing this is enforce their own winter break, not to mention buying them time for players to get over injuries like we have, however surely they realise they’re just making this worse for later in the season.

 

I saw an interview with KDH this morning, he spoke very well and seems quite an intelligent lad - surprising from a footballer. 
 

He spoke about all players doing the upmost to stay safe, clean and avoid the virus as much as possible, taking themselves away from the chance of catching it as much as they can.

 

They questionably aren’t.

 

I mean even if you try your hardest, I understand you can still catch it but I along with many other normal, every day folk have gone to big events, football crowds itself, gigs, pubs, work, shopping centres for your Christmas shopping, busy trains, it was gross on the train to Villa the other week, etc, we’ve seemingly avoided it, so far. (Thankfully)
 

The infection rate is rising - because more people are testing, I understand that, what I don’t understand is why it’s become such a big thing within football squads, all at the same time.

 

Yeah it is very odd, PL clubs have tested constantly so it's not even thr symptomless getting away with being unaware like a lot of our population who don't test regularly would. 

[Matt]

5 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

Yeah it is very odd, PL clubs have tested constantly so it's not even thr symptomless getting away with being unaware like a lot of our population who don't test regularly would. 

I was just about to edit my post and say this.

 

As I say, normal every day folk are being encouraged to test more now resulting in cases going through the roof, doesn’t take a rocket scientist to come to that conclusion, I’m led to believe footballers/football clubs test every day or several times a week, there seems no logic for the rise within football all coinciding at the same time.

 

Edited 18 December 2021 by Matt

[goody2028]

[st albans fox]

23 minutes ago, Matt said:

This is beyond a joke on many levels now.

 

For starters do they not realise thousands of travelling fans could well be spreading it only for it to be called off at such short notice - the risk of those fans spreading it is by the by, they’re going regardless but what a wasted journey, waste of money and needless risk taken.

 

Not to mention there’s a massive deal made about cHrIsTmAs FiXtUrE pIlE uP!!! The cynic in me thinks clubs are doing this is enforce their own winter break, not to mention buying them time for players to get over injuries like we have, however surely they realise they’re just making this worse for later in the season.

 

I saw an interview with KDH this morning, he spoke very well and seems quite an intelligent lad - surprising from a footballer. 
 

He spoke about all players doing the upmost to stay safe, clean and avoid the virus as much as possible, taking themselves away from the chance of catching it as much as they can.

 

They questionably aren’t.

 

I mean even if you try your hardest, I understand you can still catch it but I along with many other normal, every day folk have gone to big events, football crowds itself, gigs, pubs, work, shopping centres for your Christmas shopping, busy trains, it was gross on the train to Villa the other week, etc, we’ve seemingly avoided it, so far. (Thankfully)
 

The infection rate is rising - because more people are testing, I understand that, what I don’t understand is why it’s become such a big thing within football squads, all at the same time.

 

 

18 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

Yeah it is very odd, PL clubs have tested constantly so it's not even thr symptomless getting away with being unaware like a lot of our population who don't test regularly would. 

Perhaps it’s an indication how quickly and easily omicron is spreading…….and a quarter to a third of many PL squads then have to isolate because they aren’t jabbed - hence with injuries added in, there aren’t enough players left. 

[Super_horns]

53 minutes ago, adam said:

Villa game just been called off. Nice for the Burnley fans that one. 

Again .

 

They must be fuming .

 

As will Dyche.

[CosbehFox]

What can you do about it though? 
 

Clubs each morning before a game are taking PCRs and getting results as quick as possible.
 

Covid has been hanging around Villa for a couple of weeks now; possibly from around when we played them. They played a team on Wednesday who’ve had problems too. 
 

This week will have hurt the PL cos of the tv contracts 

[Hollism]

1 minute ago, Cardiff_Fox said:

This week will have hurt the PL cos of the tv contracts

Will it? Surely the tv companies aren’t paying week-by-week, and the rearranged games will be on tv. Maybe even more than originally planned.

 

Granted if it causes a reduction or delay of the payment when it’s eventually due, and there are clubs running hand to mouth, it might cause problems. Nothing than can’t be solved by a loan from one of the many banks queueing up to lend to them though.

[Foxxed]

1 hour ago, Ric Flair said:

The financial ruin clubs will be in if there's any postponement of games again for several weeks/months will be obscene. 

 

At this point it doesn't seem to matter if you're vaccinated or not on players catching covid, its the prohibiting factor that those who aren't vaccinated have to isolate rather than just keep testing, where as the double vaccinated players can crack on. 

I suspect empty stadium football will be tried again for financial reasons. There are enough resources to double jab all players and give them a booster. And that seems to give protection against omicron.

 

I’ve just been told that covid, since it goes after fat tissue, is a bit of a chubby chaser too.

[CosbehFox]

2 minutes ago, Hollism said:

Will it? Surely the tv companies aren’t paying week-by-week, and the rearranged games will be on tv. Maybe even more than originally planned.

 

Granted if it causes a reduction or delay of the payment when it’s eventually due, and there are clubs running hand to mouth, it might cause problems. Nothing than can’t be solved by a loan from one of the many banks queueing up to lend to them though.

With the lockdown last time, they had to do a rebate and it wouldn’t surprise me that there is a clause still in existing.
 

If you look on it from another aspect, the world isn’t watching the Premier League this weekend. It’s going to be watching the other three big European leagues. Bundesliga have this afternoon. Spain and Italy over this evening and Sunday. 

[Lcfc82]

2 minutes ago, Cardiff_Fox said:

With the lockdown last time, they had to do a rebate and it wouldn’t surprise me that there is a clause still in existing.
 

If you look on it from another aspect, the world isn’t watching the Premier League this weekend. It’s going to be watching the other three big European leagues. Bundesliga have this afternoon. Spain and Italy over this evening and Sunday. 

Are the other big leagues in Europe getting as many games called off as the PL ?

[CosbehFox]

Just now, Lcfc82 said:

Are the other big leagues in Europe getting as many games called off as the PL ?

Not a single game off this weekend in Germany, Italy and Spain

[Matt]

 

[Matt]

53 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

 

Perhaps it’s an indication how quickly and easily omicron is spreading…….and a quarter to a third of many PL squads then have to isolate because they aren’t jabbed - hence with injuries added in, there aren’t enough players left. 

But the point i'm making is footballers in their ivory towers don't have the same lifestyles or mixing of the public, Ok, cases are going through the roof (because more people are testing) but there still a majority of the public going about their normal life and managing to avoid it.

 

I'm not conspiracy theorist or skeptic, I believe the virus is real, I have to question how and why it's ripping through football and different football clubs all coincidentally at the same time.

 

Someone else mentioned last night, its amazing how the lower league, even non-league clubs can get games on.

 

Edited 18 December 2021 by Matt

[st albans fox]

27 minutes ago, Lcfc82 said:

Are the other big leagues in Europe getting as many games called off as the PL ?

 

26 minutes ago, Cardiff_Fox said:

Not a single game off this weekend in Germany, Italy and Spain

They are a couple weeks behind our omicron wave and they have much higher vax levels amongst their players (if that makes any difference) 

[PhillippaT]

5 minutes ago, Matt said:

But the point i'm making is footballers in their ivory towers don't have the same lifestyles or mixing of the public, Ok, cases are going through the roof (because more people are testing) but there still a majority of the public going about their normal life and managing to avoid it.

 

I'm not conspiracy theorist or skeptic, I believe the virus is real, I have to question how and why it's ripping through football and different football clubs all coincidentally at the same time.

Because it's how the virus is spreading in the country as a whole.  Since it's so much more contagious than previous variants - because it doesn't care as much if you're vaccinated for basic infection and spread, (just symptoms) - this should have been expected.

[goody2028]

[st albans fox]

4 minutes ago, Matt said:

But the point i'm making is footballers in their ivory towers don't have the same lifestyles or mixing of the public, Ok, cases are going through the roof (because more people are testing) but there still a majority of the public going about their normal life and managing to avoid it.

 

I'm not conspiracy theorist or skeptic, I believe the virus is real, I have to question how and why it's ripping through football and different football clubs all coincidentally at the same time.

It will all come out in the wash ……. I bet a few clubs had Xmas get togethers during the first ten days of December. Players aren’t islands - they have families and their kids go to school. A year or so ago I recall the numbers of positive cases were broadly in line with what you’d expect in wider society according to ONS figures. That seems to have changed over the past six months but whereas thought the autumn you had individuals missing through covid, now it seems that one positive is affecting a few squad members. I think that’s a reflection of the new strain 

[Corky]

7 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

 

They are a couple weeks behind our omicron wave and they have much higher vax levels amongst their players (if that makes any difference) 

They all shut down over Christmas as well, I think?

 

They might avoid the worst in terms of the season stopping.

[Grebfromgrebland]

1 hour ago, Lcfc82 said:

Are the other big leagues in Europe getting as many games called off as the PL ?

Those countries have a completely different approach to COVID to us

[CrispinLA in Texas]

Really can't understand why some here want Leicester to buy other ELP flops/deadwood, Brendan's got enough on his plate getting the current team organized does he need another project like Dele who is considered on Spurs forum as lazy and has been rubbish or 4 years

[Super_horns]

Leeds only got 9 first teamers players fit?

 

 

3 minutes ago, Grebfromgrebland said:

Those countries have a completely different approach to COVID to us

High vaccination compliance too.

[KrefelderFox666]

11 minutes ago, Grebfromgrebland said:

Those countries have a completely different approach to COVID to us

I think this is the biggest reason. The rules around professional sport and how the clubs enforce it with their players is much better and prevents mass spread. Players still get it but few and far between, usually the unvaccinated funnily enough.

[The Bear]

4 hours ago, fox_up_north said:

Now now, Liverpool kept trotting out "net spend". Don't you fall into that trap.

Well if you're looking at an article based entirely on FFP headroom, then net spend is the only thing you can go off. 

[CosbehFox]

45 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

It will all come out in the wash ……. I bet a few clubs had Xmas get togethers during the first ten days of December. Players aren’t islands - they have families and their kids go to school. A year or so ago I recall the numbers of positive cases were broadly in line with what you’d expect in wider society according to ONS figures. That seems to have changed over the past six months but whereas thought the autumn you had individuals missing through covid, now it seems that one positive is affecting a few squad members. I think that’s a reflection of the new strain 

Henry Winter tweeted that a player told him Xmas parties happened at some clubs. 
 

It’s as you say reflective of society 

[Scotch]

34 minutes ago, CrispinLA in Texas said:

Really can't understand why some here want Leicester to buy other ELP flops/deadwood, Brendan's got enough on his plate getting the current team organized does he need another project like Dele who is considered on Spurs forum as lazy and has been rubbish or 4 years

Just because a player didn't make it at a club doesn't mean they aren't good enough. 

 

We won the league with other teams cast offs and dead wood. 

 

Not to say they will all come good but they certainly shouldn't be written off out of hand.