Burnley vs Watford to be postponed

[Maltesecanary 19]

Burnley Request 

[Jim Smith 2,314]

These requests are bordering on cheating now. Arsenal had 1 positive case and got their game off. Burnley are stalling for time to get a replacement for Wood and Cornet back from AFCON. 

[Gibbo 131]

They aren't bordering on cheating, both feet well on the other side...  

[Christoph Stiepermann 1,131]

Makes me wonder why we couldn't get ours called off, whether it's just the usual bias or because we're too honest and didn't push hard enough. Either way it feels deeply unfair. 

[Ulfotto 623]

It seems like forever since Burnley actually played a game.

[cambridgeshire canary 6,682]

1 minute ago, Ulfotto said:

It seems like forever since Burnley actually played a game.

5 or 6 in a row called off.

 

Over a month. Cant be that bad can it? Really are cheating the system to get players back from injury..

[alex_ncfc 649]

Burnley are going to have an awful lot of games in hand if they keep getting them called off. I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing for us. Obviously they still have to win them.

[Thumbbass 318]

5 minutes ago, alex_ncfc said:

Burnley are going to have an awful lot of games in hand if they keep getting them called off. I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing for us. Obviously they still have to win them.

When they have Cornet, Barnes, Gumundsson and McNeil back. It's not great.

[Ulfotto 623]

The point is that we played Palace with 14 fit players. If we did it then everyone else should get on with it.

[yellowrider120 761]

21 minutes ago, Ulfotto said:

The point is that we played Palace with 14 fit players. If we did it then everyone else should get on with it.

Agree. I can't understand how the PL are letting this farce carry on. It should ONLY have been for proven COVID outbreaks only. Injuries / other illness should be covered by the squad and then U23's. Really hope Burnley get relegated along with that 'entitled' load of fans in Newcastle and those other regular manager sacking tinpots in Watford.  

[Google Bot 3,259]

25 minutes ago, Ulfotto said:

The point is that we played Palace with 14 fit players. If we did it then everyone else should get on with it.

Exactly this,

It's very simple - but I'd rather have congested fixtures with a relatively larger squad to pick form, than spaced out fixtures with not enough squad to play a number of those games competitively.

A tight schedule is not always a bad thing if moral is good.  Nothing worse than these two week intl breaks we keep having in the prem, especially as we have so many players who are in more blood and thunder style matches with smaller nations looking to compete and qualify for tournies in their groups.

Edited January 17, 2022 by Google Bot

[Jim Smith 2,314]

5 minutes ago, yellowrider120 said:

Agree. I can't understand how the PL are letting this farce carry on. It should ONLY have been for proven COVID outbreaks only. Injuries / other illness should be covered by the squad and then U23's. Really hope Burnley get relegated along with that 'entitled' load of fans in Newcastle and those other regular manager sacking tinpots in Watford.  

The probalem is (and I know we probably benefitted from this when the West Ham game was called off) they have allowed the waters to be muddied with injuries and AFCON. It should have been covid. If yoiu have more than x out with covid you can apply. But they have now allowed several games to be called off due to a combination of covid, injuries and AFCON with covid now often being the lesser factor for the absences and its snowballing. Some teams seem to be playing one game a week then applying to have their midweek game called off or vice versa. Liverpool said they have 6 or 7 "false positives" which is a load of cr*p. Teams with palyers at AFCOn seem to be particualrly using it now to play for time. 

Last time we were in the prem we had horrific injuries and had to play without a single fit centre back for a few weeks. We should have asked for postponements!

Fair play to Leeds for getting on with it despite loads of players missing. 

[First Wazzock 902]

I hope this doesn't end up at the end of the season with some teams still having a big backlog.

I can still remember Coventry v Everton

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

Its supposed to be about Covid not fit players. This is outrageous. Burnley obviously see it as an advantage or they wouldn't ask. Ihope they make them play them off quickly so that we don't end up anything like Coventry in 1985.

[shefcanary 2,390]

59 minutes ago, alex_ncfc said:

Burnley are going to have an awful lot of games in hand if they keep getting them called off. I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing for us. Obviously they still have to win them.

My feeling exactly, they will be playing 3 games in a week soon - look what happened to Rotherham last season, had loads of games in hand but weren't able to maintain a full squad.  In truth I think this helps us, as it means we retain our position in 18th for Watford kick off - looking at the league table on the way to the pitch Friday should be motivation enough!

[Alex 26]

The Premier League have severely messed up here as teams are just playing it to their advantage. I honestly think teams should be made to play with under 23 players.  Would have been good for Norwich City if Watford had to pay Saturday, Tuesday and us on Friday night 😐. Although if Burnley are significantly weakened Watford would potentially beat them and go 4 points ahead with a game in hand. 

Edited January 17, 2022 by Alex

[Alex 26]

3 minutes ago, shefcanary said:

My feeling exactly, they will be playing 3 games in a week soon - look what happened to Rotherham last season, had loads of games in hand but weren't able to maintain a full squad.  In truth I think this helps us, as it means we retain our position in 18th for Watford kick off - looking at the league table on the way to the pitch Friday should be motivation enough!

It would have helped us more if Watford had to play 3 matches in a week though, especially when you take into consideration the amount of players they have out injured or at Afcon.

[Making Plans 936]

It seems that there is a higher percentage of cases within EPL clubs than there is in the general population.

This suggests to me that players are not doing everything they can to avoid catching it.

[alex_ncfc 649]

You can just a scenario unfolding where Burnley still have games to play and we've finished the season, somehow in 17th. And then they win all of them and stay up in our place. Just like 1985 as FW said above.

[Ian 1,129]

1 minute ago, Making Plans said:

It seems that there is a higher percentage of cases within EPL clubs than there is in the general population.

This suggests to me that players are not doing everything they can to avoid catching it.

I suggest it's probably more to do with the level of testing that goes on in the EPL.

[GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary 1,738]

Anyone of a certain age will see a Coventry 84/85 situation looming here

Disgraceful

[hogesar 9,619]

1 hour ago, Ulfotto said:

The point is that we played Palace with 14 fit players. If we did it then everyone else should get on with it.

I agree but equally it could suggest we didn't play hardball enough in getting a couple of our fixtures postponed, when perhaps we should.

[Highland Canary 76]

You cannot criticise Burnley, or any other club, for testing the rules in this area. Presumably, any club would take any opportunity to increase their chance of winning football matches. After all this is the raison d’etre of professional football.

[glory.win or die. 270]

I note Dyche said they only had 10 recognised first team players training.

That suggests to me they have some more younger players available and can play, much like Leeds have been, as you only need 13 outfield players, I think.

I'm not sure but didn't we request West ham and Leicester games to be Postponed? So we can't really complain.

Why can't they have independent Testing? Like they do with drug tests  and they advise the prem if a game should be postponed

 

[cornish sam 950]

1 hour ago, keelansgrandad said:

Its supposed to be about Covid not fit players. This is outrageous. Burnley obviously see it as an advantage or they wouldn't ask. Ihope they make them play them off quickly so that we don't end up anything like Coventry in 1985.

Damned straight, they even say in their statement it's because of covid AND injuries. Much like arsenal at the weekend they are taking the ****, clubs have u23s for a reason, they should have to fill their squad with them like we had to the other year...

[shaunieboy77 73]

Requesting a postponement because you can't field your strongest 11 is shameful but why wouldn't you if the PL don't have the balls to reject some of these ridiculous requests.

[nutty nigel 7,514]

Nothing would surprise me as it seems some clubs can change the rules to suit. But I'm sure that since we were shafted by Coventry it's changed so that the last games all kick off together on the last weekend.

[......and Smith must score. 1,336]

36 minutes ago, GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary said:

Anyone of a certain age will see a Coventry 84/85 situation looming here

Disgraceful

 

15 minutes ago, nutty nigel said:

Nothing would surprise me as it seems some clubs can change the rules to suit. But I'm sure that since we were shafted by Coventry it's changed so that the last games all kick off together on the last weekend.

That's right Nutty. I think everone in all the divisions kicks off at the same time on the last day. No exceptions.

[Greavsy 2,412]

2 hours ago, cambridgeshire canary said:

5 or 6 in a row called off.

 

Over a month. Cant be that bad can it? Really are cheating the system to get players back from injury..

Do you want to fact check that? 

November - they played 2 and had one canceled due to the weather - so that is out of their hands. 

December - 2 consecutive matches postponed (states other, so presume covid) played 4 

 

Jan - thus far - 1 postponed (due to Other, presumed covid) played 2. Tomorrows still to be decided

So currently thats 4 (inc one for the weather) over a 3 month period) during which they have played 7 EPL matches and 1 FA Cup. 

[cambridgeshire canary 6,682]

6 minutes ago, Greavsy said:

Do you want to fact check that? 

November - they played 2 and had one canceled due to the weather - so that is out of their hands. 

December - 2 consecutive matches postponed (states other, so presume covid) played 4 

 

Jan - thus far - 1 postponed (due to Other, presumed covid) played 2. Tomorrows still to be decided

So currently thats 4 (inc one for the weather) over a 3 month period) during which they have played 7 EPL matches and 1 FA Cup. 

fair