With Covid wreaking havoc with the fixture list, the bottom of the Premier League is starting to resemble a mid-winter Sunday league table.
Just after Eddie Howe had completed his early morning press call – over Zoom, of course – news filtered through that relegation rivals Leeds had recorded enough Covid cases to postpone their Boxing Day trip to Anfield. Watford, who have not played for two weeks, will also be inactive after their game at Wolves was another victim of the virus.
It has reshaped the relegation fight – with Newcastle, unaffected by Covid so far, playing three times in the space of just over a week while some of their rivals have a mini winter break.
To make matters worse, some of the teams who have had games called off have only had to do so because of the vaccination status of their first team players, who have been required to isolate after coming into contact with others. Few are expressing it publicly, but a burning sense of injustice around those factors is simmering beneath the surface for many clubs.
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What began as an inconvenience is now threatening to have a profound impact on the integrity of the relegation fight.
Consider the evidence: Leeds in 16th limped on through games against Manchester City and Arsenal when they were seriously weakened by injuries. Watford, 17th and who were in rotten form before their enforced break, will have had nearly three weeks off by the time they are back in action.
Rafa Benitez, whose Everton team are 14th and are trying to prevent themselves from being sucked into the fight, led from the front when he questioned what his club were being asked to do.
With five injured players and six Covid cases, they have been told to fulfil their fixture against Burnley – a direct rival at the bottom. “It’s quite dangerous for us,” the Everton boss said.
“Because of the circumstances of this game, we have to play players that maybe are not ready, maybe have some knocks or some issues or maybe have to play out of position.
“The reality is that some of these players like Dominic [Calvert-Lewin] who have been out for four months, so we have players that will have knocks and we will have to push them. We have to play players that maybe are not fit and who would take responsibility something happen?
“We try to do things properly. And then maybe we are punished for that.”
The teams least affected by Covid have been the teams worst affected by fixture congestion.
Leeds shipped 11 goals in a few days while Newcastle, facing a run of games against Liverpool, Manchester City and then their city rivals United on 27 December, will have played more games than any other side at the bottom by the time match week 19 is over.
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For Watford, who will play all of their rearranged fixtures after the transfer window opens in January, there is the potential for at least 21 matches with new signings involved.
Given the cost of relegation runs into the hundreds of millions for teams, it’s no wonder that some are speaking of the need to preserve the integrity of competition or run the risk of things getting messy in court cases at a later date.
A meeting on Monday of Premier League clubs will give executives the chance to air their concerns. On the same day Newcastle are scheduled to play a fresh Manchester United side, who have not played since 11 December.
“Everyone is used to the hectic schedule at Christmas but the added dynamic is Covid,” Newcastle boss Howe said on Friday morning.
“We’re in a desperate fight for points and we want to collate them as quickly as possible but you want everyone to be treated the same and a level playing field.
“With postponements, some teams have not been playing while others, like ourselves have played a lot.
“For me, it’s the integrity of the competition that has to be fundamental.
“I’m not going to make any mass statement but I think it’s a very open-ended issue.”
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3Eo2BLo
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