EPL Matchday 18 - On Optus Sport

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Dec 22, 2009
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The reasoning (which I don’t agree with) was that they had 14 fit players. In other words, could make 3 subs.

No consistency from the PL.

Why weren't Leicester forced to play in that case with 9 out of 25 unavailable? Initially they were denied their request but I remember Rodgers making a big song and dance about it publicly. It really looks like he got the game postponed because they had an injury crisis in defence. Spurs should be very annoyed after spending all week preparing for the game and probably would have won against a Leicester team with a crocked defence.
 
Why weren't Leicester forced to play in that case with 9 out of 25 unavailable? Initially they were denied their request but I remember Rodgers making a big song and dance about it publicly. It really looks like he got the game postponed because they had an injury crisis in defence. Spurs should be very annoyed after spending all week preparing for the game and probably would have won against a Leicester team with a crocked defence.

I would imagine their request was initially denied because they didn't meet the criteria. But maybe they got some more cases.

People are running around looking for inconsistencies in the system when the reality is, all we're looking at is newspaper gossip, the odd vague statement from clubs and newspapers and adding 2 and 2 together.
 
Why weren't Leicester forced to play in that case with 9 out of 25 unavailable? Initially they were denied their request but I remember Rodgers making a big song and dance about it publicly. It really looks like he got the game postponed because they had an injury crisis in defence. Spurs should be very annoyed after spending all week preparing for the game and probably would have won against a Leicester team with a crocked defence.
Maybe they had staff as well. Can envisage that if physios, doctors or trainers are also unavailable then player safety is compromised.
 

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CFC_JP

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Title race is all over. Congratulations Mancheter City and Pep.

Said a while ago that Chelsea are not able to last the whole distance and we have started to see cracks the last few weeks.

I don't see Liverpool maintaining the same intensity and drive as Pep and the Citeh players over the rest of the season.

Yes the latest covid outbreak is a factor and the season will likely get postponed again, but at the end of the day, this will not be as close a title race as many were thinking or hoping.

I would be surprised if City don't have the league wrapped up with a 9/10 point gap over the runners up

Under Pep, they have become the consummate league professionals ,and i have no hesitation at this stage declaring them to be Champions Elect once again.

Much more interest will be in the relegation/survival scrap, which may indeed come down to the final game of the season
There's 3 points in it with 20 games remaining. Title race is still alive. Obviously you need luck with injuries and lady luck is smiling on city at the moment.
 
Tuchel's teams just don't score enough goals, have said it since he joined Chelsea. Not sure what it is but his system just doesn't get the forwards firing consistently, and you need that in a title race.
It's not really his system that's the issue as much as the finishing. Not to mention having to play Pulisic as a false nine where he's not effective whatsoever, despite what Pawn Stars says.
 
Dec 22, 2009
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I would imagine their request was initially denied because they didn't meet the criteria. But maybe they got some more cases.

People are running around looking for inconsistencies in the system when the reality is, all we're looking at is newspaper gossip, the odd vague statement from clubs and newspapers and adding 2 and 2 together.

If that's the case why can't Rodgers just come out and say they had 5 or 7 confirmed cases or whatever it was. The fact that he wasn't forthcoming with that information is very dodgy IMO.
 
Dec 22, 2009
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Just found the number, Leicester had 2 additional players test positive, meaning in total they had at most 7 players out with COVID. That's the same as Chelsea isn't it?

Rodgers' argument was that their injuries were 'COVID related' because COVID meant they couldn't rotate the injured players which is just ridiculous logic to use. End of the day, the majority of their outs were normal run of the mill injuries, and they gamed the system.
'
5 of those players were out with covid OR illness. Rodgers not giving an exact number of covid positive outs is just shonky (without naming them obviously). Spurs are the real losers out of that one with them likely to face a much stronger side in the rescheduled match.
 
If that's the case why can't Rodgers just come out and say they had 5 or 7 confirmed cases or whatever it was. The fact that he wasn't forthcoming with that information is very dodgy IMO.
Because its none of our business. The league will be in full possession of the facts.
 
Ha ha ha.

Dont other teams have a right to know? Any team should be able to call a postponement now if they wish with 9 outs.
Other teams need to know the criteria the league uses to make a decision. If a game is postponed, they know that criteria has been met.
 
The rule is apparently 14 fit players on the senior list, which begs the question for a Leeds with an injury record but no COVID why they are still expected to play.
 

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Dec 22, 2009
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The rule is apparently 14 fit players on the senior list, which begs the question for a Leeds with an injury record but no COVID why they are still expected to play.

Leicester had 16 available players on their list vs Spurs. 4 of those unavailable were injured and not covid related. 5 other players were either unavailable through illness or covid. Even if they had another two positives before the game that left them with 14 available. They requested a postponement & were granted it.

Teams are going to use covid as an excuse when they have injury issues for sure getting games postponed to suit them. I bet if Leicester were up against Norwich at home they don't ask for a postponement.
 
The rule is apparently 14 fit players on the senior list, which begs the question for a Leeds with an injury record but no COVID why they are still expected to play.
I don't know if non Covid outs are a factor in the decision (I've read not bit that could be wrong).

I can only presume that the league are reluctant to put anything in place for non Covid injuries as it could be manipulated much easier.

Covid has independent verification (proof of PCR), it has a defined period a player is unavailable for. Injuries (some, not all) you just need to take the word of the ub/club doctor and the player could be back in training the next day.
 
I don't know if non Covid outs are a factor in the decision (I've read not bit that could be wrong).

I can only presume that the league are reluctant to put anything in place for non Covid injuries as it could be manipulated much easier.

Covid has independent verification (proof of PCR), it has a defined period a player is unavailable for. Injuries (some, not all) you just need to take the word of the ub/club doctor and the player could be back in training the next day.

Sure but what I'm getting at is in a squad of 25, in theory that means you should need 12 COVID positives in your squad to have your game postponed, but they're postponing games with a lot less than that because of other unavailabilities. In theory that means Leeds would just need one COVID positive to have their game postponed which seems strange.
 
Sure but what I'm getting at is in a squad of 25, in theory that means you should need 12 COVID positives in your squad to have your game postponed, but they're postponing games with a lot less than that because of other unavailabilities. In theory that means Leeds would just need one COVID positive to have their game postponed which seems strange.

From what I've read it's more than just number of outs. That is a factor but there's also things like number of keepers available, uncontrolled nature of an outbreak (that was Chelseas best argument yesterday not the number of outs).

I remember last year, we postponed the trip to Everton to much outrage. We only had a few cases but didn't have enough time to get the rest of the squad tested and results returned. A few days later we played Chelsea with the same outs and were told to play.
 
Dec 22, 2009
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If Xhaka made that “tackle” that Kane did....
Hoping this statement is made ironically given the tackle he just got away with v Leeds.
 
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The Athletic understands the main reason for the VAR not punishing Kane more was that Robertson was jumping when fouled — meaning the England captain did not catch him as badly as Robertson did Royal.

Klopp said after the game that if Robertson’s foot had been planted, Kane could have broken his leg but because that is hypothetical, the officials were comfortable with their decision.

They did feel, however, that the force of Robertson’s challenge on Royal endangered the Brazilian’s safety.
 

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