[Football] Arsenal cheating - should the PL have allowed it.

[HalfaSeatOn]

The PL policy to postpone matches considers Covid together with other absences so their goal must have been wider than controlling Covid (eg not have ‘weakened’ matches?). Can’t blame clubs for putting in postponement requests in these circumstances.

 

[Wozza]

Fail to see why Arsenal were able to include their AFCON players.

Because when Premier League clubs defined 'Covid' rules before Xmas, they agreed a match could be postponed in a club had fewer than 14 senior players available... but didn't differentiate between players absent with Covid, injured, suspended or away on internatioal duty.

It's not Arsenal's fault - or Newcastle who have seemingly postponed matches tactically.

Blame the chief execs (or their representatives) who didn't think through their own agreement.

 

[GT49er]

Because when Premier League clubs defined 'Covid' rules before Xmas, they agreed a match could be postponed in a club had fewer than 14 senior players available... but didn't differentiate between players absent with Covid, injured, suspended or away on internatioal duty.

It's not Arsenal's fault - or Newcastle who have seemingly postponed matches tactically.

Blame the chief execs (or their representatives) who didn't think through their own agreement.

That's a shocking failure then. Presumably now that that particular stable door has been opened, it won't be shut again - big clubs will be getting games postponed because they've had too many red cards, ffor instance, and it suits them to postpone a match for tactical reasons.

Another nail in the coffin (and yes, they are starting to put one together) of PL football.

 

[Geoffbn2]

same old Arsenal .. Always cheating!

 

[Creaky]

That doesn't matter. They didn't have Covid, so weren't prevented from playing because of Covid. Which bit of not having Covid do you not understand?

None at all - what part of if the players were contracted to another club they couldn’t play do you not understand

 

[GT49er]

None at all - what part of if the players were contracted to another club they couldn’t play do you not understand

Clubs are (rightly) expected to plan for eventualities like players lost to international duties, normal injurues, suspensions, etc. - that includes planning on when they can sell, release or loan out their players. Arsenal failed to do this - the are short of players through their own bad planning. That is (or should be) their problem, self inflicted (at least as far as shipping out players and indisciline are concerned).

The current arrangements were brought in because of Covid. Without Covid the current situation of badly managed clubs pleading for postponements for their own advantage would never have arisen. Shockingly bad planning by the PL to allow loopholes to enable Arsenal (not the only ones, but far and away the most blatant) to use it to cynically for their own advantage.

 

[A1X]

14 clubs wouldn’t be allowed to do this by the PL is my guess. Arsenal lucky to be one of the other 6.

 

[marlowe]

So Arsenal have Xhaka suspended, and have sent two youngsters on the fringes of the first team out on loan when they could have delayed that for a week or two - and now they want a match postponed because they've got a weekened squad. Typical Arsenal entitlement. I understood that emergency postponements in the current situation were to cover squads decimated by Covid, not to cover ordinary injury/ssension situations, and foolishly sending players you actually need at the moment out on loan?.....

I'm not sure what they're concerned about. The match they wanted cancelled was a weekend match so their weekend squad should have suited them perfectly.

Had it been a midweek fixture they might have had cause for concern.

 

[GT49er]

I'm not sure what they're concerned about. The match they wanted cancelled was a weekend match so their weekend squad should have suited them perfectly.

Had it been a midweek fixture they might have had cause for concern.

Weekened (OK, should have been 'weakened' - mea culpa) - but never 'weekend'. Will reluctantly, and without good grace, have to accept a small amount of egg on my face, I suppose!


Grrr ........................

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

14 clubs wouldn’t be allowed to do this by the PL is my guess. Arsenal lucky to be one of the other 6.

Burnley and Newcastle are two more, who are the other three?

 

[Weststander]

Burnley and Newcastle are two more, who are the other three?

Villa - cheated Burnley with the game called off 2 hours before KO.

Newcastle - got games against Stains & Everton called off, until player recruiting complete.

So …. it goes way beyond the usual suspects.

 

[KZNSeagull]

Burnley and Newcastle are two more, who are the other three?

Leicester have had a few called off

 

[trueblue]

It seems Arsenal got the day off because COVID had restricted their selection options in prior weeks and therefore the players had been worked harder than the sports scientists would like - putting them at risk of injury now. The poor loves. Maybe they should have used some of their youngsters instead in the previous games.

 

[Postman Pat]

Arsenal are about to send another 2 players out on loan this week. Pablo Mari and Saed Kolasinac.

Regardless of the rules, it doesn't look great that they are reducing player availability further.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

There should be no more Covid postponements. Too many clubs have been taking the piss and spoilt it for everybody. If there is an outbreak at the Albion I will play. I am triple jabbed and have already had Covid. I can play at left back and have been known to score the occasional goal.

 

[rippleman]

German league has got it right.

14 outfield + 1 GK and you play.

First team players missing? Tough. Play your youngsters then.

Similar arrangements in Spain.

Takes the EPL to really **** things up.

 

[Acker79]

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