chappy Posted November 29, 2020 Share Posted November 29, 2020 Quote Newcastle United were forced to abandon plans to stage a first-team training session on Sunday amid fears they are in the grip of a coronavirus outbreak. Two more players have tested positive over the weekend, meaning five members of the first-team bubble – understood to be four players and one member of staff – are now self-isolating. The situation has prompted another round of testing, with Steve Bruce waiting anxiously on the results as the club’s training ground is deep-cleaned. Already preparations for Friday night’s trip to Aston Villa have been disrupted and there now has to be some degree of doubt as to whether that Premier League fixture will take place. Guardian Worth keeping an eye on 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted November 29, 2020 Share Posted November 29, 2020 Think the rules put in place by Uefa at start of season are if you have 14 available first team players you have to play the game. Very harsh though and I wouldn't have an issue game being called off if this outbreak is as bad as being reported. We're at disadvantage anywhere having 72 hours less to prepare than Newcastle would without covid outbreak anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjw63 Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 make the **** play - Denver Broncos had to play their NFL game last night with ALL FOUR quarterbacks unavailable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
penguin Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 They won't start postponing games for this, it'll never end, they can't afford the season to over-run again. Shakhtar had to play in the Champions League with a Corona ravaged squad and sides unable to fulfil their fixtures in the lower leagues have had a 3-0 loss I believe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaAlex Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 I wonder if Saint Maximin is one of the players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjw63 Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 39 minutes ago, VillaAlex said: I hope Saint Maximin is one of the players. FTFY 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davkaus Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 (edited) 20 hours ago, VillaChris said: We're at disadvantage anywhere having 72 hours less to prepare than Newcastle would without covid outbreak anyway. Yup, the scheduling of this is a joke. Last team to play this round of games, first team to play the next round. **** the players, got to keep the TV dickheads happy. Edited November 30, 2020 by Davkaus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 5 hours ago, VillaAlex said: I wonder if Saint Maximin is one of the players. He missed their last game but was apparently a slight "injury". Bruce was going to drop him to the bench anyway apparently as his form has been poor since he signed a new deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blunther Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 After tonight's bullshit, I'm gonna get pissed with the missus instead and give this one a miss and try and wean myself off this broken crock of shite that used to be a sport. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeyjavfc Posted November 30, 2020 VT Supporter Share Posted November 30, 2020 2 hours ago, Davkaus said: Yup, the scheduling of this is a joke. Last team to play this round of games, first team to play the next round. **** the players, got to keep the TV dickheads happy. Agree but postponing it is not a good option for us either. It will move to a mid-week where we have even less time to prepare. Hope this gets played on Friday against the Newcastle U16s if need be. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dudevillaisnice Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 Can’t see how this can go ahead. 4 players and a staff member.. plus more tested positive since and the training ground is closed with the whole force team isolating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WallisFrizz Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 From the telegraph: Newcastle United have been forced to close their training ground until Wednesday following a Covid outbreak at the club, placing a huge question mark over Friday night’s Premier League fixture against Aston Villa. The entire Newcastle first team and staff have been ordered to isolate at home after a significant number of individuals were infected. As revealed by Telegraph Sport on Sunday, four players and a staff member tested positive for the virus last week and it is understood more returned positive tests when the latest round of results were received by the club yesterday afternoon. Although the precise number of cases is not known, it is understood the training ground will not be open again until Wednesday at the earliest, although some sources suggest there is no guarantee it will open again fully before the game against Villa. It is also understood that there are huge concerns within Newcastle that player welfare is being put at risk if they cannot prepare properly for the trip to Villa Park. They also think they are being put at an unfair disadvantage, as manager Steve Bruce may not be able to work on anything specific in terms of tactics and team shape ahead of the clash with his former employers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WallisFrizz Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 More: Telegraph Sport has been told that the Premier League’s general view is that games must go ahead if at all possible. If a team is allowed to postpone a fixture, when they have enough members of the first team squad available to put 11 players on the pitch and three substitutes on the bench, it would set a dangerous precedent. Newcastle say every player and member of staff was tested at home on Sunday after two more players tested positive at the end of last week, several days after the initial three employees had been sent home to self-isolate after also testing positive. That raised the alarm within the club’s Benton base that they were at serious risk of a mass outbreak, particularly given the amount of time those infected had spent indoors with team-mates and backroom staff in the build up to the 2-0 away win at Crystal Palace last Friday night. The training ground has been closed for the last three days, with sessions and treatment for injuries planned on Sunday and Monday cancelled and those expecting to be involved ordered to stay at home. Due to the nature of Covid and the fact one can initially test negative even when carrying the virus in the early stages of infection, the number of cases at Newcastle could still rise. That is likely to mean they will have to test the entire squad again later this week. The worry for football authorities is that with winter approaching and lockdown restrictions easing in many parts of the country ahead of Christmas, an outbreak could occur at any time at any club, which could lead to a fixture pile up and further harm to player welfare in terms of recovery between matches. There are also risks attached to the Newcastle players’ families and friends, particularly as some of the squad are known to share their homes with elderly relatives who have been helping with childcare during lockdown. One solution being considered is that players should be allowed to train outside from Wednesday onwards, but not enter any of the buildings at the training ground – thet could arrive in their cars ready for the training session and head straight home afterwards. Newcastle were without Andy Carroll, Jamal Lascelles, Emil Krafth, Allan Saint-Maximin, Isaac Hayden and goalkeeper Martin Dubravka at Selhurst Park, although it has not been revealed which of those absences were Covid-related or due to other injuries. The identity of the staff member who had become infected also remains confidential. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Okonokos Posted November 30, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted November 30, 2020 11 minutes ago, WallisFrizz said: From the telegraph: Newcastle United have been forced to close their training ground until Wednesday following a Covid outbreak at the club, placing a huge question mark over Friday night’s Premier League fixture against Aston Villa. The entire Newcastle first team and staff have been ordered to isolate at home after a significant number of individuals were infected. As revealed by Telegraph Sport on Sunday, four players and a staff member tested positive for the virus last week and it is understood more returned positive tests when the latest round of results were received by the club yesterday afternoon. Although the precise number of cases is not known, it is understood the training ground will not be open again until Wednesday at the earliest, although some sources suggest there is no guarantee it will open again fully before the game against Villa. It is also understood that there are huge concerns within Newcastle that player welfare is being put at risk if they cannot prepare properly for the trip to Villa Park. They also think they are being put at an unfair disadvantage, as manager Steve Bruce may not be able to work on anything specific in terms of tactics and team shape ahead of the clash with his former employers. How exactly would that put them at an unfair disadvantage? Surely that would help them. 1 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StefanAVFC Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 **** them, force them to play 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 What a crock of shite. Make them play. Due to the schedule we have 3 days less to prepare, and what is this rubbish from Bruce that he needs time to implement his tactics? What bloody tactics? Roll your socks up and hoof it? You dont need three days for that. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted December 1, 2020 Share Posted December 1, 2020 1 hour ago, mikeyjavfc said: Agree but postponing it is not a good option for us either. It will move to a mid-week where we have even less time to prepare. Hope this gets played on Friday against the Newcastle U16s if need be. Get the feeling this will be our "reward" for being f***ed over by VAR again, playing a Newcastle under 16s if needs be although does make a mockery of things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keyblade Posted December 1, 2020 Share Posted December 1, 2020 Why isn't the PL played in a bubble? It's a farce having a PL season and the players are jetting around all over the world going to parties and whatnot. What was the point of cramming all the fixtures tighter than a nun in traffic? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheAuthority Posted December 1, 2020 VT Supporter Share Posted December 1, 2020 7 hours ago, Davkaus said: Yup, the scheduling of this is a joke. Last team to play this round of games, first team to play the next round. **** the players, got to keep the TV dickheads happy. Errr, isn't that all of us right now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheAuthority Posted December 1, 2020 VT Supporter Share Posted December 1, 2020 I don't want us to play them if they could contaminate us too - surely there's a risk to our 1st eleven? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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