How much will Coronavirus (COVID-19) impact Aston Villa's season?

[tomd2103]

Weekend’s fixtures should have been shut down by the premier league yesterday imo. I wasn’t going today as none of us would have been safe with current infection rate, but gutted for all the fans who are en route, or are already there.
2 hour notice from kickoff is an absolute disgrace!

As soon as it was announced that half the games were off, they should have pulled all the fixtures for this weekend, but I guess they probably wanted to salvage some games for TV.and so we end up with this disgrace where a game is called off a few hours before kick off.

[ChicagoLion]

Weekend’s fixtures should have been shut down by the premier league yesterday imo. I wasn’t going today as none of us would have been safe with current infection rate, but gutted for all the fans who are en route, or are already there.
2 hour notice from kickoff is an absolute disgrace!

As soon as it was announced that half the games were off, they should have pulled all the fixtures for this weekend, but I guess they probably wanted to salvage some games for TV.and so we end up with this disgrace where a game is called off a few hours before kick off.

but the club should have had the tests back earlier to avoid a 2 hour pre match cancellation

[Percy McCarthy]

In light of the poor vaccine take up by pro footballers I’m kind of in the space that they can absolutely have a choice but that choice comes with consequences. If you choose not to get vaccinated you’re creating additional risk to your colleagues and wider society so the consequence is you don’t train and play and you also don’t get paid. No idea if legally that can be done, but football is way behind other sports in other countries.

Not Villa specific, as no idea what our vaccination rate is. Also clearly if they’ve got some medical issue that prevents them having the vaccine that’s different.

I doubt the contracts allow for that. But the clubs may have to start segregating vaxed from non vaxed players to limit contagion.

According to Stelling on SSN that’s what they do in Germany. Unvaxxed players with Covid don’t get paid.

[wittonwarrior]

A disgrace that a game for vivid reasons cancelled just two hours before kick off. The club knew about the issue 2 or 3 days ago. Merry Christmas lee preece your going to get a lot today f complaints coming your way

[brontebilly]

In light of the poor vaccine take up by pro footballers I’m kind of in the space that they can absolutely have a choice but that choice comes with consequences. If you choose not to get vaccinated you’re creating additional risk to your colleagues and wider society so the consequence is you don’t train and play and you also don’t get paid. No idea if legally that can be done, but football is way behind other sports in other countries.

Not Villa specific, as no idea what our vaccination rate is. Also clearly if they’ve got some medical issue that prevents them having the vaccine that’s different.

Id like to see the likes of Gerrard publicly backing Klopp's stance on encouraging players and supporters to get the vaccine/booster. Some leading players too, not just Villa.

[kippaxvilla2]

League now going to make the League Cup Quarter Finals one off games.  Also going to completely scrap FA Cup replays.  Also considering binning off the break scheduled for end of January.

[pauliewalnuts]

League now going to make the League Cup Quarter Finals one off games.  Also going to completely scrap FA Cup replays.  Also considering binning off the break scheduled for end of January.

Not for good, one would hope.

The minnow-gets-big-club-at-home-pay-out-day story is too central to the competition.

[Chris Harte]

League now going to make the League Cup Quarter Finals one off games.  Also going to completely scrap FA Cup replays.  Also considering binning off the break scheduled for end of January.

Not for good, one would hope.

The minnow-gets-big-club-at-home-pay-out-day story is too central to the competition.

Maybe they should do as they do (or did) in Italy for cup games. If a team from a lower division is drawn to a team from Serie A, the team from the lower division automatically gets home advantage for the tie, regardless of what order they are drawn in.

[London Villan]

The delay came from the premier league, not the club.

[frank black]

The delay came from the premier league, not the club.

Yep , apparently the club asked them to pp this morning (after test results). The PL took their time.

[john2710]

People are making the assumption that players who test positive will be automatically ready to resume playing again after 10 days. Some of them may struggle for a while.

It won't just be unvaccinated players that are testing positive or bringing covid into the squad. I know people triple vaccinated, who've had covid previously, who now have it again. Thankfully it's much milder. But we can't assume unvaccinated players are the ones testing positive.

[Ad@m]

What this does mean is that almost certainly, if we've had a load of positive test results this morning, those players will still be isolating on Boxing Day so I can't see the Chelsea game happening either.

[ozzjim]

The club have followed the Premier league guidelines re testing etc. Not sure what else they could have done here.

My biggest concern is who has it, that they are ok, and how much this affects us. Last season it killed our season, the players looked knackered and we looked genuinely like we'd lost fitness. I had covid 6 weeks ago and am still 10% off my output when exercising 4-5 times a week, I just tire so much faster. I know they are younger and much, much fitter, but 2-3% is still huge at the level they play at.

[Sexual Ealing]

League now going to make the League Cup Quarter Finals one off games.  Also going to completely scrap FA Cup replays.  Also considering binning off the break scheduled for end of January.

Aren't LC quarter-finals one-off games anyway?

[Villafirst]

Yes, we just got momentum around Christmas last season and we're flying. This has come a little earlier but could really stall our great start under Steven Gerrard.