It's Fulham instead of Villa.. | Vital Football

It's Fulham instead of Villa..

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Exclusive: Tottenham to play Fulham instead of Aston Villa on Wednesday night
11 January 2021Updated 12:25 GMT


Tottenham Hotspur will play Fulham on Wednesday night rather than Aston Villa, report David Ornstein, Peter Rutzler and Daniel Taylor.

Aston Villa suffered a significant COVID-19 outbreak last week, with a number of first-team players isolating. As a result, their clash with Tottenham will not take place.

The Athletic understands Fulham are unhappy with facing Spurs at short-notice as they are currently expected to also play Chelsea on Friday. They were not planning for a game in the middle of the week.
Why is the Villa game being moved?
There was a serious COVID-19 outbreak at Villa. They used academy players in the FA Cup to play the game against Liverpool on Friday night, losing 4-1.

Premier League rules differ, though, and as a result, they are unable to fulfil the originally scheduled fixture on Wednesday night.
Why are Tottenham now playing Fulham?
Their game against Fulham, which was originally scheduled for December 30, was postponed due to a COVID-19 outbreak at the west London club.

The Premier League needed to find a slot to fit in the game and have now decided to replace the Villa game with that.
How have Fulham reacted to this?
They are understood to be unhappy that the game is being moved at such short notice.

Manager Scott Parker was not aware that it was a possibility until after the 2-0 win against QPR in the FA Cup on Saturday.

He might have fielded a different team in that game, which went to extra-time, if so.
What about the Chelsea game?
The Athletic understands that as it stands, Fulham are still scheduled to play Chelsea on Friday, just two days after facing Spurs.

Meanwhile, Chelsea’s game against Leicester on Tuesday could be moved back a day to Wednesday.
What is the current COVID-19 situation in football?
Early last week, the Premier League announced a record 40 positive COVID-19 tests in the last two rounds of testing between December 28 and January 3.

There have been a number of outbreaks recently.

The most significant has been at Fulham, who have had two games postponed as a result.

Southampton's game against Shrewsbury Town was postponed in the FA Cup third round at the weekend, while Aston Villa and Derby both had to play academy kids in their games due to COVID-19 outbreaks.
Where can I find out more?
News of the Premier League’s late decision to reschedule was first revealed in David Ornstein’s weekly column, which you can read by Going Deeper below.
 
Somebody on another thread suggested Fulham if Villa game off, Meee I think, I replied to him its too easy thinking there mate, so both proved wrong, thinking that is, because somebody in the Halls has used his grey matter. lol!
 
Pompey Yid said:
Somebody on another thread suggested Fulham if Villa game off, Meee I think, I replied to him its too easy thinking there mate, so both proved wrong, thinking that is, because somebody in the Halls has used his grey matter. lol!
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Yep, these truly are amazing times to see the premier league be so proactive and flexible.

In order to get this to happen I'd imagine spurs must have had to be quite forceful in reminding the league of our fixture build up and in not wanting to play 4 games a week again.
 
This really could be a big factor in the outcome of our season. Whilst I feel that Villa's current league position is false, they have been playing well of late, and I had Wednesday's game down as a nailed on draw. Fulham in comparison, we should beat as comfortably as we choose to. An extra two points at this stage, with the current logjam at the top, will be huge. Furthermore, by the time we get to play Villa their bubble may well have burst, whereby the likelihood of picking up the full three points will be much improved at a critical stage of the season.
 
Another proof point in my mind that the Premier League needs to be stripped of some of its current responsibilities. We need fixture scheduling back where it belongs with The FA, away from a bunch who are beholding to the top 6 and the broadcasting companies.

Whether best intent was meant, they've absolutely stitched up Fulham FC and Scotty Parker. They let him select his side for the QPR thinking his squad had 6 days rest. That game went to extra time and a day later Scotty was given 2 days to prepare a team for our game. They then follow-up with Chelsea within 72 hours. Scotty never had the opportunity to plan and prioritise his team selections and is quite rightly spitting bricks. I can only imagine what Mourinho and Levy would have said if the PL did that to THFC.

You can't use those popular words "unprecedented times" as a reason for your own incompetence.
 
I think you're being a bit harsh mutley, they can only reschedule once it's confirmed that the Villa game was definitely off, also let's not forget why the Fulham game was called off.
I do think the Chelsea game should be moved to Wednesday giving them the same rest before playing Fulham on Friday, otherwise that's a huge advantage to Chelsea.
 
muttley said:
Another proof point in my mind that the Premier League needs to be stripped of some of its current responsibilities. We need fixture scheduling back where it belongs with The FA, away from a bunch who are beholding to the top 6 and the broadcasting companies.

Whether best intent was meant, they've absolutely stitched up Fulham FC and Scotty Parker. They let him select his side for the QPR thinking his squad had 6 days rest. That game went to extra time and a day later Scotty was given 2 days to prepare a team for our game. They then follow-up with Chelsea within 72 hours. Scotty never had the opportunity to plan and prioritise his team selections and is quite rightly spitting bricks. I can only imagine what Mourinho and Levy would have said if the PL did that to THFC.

You can't use those popular words "unprecedented times" as a reason for your own incompetence.
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muttley you are so right there but Tops is also right, the powers that be should stop and think, oh sorry! no they couldn't, because that would mean bending the rules, whatever they are, and the precious broadcasting companies would not like it.
 
Topspur1 said:
I think you're being a bit harsh mutley, they can only reschedule once it's confirmed that the Villa game was definitely off, also let's not forget why the Fulham game was called off.
I do think the Chelsea game should be moved to Wednesday giving them the same rest before playing Fulham on Friday, otherwise that's a huge advantage to Chelsea.
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I'm not being harsh. Chelsea vs Fulham is a derby and a lucrative fixture for the broadcasting companies placed on a Friday evening. Villa has many positive COVID hands in their hands in the middle of last week. They knew the isolation period went through beyond our match but didn't make a decision.

So it absolutely stinks again of the Prem putting the broadcasting companies and revenues ahead of the sport itself and the welfare of players.
 
Pompey Yid said:
muttley you are so right there but Tops is also right, the powers that be should stop and think, oh sorry! no they couldn't, because that would mean bending the rules, whatever they are, and the precious broadcasting companies would not like it.
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Looks like we said the same thing about the broadcasting companies.

This for me is why football should be subject to a circuit breaker. As more fixtures get cancelled, there will be more unnatural acts by the money men.
 
Topspur1 said:
I think you're being a bit harsh mutley, they can only reschedule once it's confirmed that the Villa game was definitely off, also let's not forget why the Fulham game was called off.
I do think the Chelsea game should be moved to Wednesday giving them the same rest before playing Fulham on Friday, otherwise that's a huge advantage to Chelsea.
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Fulham's game against Chelsea has been put back a day to the Saturday so they will get three days rest. I don't think Chelsea have a midweek game this week though?
 
muttley said:
I'm not being harsh. Chelsea vs Fulham is a derby and a lucrative fixture for the broadcasting companies placed on a Friday evening. Villa has many positive COVID hands in their hands in the middle of last week. They knew the isolation period went through beyond our match but didn't make a decision.

So it absolutely stinks again of the Prem putting the broadcasting companies and revenues ahead of the sport itself and the welfare of players.
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What was the alternative here then do you think?
 
Tottenham v Fulham: Scott Parker upset at short notice for rearrangement
Last updated on
1 hour ago1 hour ago.From the section Fulham
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Scott Parker's Fulham are 18th in the Premier League
Fulham manager Scott Parker says it is "scandalous" Wednesday's match against Tottenham was only confirmed on Monday.
The Premier League game was originally scheduled for 30 December but was postponed at short notice because of a coronavirus outbreak at Fulham.
In a fixture reshuffle on Monday, it was rescheduled after Spurs' match at Aston Villa was postponed.
"I am angry because it is not right. It is wrong. That is why I am so angry," said Parker.
"The possibility of playing Spurs on Wednesday came on Saturday.
"We didn't think that was realistic and we were informed Monday morning at 9:30. To confirm that on Monday morning is scandalous. I accept we have to play the game, but it's the notice."
Asked if Fulham had a right to be upset, given the original match was called off with less than three hours' notice, Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho said: "Are you serious? I had the news I was not going to play them two hours before the game started."
Parker, whose side are 18th in the Premier League, said he spent "numerous hours on Sunday trying to explain it wasn't feasible" after being told the game may be rearranged for Wednesday.
The Cottagers last played on Saturday, when they beat QPR 2-0 after extra time in the FA Cup third round.
"The people making these decisions don't understand players. We have had it tough. We thought they had six days' recovery time. It is madness really," he said.
"Getting a game called off two hours or 48 hours before is irrelevant. That is disappointing. To have a game agreed at 48 hours' notice, Jose will know you plan for one game or the other. Tottenham knew they had a fixture. He will have planned for that with his team selection.
"Would this have happened with two of the biggest teams in a title clash? Probably not. This is not acceptable."
The postponement of the Villa game - because of a coronavirus outbreak in the Villa camp - left Spurs needing to rearrange three matches in a cramped fixture list that also includes Europa League commitments.
Mourinho said the Premier League's decision to rearrange their game with Fulham for Wednesday is a "positive" solution.
"The biggest impact is to have matches postponed," he said.
"The changing of the order of the matches, the impact is minimal because in the end you have to play 19 matches at home and away, you have to play two matches against every team.
"If it is to help the Premier League to go and end properly, I think it is a solution we all have to accept as a positive."
 
It wouldn't happen to a big 6 team because they already have midweek fixtures....also they moved Fulham's game against Chelsea which they never would have done for us.

This is just a lot of noise about SFA.
 
Gary Onedaysoon said:
What was the alternative here then do you think?
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It's quite easy. Just talk to anyone that has ever run a supply chain or manufacturing plant using an ERP system. Talk to the experts who have dealt with way more complexity and variables than the idiots in football. Phone IBM, SAP, Oracle or companies that build this stuff.

The first thing they would do is have a fixed schedule and a variable schedule. So that might be the next 3-4 weeks has to stay locked and loaded and everything after that is able to be recalculated using optimisation algorithms. Every week you change your inputs i.e. teams falling out of cup competitions or having to honour UEFA comps etc. You then make sure every slot is optimised in the football calendar.

Back to today's world, Scotty nailed it with his anger aimed at the PL. If they had made the decision to force him to play us 2 days earlier then his QPR team selection would have been different. He probably would have been upset but importantly he would have been allowed to prioritise some player selections over others. Instead they told him Monday morning and he has a match day squad that have been through 120 mins. He's now got 48 hours to plan for a tough game that didn't exist until yesterday. Utter madness.
 
If it was Fulham playing SHU it would make a difference? It shouldn't. Also, there are a lot of broken supply chains out there right now because people have failed to adapt to this situation. Singling out the PL when they are largely handling this rather well is, in my opinion, is nit-picking.
 
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