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AJH's rumours posts with other poster's replies to AJH's rumours posts

03 Aug 2019 14:20:49
I’ve loved reading the posts this week and for what it’s worth, here’s my view.

Maguire is not necessarily the greatest defender but he seems like a big character and as has been said he is better than what we have. The price is irrelevant to me, fees are soon forgotten (unlike wages) . I think he will settle quickly and make a difference.

AWB looks a quality buy in a position where we have struggled so I’m confident that will look a steal as the season progresses.

James has huge potential, looking forward to seeing how he develops.

Dybala I don’t want. No idea where it came from and we really shouldn’t be entertaining it. Fancy name, not pulled up any trees for a couple of years, really don’t see where he fits in.

Fernandes look quality and would be a good signing and if we are interested then I have no idea why it is taking so long.

We need to ship Pogba out as quickly as possible, assuming anyone has made any sort of sensible offer. I don’t buy the line that he’s really popular. If he isn’t committed to the cause then he needs to leave.

Sanchez also needs to go. I’d even let him go on a free or nominal fee as it would free up at least £15M because of his ridiculous contract.

Lukaku also needs to go and again I’d take the best offer that is on the table. We may lose on the fees but the benefit to team spirit and morale of shipping out players who don’t want to be her is immense. There’s a bunch of other players we need to move on and again we should make it attractive to potential buyers. Darmian and Rojo for starters.

Imagine those 5 gone, 4 new signings (I’m assuming a CM is coming), and a few from the youth promoted. The feel and mood will be lifted and with the extra fitness and energy, with everyone committed and pulling in the same direction, who knows where we will get to.

I fear there is not enough time left to move players on but for me that is just as important on bringing new ones in.

1.) 03 Aug 2019 14:37:38
It would be foolish to let pogba leave so late in the window, no chance we have enough time to obtain a replacement.

Saul would fit the bill, but that would be a complicated deal and there are questions marks over whether he would even want to come.

Are SMS or fernandes as good as pogba? if looked at objectively you would say they were not on his level.

Dybala is probably the clearest route to getting rid of lukaku as inter milan are unable to source the funds to do a deal, so this swap deal is a pretty good compromise to get rid of a player who doesn't fit oles style and bring in a player who does.

25, 5 year contract means we have plenty of scope to get a resale value when he inevitably pines for a move to madrid or Barcelona like pogba. Could be a shrewd bit of business by the club.

2.) 03 Aug 2019 14:49:29
DSG, if you put my reservations aside, Ed002 has said Dybala doesn’t want to come. If he’s having to be convinced then we shouldn’t do it,

3.) 03 Aug 2019 15:15:18
Tony do you honestly expect Dybala to happily want to leave a team with Ronaldo and several stars which is guaranteed at least a major trophy and also UCL football every season and come over to us because we are Manchester United?

That ship has sailed!

No matter how attractive a team is, it still has to make an effort to appeal to a prospective player.

4.) 03 Aug 2019 15:18:42
I honestly think you will be surprised how many player would not want to join us this summer. No champions league is a big loss especially in a window where bayern, real, Barcelona and juve are all making big deals.

Look at sancho, he realised that coming to united this window would be not be ideal for his development when we are undergoing significant changes and his development was much better suited staying at dortmund.

Does that mean we shouldn't go in for him next summer when we will still need to convince him we are the right club with the right stability for him to continue his development?

Dybala is an oppurtune signing granted but if he does join it won't be against his will, quite a few player over the year have needed to be convinced/ persuaded to join clubs.

5.) 03 Aug 2019 15:23:18
I really don't get why people would wants Pogba to stay. Old may say all the right things about Pogba having a great attitude blah blah blah, but the player clearly wants out.
If we keep hold of him against his wishes we will just have the same circus every transfer window. It's unsettling for everyone, including Old, despite what he may say in public.

Pogba is obviously talented and is a match winner on his day. I understand that, but keeping an unhappy player is counter productive.

On the flip side, we shouldn't be forced to sell him on the cheap. But over inflating his price so that he is effectively priced out of a more is daft in my opinion.

Despite the fact that some fans 'hero worship' some players, Pogba is not worthy of that label. Talent is nothing without application, effort and desire and Mr Pogba is severely lacking in the later.

6.) 03 Aug 2019 15:35:43
Until last week his name hadn’t come up, nobody on here had suggested we try and buy him or he would add anything to our team. Now suddenly many are drooling over him and I don’t get it. We should have learned from Di Maria. He doesn’t want to come, allegedly he wants £350K a week, allegedly his agent wants £13M, it’s possibly taken our focus from Fernandes. The only positive I can see is we lose Lukaku, that’s about it.

I don’t really buy the Champions League argument. Actually I do buy it and it hacks me off. There’s only a few teams that will win it, and there seems to be a snobbishness that has materialised with players ‘not wanting to take a step down’. I’m not sure how we’ve allowed it to become so important, for me the domestic title is still the biggest trophy by far.

7.) 03 Aug 2019 15:37:47
Of course he needs convincing AJH. He is not a fan like is. He is at a top club where his life family and friends are and you think a good pitch and lots of reassurances are not required.
You don't seem to be the sort of chap to make knee jerk life changing decisions without due consultation and thought process and advice. Do you think dybala should?

8.) 03 Aug 2019 15:56:18
Is aguero not a good example why is it always di Maria.
Do people think aguero was a life long city fan desperate to move to a team that had won nothing for years?
Or did him and his agent need a bit of convincing and a bucket of cash .

I'm not saying we should or shouldn't sign him but there's a bit of a line in the sand starting with one or 2 players,

9.) 03 Aug 2019 16:02:27
Of course he's reluctant. We're not exactly known for stability are we. He enjoys life in Italy and is reluctant to leave. But Juve are forcing him out.

10.) 03 Aug 2019 16:03:54
Madrid have been making sensible offers for Pogba throughout this window.

UTD think they can get more with very little other clubs being able to afford him.

Only a few clubs or so at the over inflated fee and wages able to afford Pogba which sees UTD keeping a player who wants to leave *evil laugh*.

Barcelona not going to sign Pogba.

11.) 03 Aug 2019 16:09:33
What offers have real made?

12.) 03 Aug 2019 16:24:59
Guys AJH has a point. The problem is not there is a convincing required for Dybala. But why to convince a player who is not seen as much needed who is not willing to move to us who will demand monstrous wage who has stalled for the past year. If it is someone who we have identified as main target it's worth going through the trouble. Imagine we sign him and has not really worked out then we will have another player on 350k wages very difficult to move.

13.) 03 Aug 2019 16:35:27
I said the same to shappy last week jred.
People are saying don't sign him he doesn't want to be here. Yet those same purple are saying keep pogba even though he doesn't want to be here.
If dybala comes and he and the team are successful he will love it at United. Just like aguero has done.
Im not desperate for him to sign if he does it would be potentially a very good and exciting signing.

14.) 03 Aug 2019 17:00:59
My wider point is he hadn't been mentioned by anybody, the fans hadn't suggested him nor were the club pursuing him. Suddenly a swap is on, not exactly thought through is it?

15.) 03 Aug 2019 17:02:49
You could say the same with pogba, if go his and uniteds way he may have a change in heart .
Not sure why everything needs to be set in stone .
I'm far from convince dybala would be a good fit in the epl, who who knows.

16.) 03 Aug 2019 17:11:34
Is it possible for a player to come in, not really wanting to come in at first and then change his mind? If he is the consummate professional, he might also put in some decent performances.

Also, he could just say no right now?

17.) 03 Aug 2019 18:00:01
Ajh
He was mentioned a few month ago, don't know if the reports where true but he was linked a few months back.
But some times a player becomes available and you take a chance, any Cole, king Eric.

Angel
Is it possible that a player wants to leave then circumstances change and he changes his mind, Or do we hold it against him for the rest of his career.

18.) 03 Aug 2019 18:01:09
The club have had interest in dybala for 12 months according to ed002. i'm not convinced but he is a very talented player so if he settles it could work out.
Pogba is here and if he stays and does well he may well have a change of heart i agree but i'm not one for keeping unhappy players it usually doesn't work out. We can on my hope it does if he stays.

19.) 03 Aug 2019 19:33:15
Hi jred, not at all. I think if a player has a change of heart and wants to stay, put in the performances etc, he should most definitely get the chance. I think that's quite fair. But definitely no point keeping a player that is unhappy and wants to move. Does this answer work?

Is there a particular player you are talking about or just anyone in general?

20.) 03 Aug 2019 20:00:04
Angel
To many to mention to be honest once any one makes a mistake or reportedly does you want them out.
Lazy bad attitude said this said that.

21.) 03 Aug 2019 20:17:14
No, I'd like you to mention them. Very happy to give you my reasons behind everyone.

I'm quite sure that when I have shown my dissatisfaction in a player it is usually merited, justified.

I don't call for players to be bought and sold like in a game of FIFA.

I also am very happy to back good, hard working and loyal players when many dont. Again, when I feel its justified.

Feels like you're just having a pop though. It's something you like to do quite often. I hope I haven't upset you at any point. Or will you hold my opinions against me for the rest of my time posting on here? 😊.

22.) 03 Aug 2019 22:15:30
We have appointed Director of football - it's AJH

All sound decisions taken. 🤫.

23.) 04 Aug 2019 09:23:15
Reading the page the last day or two it’s clear we don’t need any insight from Ed002 as maxlfc knows absolutely everything about our club lol.

24.) 04 Aug 2019 20:42:32
Oh man :P
Wrote a post about how the youngsters are doing, and how you feel about them and this turned into Pogba/ Dybala debate.

25.) 05 Aug 2019 07:31:02
To be honest guys I don't care and the reason is we are focusing on players not playing for our club.
When the focus should be #GlazersOut.

24 Mar 2018 10:31:23
There are some that said Jesse wasn’t good enough and I guess there are still some that think he is at best a squad player but you have to give the lad credit. He keeps popping up scoring important goals and he plays with a smile on his face and seems to enjoy every moment. I’m so pleased for him and I hope he can take that final step and be consistent.

1.) 24 Mar 2018 16:25:04
He has always been highly thought off within the club. It was always accepted that he would take longer to find his feet due to his size. I read an interview with him where he said that Sir Alex always said he would become a real player when he's 25 like Tigana. I wonder how much of him really stepping up this season is down to him feeling that this year was going to be his year.

I did worry when we signed Sanchez as it was going to push either Lingard or Martial out of the side when arguably they we our best two forwards at that time. Maybe its time for Sanchez to be dropped for a game or two and make him fight for his place against players who are in form.

2.) 24 Mar 2018 16:40:40
Shaps, I don’t know why we bought Sanchez other than to stop City buying him. We had needs inother areas way before a left sided attacker was needed and even if he starts firing it just relegates Martial or Rashford. This smacks of Woodward and his marque signing obsession. I don’t want to upset you but if Bale is available you can bet your mortgage Ed will be there waving his chequebook.

3.) 24 Mar 2018 16:46:51
The thing with Jesse is you know he will work on the pitch and not hide. He has proven this year that he has more in the locker than people thought imo but he had the beginnings of a good season couple of years back when he got ani injury early on at Swansea I think. Change of personel and management has not deterred him and I think he has saved us a good few bob on bringing in a n other player.

4.) 24 Mar 2018 16:58:44
I was one of those thinking he wasn't going to be up to it and would be sold, at times I feel foolish, but then he can be anonymous far too often for me (like most of our attacking players) .

I still think in order for us to be competing at the very top we need better than Lingard. But if he improves again as much as he has over the past 18 months then he will deserve a regular berth in a top Utd team.

I love his energy and clever runs, maybe there is even more to come from him once we get back to playing proper attacking football and those runs will be picked out by players that currently refuse the pass and opt for 'safety' instead. I certainly would like him to impact games more consistently as well, 10 seconds of brilliance now and again is good, but we need more than that over a 90 minute match from an attacking midfielder.

5.) 24 Mar 2018 17:39:38
I agree Beastand that was my point about consistency. When he is good he is very good but often you can forget he is on the pitch, which is very frustrating when he gets himself in such good positions and scores such important goals. He needs to turn up for more games than he does, which I think he will if he continues to develop as he has done in the last year. And he is home grown which means a lot to me,

6.) 24 Mar 2018 17:52:11
Does he go missing or as mentioned above is it a case of him making good runs and his team mates not playing the creative pass to find him?

The best players score in the big games, which he does more consistently than those around him. H deserves his place in the team, he works hard, he offers movement and he can finish. I think he will thrive if we add more quality to the midfield. He is a bit of a social media whore, but as long as he performs on the pitch it’s not a problem. I wish pogba put half the effort in he does.

7.) 24 Mar 2018 18:33:58
Agree with all of the posts regarding jesse in some degree, better than dele alli in my opinion who plays a similar role especially this season.

8.) 25 Mar 2018 05:21:49
I must be the only one who doesn't yet rate him. He for me is going through his Smalling patch where player looks good for a season or 2 but with lingard it has only been 2 months rather than the whole season.

He was mostly anonymous until December and has been anonymous for most part since February. That is 2 good months in 3-4 years. Yes he scores some important goals from time to time but he going to have to perform much better to be more than a squad player.

9.) 25 Mar 2018 16:58:04
No MU player apart from De Gea has been sensational for long, playing good for some time and then playing poorly.

10.) 26 Mar 2018 14:14:47
CSM, that's not really fair, even if he's only started looking like a real top player this season, he's actually been doing well for the last couple of years. He was hardly "anonymous" before December anyway. 8 goals and assists in 17 games, 11 of which he played 30 minutes or less in, may not be setting the league on fire, but it's certainly not "anonymous".

Re: the consistency, I'm inclined to agree with Huggy. He's suffering from the way the team is playing, and would have a much more consistent impact if the runs he makes were picked out a bit more often by players behind him. Now, I'm not saying he's doing everything right, maybe he'd still be a bit inconsistent with players behind him looking for those runs and playing more positive football, but the point is that we don't really know, and I don't think it's fair to judge him too harshly when we don't really know how much of the inconsistency is down to him, and how much is down to the way the teamas a whole is playing.

I would really love to see Herrera used in a more advanced role, ahead of Matic rather than alongside him, where he can look to play the passes that someone like Lingard can feed on. It's too easy to see his great defensive performances last season and forget that he's a great passer of the ball, with an eye for getting team mates in behind the defence.

11.) 26 Mar 2018 14:23:10
That FA cup winning goal seemed to really kick him on and he’s improved a lot since then.

CSM,

How you can say he’s been anonymous is beyond me, he’s probably scored more important goals than any other player in the last 2 years.

12.) 26 Mar 2018 14:53:27
Gds important goals don't mean consistency. Yes he scored against Chelsea and in fa cup final but can you remember a run of games until December where you could say he was consistently good. A first team player needs to be consistently good and unlike rashford or martial lingard isn't exactly in the youngster category.

Thorne he has been good this season but last season he had 5 goals and 3 assists in 42 games in lvg's last season he had 7 goals and 4 assists in 41 games. Those are not good figures and he needs get similar to his current nos before we can be sure that he has improved rather than going through a purple patch.

Also where exactly will he play next season jose wants savic added to the team and jorginho as replacement for carrick, so we most likely will be switching to a mf 3.

13.) 30 Mar 2018 18:44:50
Good player, nice lad, silly dancer.

17 Feb 2018 08:31:11
Interesting rumour this morning, Real ready to move for Pogba. Could be paper trash talk of course but if they did and the money was big, would you sell? Clearly the boy has talent but he has yet to dominate a game or deliver on his potential. Is that down to him, the Manager, or a combination of both.

If the money was silly should we cash in? The problem with that is that he may go on and become the dominating player we believe is in there somewhere, and replacing him will cost a fortune too. For me, I’d seriously consider it though.

{Ed002's Note - There is zero interest in Paul Pogba from Real Madrid. They have very, very different ideas who they want.}

1.) 17 Feb 2018 11:41:22
There is no way we should be selling Pogba it would be crazy to do so.

Its likr selling the next messi and then trying to go buy a next ronaldo because we are noy patient enough.

2.) 17 Feb 2018 11:59:12
"Cash in" wtf? So some now want to sell Pogba when we have few midfielders for a pretty poor return? You bored with FIFA?

3.) 17 Feb 2018 11:20:17
Yay. Thanks ed for that.

12 Jan 2018 21:19:21
All this talk of Sanchez has masked the rumour that Vardy is also being considered. Not sure if they would sell or at what price but I think he would slot in much easier, albeit he is a like for like with Lukaku. Sanchez’s attitude worries me, the stories from Arsenal about his isolationist approach do not bode well for team spirit. Hey ho, what do I know?

1.) 12 Jan 2018 21:28:45
I hope not. Hateful diving git, Gerrard, suarez, terry, barton, keown, cattermole, Vardy. all the same to me would of hated to see any of them in a red shirt.

2.) 12 Jan 2018 23:05:33
That's one heck of a team those lot would make. Lacks some wide players tho.

3.) 13 Jan 2018 05:53:05
bfbw, there too much hate in your heart, i'd have had Keown and Suarez any day of the week. Go hug a tree man.

4.) 13 Jan 2018 08:10:14
AJH Vardy is a player Maze likes and admired over the years for his tenacity as well as his rags to riches story but to say he is a better option than Sanchez is silly, very silly.

Wake up AJH you are dreaming of poorly fabricated scenarios.

08 Dec 2017 20:28:41
So, first of all, I share my birthday with Jonny Evans so put that your pipe and smoke it. Secondly, I may have had a little wine tonight so forgive me if I am less coherent than Ronnie during a transfer window.

Sunday is a big game and I hope that Jose wakes up and has an epiphany but I fear it will not happen. I believe it is better to die fighting than running away and in football that is also true. Inspire the troops, give them hope and belief, rouse their spirits, fill their hearts with pride and desire. Let’s not turn up to stifle and try and nick a goal on the break. I don’t care if they are the best team, like Pierre the famous French fighter pilot, let’s go down in flames (google it) .

We are United, a team steeped in history and tradition, we live or die by our standard, there are times to stand up and be counted, Sunday is one of those times. We win, or we lose in a blaze of glory, to be a United fan there are no in betweens.

Time for more wine.

1.) 09 Dec 2017 01:43:34
Jesse's performance at Arsenal will have given him food for thought. Maybe we can press high with a few players and cause some chaos amongst their back line. Worry is that Matic and Ander would have to play out of their skins.

The motivational piece is way more important than formation. Win your battles all over the pitch and you'll get a win.

2.) 09 Dec 2017 10:50:17
We’ll park the bus and try to catch them on the counter and via set pieces.

AJH's banter posts with other poster's replies to AJH's banter posts

15 May 2020 16:21:11
I’d love to see football return but I just don’t see it happening. Hear me out.

This virus will be here for some time, we are going to have to live with it and changes to everyday life will continue and new ones will have to be made with people working from home, or social isolation in the office, one way systems in shops, no large groups allowed, masks being worn. We have to get the economy moving and we have to have some semblance of normality but we need to do that whilst protecting people as best we can. So, back to a more normal approach but with safeguards to minimise loss of life.

Which brings me to football (and other contact sports) . I just don’t see how we can have players tackling each other, sweating on each other and crammed into a changing room, without them putting each other at risk. They don’t live in a bubble, they have friends and family who will likely be relaxing the stay at home restrictions so the possibility of catching and transmitting will go up. Same for cricket and even more so for rugby. There is no ‘safe’ way to play football, any resumption brings a risk of and I just don’t see that being sustainable. We already have players who have the virus so imagine if they had been training and playing and had passed it on to their team mates, or a groundsman, or a cleaner?

Golf I understand, tennis too, but team sports that have contact just don’t make sense right now. I am sure the Premier League will plough on and try and resume but I fear it will end badly.

1.) 15 May 2020 16:53:09
So when would it be safe for football to return? When a vaccine is found for this virus, what if that is not possible?

Normal life will have to resume again at some point and that includes sport and we can't just hope a vaccine or therapeutic will come along to save the day.

I think the football world will be watching events in germany as we all will be, if that goes on without too many troubles, then we will see the prem return in june.

2.) 15 May 2020 17:18:25
Its crazy tony to be considering it until there had been a significant change in circumstances imo.
If the season ends now it will be a terrible outcome for United in terms of cl qualification but that would not even enter my thought process or consideration.
Id love to see it back and i fancy we could catch Chelsea or Leicester but its not safe. Crowds will congregate too. Particularly when Liverpool win the league or if a club avoid relegation.
I don't think footballers should be expected to take risks in the name of entertainment.

3.) 15 May 2020 17:33:11
Hundreds dead a day yet the premier league wants to return, bad isn't it, can't tackle while looking in training, no fans for me makes it less likely I'll want to watch anyway. Just bin it off until actually safe.

4.) 15 May 2020 17:50:49
Fans first filled Stadia such as the Colosseum to watch slaves fight to the death for the entertainment of the baying mob.

I would have thought in the 21st century we no longer expect peoples lives to be put at risk in the name of entertaining the mob.

I want football back as much as the next person, it's devastating not having it and the idea of it not returning for months is not one I am happy with. The form we were in before the break, plus having players like Pogba and Rashford back fully fit makes me think that if the season can continue then we stood a great chance of securing a top four spot, while we were also still in with a good shout in the FA cup and the Europa League. There was so much to look forward to as a United fan.

But I wouldn't want football to start again if there is even the slightest chance that someone could die unnecessarily. It's a game, a game I love, but its not worth taking someone's Mother, Father, Brother, Sister or Grandparent away just for a sport.

I will wait with baited breath to see what happens in Germany over the next few weeks, if there is a safe way then great. But the risk has to be zero for it to restart with a clear conscience.

5.) 15 May 2020 18:32:28
DSG, I get that and I don’t really have an answer. It’s risky enough that people are returning to general work in ‘safer’ environments, the economy has to get started and the country can’t stay locked down forever. But a contact sport clearly has a much higher risk, so what level of risk is acceptable? I really don’t know the answer but I can see there being a death that can be attributed to football’s rush back which will be unforgivable.

Perhaps we need to suppress it to the point where the risk is acceptable, whether that is now or not is up for debate.

6.) 15 May 2020 18:53:20
my ex colleague who worked in a lab for 15 years in various pharmaceutical labs in the Nordic countries tells me he doesn't think a vaccine will be found possibly ever as the C.V. mutates differently to other viruses. More likely will be a drug or combination of drugs that reduces the symptoms down to a serious cough-that could affect people by leaving them needing a lifetime of treatment, inhalers etc etc but not kill them.

7.) 15 May 2020 19:31:58
On the notion of one player passing C.V. to another and that potentially leading to a death. Could that not happen with other challengees and viruses. So will it ever be safe to play a game of contact sport if those are the standards? Shappy just said the risk has to be zero, there are hardly any situations in life where the risk is zero.

Obviously C.V. 19 is the disease rightly getting the most attention at the moment but i go back to the original point of these lockdowns was to make sure the nhs doesn't get overwhelmed not to eradicate the risk of death completely from this disease for the future.

“But I wouldn't want football to start again if there is even the slightest chance that someone could die unnecessarily”. By this logic shappy we could never play football again.

8.) 15 May 2020 19:43:14
Whether you think football should return in the next few weeks, or whether you don't is entirely up to you. The issue I have, is that why should it return before most people are able to return to work, before children can return to their education, before people can spend time again with their family and friends. It's just my opinion but I think those issues should be our main priority at this current time. Ps the rate has now started to rise again, make of that what you will.

9.) 15 May 2020 20:37:58
With a sound track and trace backed up by testing its possible to do it safely. Or so the experts say . And let's be honest boys there's none of them on here.

We will learn to live with the virus, influenza comes round every year and has done since the Spanish flu outbreak a 100 year ago.

10.) 15 May 2020 20:46:21
It’s ridiculous. Even if one player in the team has the virus, end of first game he has given it to about 30 people. Play once every three days and that number jumps to 90 from that person alone with the 30 newly infected ones further spreading the virus. And this is among players only- imagine when they go home, interact with their physios and families, kids go to school etc etc. One player could give the virus to over a thousand in a week before it gets detected. That’s insane when you think about it.

11.) 15 May 2020 21:05:01
A quick question to any of the eds if they know. The proposed testing and continual tracking of players if the league returns, who will carry out these tests? Club doctors, Premier league doctors or NHS staff?

{Ed002's Note - The clubs will be responsible.}

12.) 15 May 2020 21:43:43
Sure it will be back but only when its safe to do so.
My personal opinion is that there is no need to force it.
Without fans the is no real boost to the economy in general. Albeit there is a big financial benefit to the clubs.
If it means a July start then so be it.
There can not be zero risk. But it will be about eliminating as much risk as possible.
The risk will lesson as time goes by so delay the restart as long as possible to be as sure and confidant as possible. If the end of this season becomes s very competitive pre season for next season then so be it.

13.) 15 May 2020 21:43:40
Thanks Ed002 👍.

14.) 15 May 2020 22:02:00
Seriously should we not just go with what the experts say?

15.) 16 May 2020 01:30:32
Really? is it not ok to have a conversation and express an opinion?

16.) 16 May 2020 07:21:28
I think different experts have different views. I read a different stat every day, if the majority of the current cases are in care homes and hospitals then they means we have almost eradicated it from the general population. But, we know players have tested positive recently and Germany had a similar issue.

Perhaps, and this is a wild guess, people get it and have no or mild symptoms. In the past a couple of days rest would fix them but now they will get tested, be confirmed, and then have to isolate.

I don’t envy any government having to wrestle with these decisions right now.

17.) 16 May 2020 07:55:39
Ajh,
If you can continually test the players etc it seems feasible to me, I read a lot of stuff that germany have put in place and it makes sense to me.
I would rather be on a football pitch in the open air with 22 people that have been tested than in a supermarket for example.
I would rather be a footballer than working on the till in a garden centre in terms of catching the virus.
I don't think the virus is going anywhere, influenza been around for a 100 years now. All you can do is lower the risk to what is an acceptable risk .
I've no idea what that is, thankfully there is better people than me to make that decision.

18.) 16 May 2020 08:36:16
I think the experts have been found wanting at various times themselves tbh as they are learning about the virus themselves, I think Tony and Ken are right, we don't need to either force an early restart and I personally don't see it restarting anyway with the easing of lockdown I think there may well be an increase in s again before we get to a June start date, makes more sense to me to have kept lockdown and keep football and team sports away and let the numbers continue to reduce to a very minimum first, public health vs a bag of wind at the end of the day, should only be one winner there.
Not so sure players want to play themselves either, there's so many more issues than we probably are aware of aswell imo that may stop a restart of this season at all.

19.) 16 May 2020 10:30:14
I think it's safe to say that this virus has even the experts second guessing themselves. If we just look at the row brewing regarding schools then we can see that even within our own country there's various different medical views on when it will be safe. Make no mistake we ALL want football and sport in general to return and hopefully when it does (June or later) the risks to all those involved will be as minimal as they can be.

20.) 16 May 2020 12:12:13
With the incubation period of up to 14 days, how many games would be played in that period? If one player had it, how many would be in contact in that period? Then living with their families, multiplying the possible s. I can imagine the R number in football alone. Then what do they do with future games? Do they say that BAME are more at risk so shouldn’t be included?

I sense the drive to get back playing is money related, how much they may lose by not playing and also to not get sued for all the different interests clubs have. That is understandable but not the right driver to play.

So with all the concerns, we will likely be provided with a glorified five a side tournament type games, after all who wants to get tight marking in a corner, what does the ref do if someone coughs or spits on the floor, take all the players off?

I also can see the benefit to the nation to see sport again and many workers, not just NHS, have been working through this whole period, where it has been difficult to socially distance.

To me if they want to play, they should select a squad, a unit of players, coaches and staff from each club, put them in a 14 day isolation or quarantine before any games start, all the unit together, away from families, like at some world cups for the period of the competition. That won’t happen but it would likely be more safe than letting them play and just let them go home to spread anything.

In the grand scheme of things we have to get out in the world again, or the other social economic impacts will be far worse than the virus. We can’t hide away for much longer, the virus is deadly in less than 1% of cases but it can damage the lungs of an athlete, a highly valued asset, so that has to be considered. Also I read an interesting medical article that said despite athletes being super fit, their immune system can be lowered by all the excess exercise, so we can’t brush it off by thinking it won’t affect these super humans.

If pubs reopen in July, I can imagine games will be banned from being shown, they also can’t allow gatherings outside grounds. There are so many considerations and the most difficult decisions for the government and any authority in our countries long history. On balance I think it is too early to put a start date but we have to live again, we can’t hide until a vaccine or a cure is available, (I believe we will get both sooner than people think) so they will play, for me in July. I would look at the 2022 World Cup timing and maybe start the 20-21 season later to account for it.

{Ed002's Note - It is a very good point about the incubation period. This is the major point raised in the letter by the clubs' medical staff.

21.) 16 May 2020 12:38:48
Bundesliga players have reportedly been in a 7 day isolation before the season started. You would expect the above and a lot of other issues to be addressed before the epl starts.

22.) 16 May 2020 13:32:49
Ed, would it still take between 300/ 500 people to get each Premier League game played, even behind closed doors?

{Ed002's Note - Yes. Why would it have reduced?}

23.) 16 May 2020 13:43:50
I was just confirming. It's not just the 22 players on the pitch and the remaining players and staff on the bench. Those are seriously high numbers.

If clubs want to play their remaining games behind closed doors home and away, 200 plus games with 300/ 500 people needed to get the game played. That seems ludicrous considering the lockdown measures still in place for the general public.

{Ed002's Note - Stewards, medical staff, police, electricians, support staff, journalists, outside broadcast teams, referee teams, chap with the keys to the ground ....)

24.) 16 May 2020 14:00:27
Its been suggested no more than a 100 near the playing area 300 with in the stadium. although I would of thought social distancing would only been an issue on the pitch during a game
Electrians etc are all being encouraged to go back to work.
Germans about to KO, if people are interested have a look how they have managed, its an interesting read imo.
It could well be the new normal.

25.) 16 May 2020 14:11:50
I meant it's ludicrous that football is on the radar to return considering how many personal it takes to play one game.

I think if they're defiant to get the Premier League back, it will happen. The real sticking point will be when a player or coach gets it, what do they do? I'd imagine the fixture list won't allow for a 14 day break to isolate a team.

If the league starts back up and we get to gameweek 37 and the league has to be stopped. You mentioned that the league tables standings would go back to before the re-start.

It only works out IF the league is finished. Anything in between and it seems like it could be an even bigger headache than just drawing a line under it now and making plans for the new season.

{Ed002's Note - No, the fixture list will not allow for the period of incubation between games. No, I never said the standings would go back. There will be the first discussion about what happens if the season cannot be completed on Monday.}

26.) 16 May 2020 15:20:49
Mumbles
How do you propose starting next season?

27.) 16 May 2020 16:33:03
I don't think you necessarily have to know how to do something to know how not to do it.

We all want to see football return, but just because another country has started again that doesn't mean we are ready to do the same.

There is an on going debate about whether schools should go back, today we have had the highest number of deaths anywhere in the world and only Russia have had more confirmed new cases than us over the last 24 hours.

UK 3450 new cases, and 468 deaths today, Germany's figures for today haven't yet been posted. But yesterday they had 724 new cases and 73 deaths.

We as a society are far from ready to start hosting sporting events.

I don't know how to start football again, but I know now isn't the time.

28.) 16 May 2020 16:45:31
shsppy
Let's be honest the truth is you don't know either way.
Neither do I or I suspect anyone else on the site .

29.) 16 May 2020 17:02:23
All teams start on 0 points and play each other home and away. The team that has the most points at the end of the season are crowned champions of England. All joking aside.

It's been roughly 8 weeks since the world went on lockdown. I find it hard to get my head around a football match being played soon, when I can't even visit my family or friends. August/ September is 12/ 16 weeks away. Look what has happened in 8 weeks. We'll know a hell of a lot more in 12 weeks time.

The pressure to finish the season before the start of the next one is completely unnecessary. People can't do simple things like visit their parents, get a hair cut. Kids can't go to school. Individual's have been quarantined on their own. Societies most vulnerable have been left to die in nursing homes because it's too dangerous to transfer them to hospitals.

I work for the Department of Foreign affairs in Ireland. We deal with Irish citizens who are abroad and any consulate issues anyone has. We deal with queries from the public in regards travel etc. The amount of queries that are "I have a holiday in 2 weeks, can I go? " Are astounding.

A person is smart, people are idiots. There will be a knock on effect if football resumes while people have to quarantine. Football is back on the telly so its ok to go to the park for a kick around. You won't stop fans from joining their mates to watch a big game. You certainly won't stop fans turning up outside of Anfield when Liverpool win the league. Likewise when teams avoid relegation and get promoted.

Right now there is no need for football. In 12 weeks time we should know a lot more. The restrictions on movement, who you can interact with will be widened. The 2nd wave of s may have come and gone in that time.

They have had 8 weeks of meetings and still have so much to resolve. The easiest thing to do (sorry Liverpool fans) is to draw a line under the season. That would give teams an idea of what budget they're working with next year. Give the governing bodies more time to iron out everything that needs to before the start of next season (hopefully August/ September) .

30.) 16 May 2020 17:15:37
Are you suggesting that it is impossible to tell whether getting 300 people in an enclosed space for every single match isn't as risky as not doing it?

31.) 16 May 2020 17:46:22
shappy
It is about acceptable risk .
The virus is here possible for ever we need to learn to live with it .
Come August it may be on the rise again who knows?
I don't belive me you or anyone in the site knows the answer to your question . Although it seems you think you do.

32.) 16 May 2020 18:28:31
There is no community testing and tracing strategy in place.

As Shappy says, the and death rates here are well above other countries that have moved to ease restrictions.

Even the R number has begun to creep back up here.

That’s all we need to know to determine that it is not the time to bring back football.

By effectively suppressing the virus to a stable low level, and putting an effective testing and tracing system in place, you can then better protect against future spikes. This is what has happened in countries like New Zealand. The issue here is that people want to put the cart before the horse and start opening things back up before the protective measures have even been put in place.

33.) 16 May 2020 18:34:33
Tony, you had me at 'sweating over each other'.

34.) 16 May 2020 19:22:49
Jred, 6 months ago we knew nothing of this virus, 10 weeks ago our government said it wasn't a serious issue, 8 weeks ago our government put our country into lockdown, 6 weeks ago our government said we will have done well to keep the death toll below 20k which they felt was possible. We are now closing in on double that number of deaths.

You are right that know ones enough about this virus yet to make any sort of educated decision on what is an acceptable risk.

The academic and scientific community are learning daily about this virus.

So why when we know so little is it a safe moment to restart a game that will put people at risk, a risk that we can't currently accurately predict?

Personally, I feel the best decision would be to remove the deadline on when the league must be finished, aim to start next season in December/ January and factor in the 2022 world cup and run a changed footballing calendar until after the 2022 world cup.

If then season can be completed before November then great (it almost definitely would be), if not then this situation will have got significantly worse and football will still be the last thing we should be thinking about.

35.) 16 May 2020 20:17:00
Shappy
But to honest you have no idea what you are talking about .
Come on pal a few week back you were posting that it was no worse than the flu .
Now your preaching again? Start December's based on what honestly what? Your expert opinion . Things could be 10 times worse in December.
And half the teams broke and folded.

It looks like the actual people who have a clue are planning for June 12 . If they can get everything in place that they deem sufficient and safe why not plan for that?
If things change and they might fair enough, it won't happen then, which is what everyone has said .

2 questions
1 in April germany and there experts said it was safe to return to training and started planning for the season to start . They had an average of 6k a day at the time . Why are they wrong, and you know better .

2 in England we are returning to training and attempting to put in place a safe environment through various means to restart the league .
How can you argue they are wrong when you don't fully understand rates, how the virus is spread , modelling that has gone on etc etc . It does seem a very complicated situation as many people above have stated . But it seems you have it all work out?
So again why are they wrong?

36.) 16 May 2020 21:04:12
in my own humble opinion I think people would do far better if they listened to the goverment and there advice and not some bloke on a football website or Maureen down the shops or think they know better.
Follow the advice given, stick to the rules and try to get through this as best you can .
If we are asked to stay in the house then do so but equally, if its deemed safe to venture out etc take the opportunity.
There's a lot on the line, peoples lives, mental health, income . We need to come out the other side in 1 piece .

37.) 16 May 2020 21:21:45
Jred, the UK government bottled the decision to ban all major sporting events for the foreseeable future. They passed the ball to the football authorities. You're letting an organisation that stands to lose an incredible about of money if it doesn't restart govern itself. Of course they will be able to spin it that it's safe.

Imagine telling citizens they can't visit their parents, but all over the country there's 10 Premier league games being played that involve between 3000/ 5000 people. Most of whom will require a test before the next game in 3 days.

You're obnoxious reply of "leave it to the experts" is a woeful argument. You honestly think when there's hundreds of millions of pounds involved that they're thinking of people's safety.

If one person dies as a result of a game of football, then it's not worth it.

38.) 17 May 2020 02:58:32
Jreds a football coach so ufcourse he will want to watch footie and be in support of footie starting again.

I don't think he is the smartest guy to have a discussion with regarding football and I am quite astonished how ignorant and selfish one can be.

39.) 17 May 2020 04:24:43
Singh
People are coming on the site and advocating ignoring government advice .
It is a kick in the teeth to every front line worker who is getting up every morning and going out and risking there lives for people who can't follow adive and honestly belive they know better.
Its a complex issue yet yourself and others seem to think they are in a position to know better than epidemiologist etc .
So while you are picking and choosing which advice you should and shouldn't follow have a think who is being ignorant and selfish.

{Ed033's Note - depends which epidemiologist you listen to

40.) 17 May 2020 06:52:30
Jred, do you know what is a kick in the teeth to every front line NHS worker?

Professional footballers getting more tests in a week than they have had in 2 months.

Huge amounts of PPE and tests being directed toward millionaire footballers so they can kick a ball and entertain the fans. Rather than it going to doctors, nurses and care home workers.

You can't come on here and say you're all about doing what's best for those who risk their lives to save ours while advocating increasing the risk of to people putting more strain on those in healthcare and also taking away vital PPE supplies and tests from those risking their lives for us.

As for ignoring Government advice? I wouldn't say it has always been clear what the Government advice is.

10 weeks ago the PM was boasting that he had been to a hospital and was "shaking hands" with people who were infected.

The same PM told us we HAD to social distance in public. Was then seen in the house of commons packed tightly in a crowd of people attempting to speak to the speaker of the house. A week later Boris has caught the virus. Surprise surprise.

First the government wanted to go down the "Herd Immunity" route, then they changed tact when they realised how much damage that would do.

They also placed a senior government official on the board of the supposedly "independent" SAGE group even though said official holds no scientific qualifications.

Now we have a government who feel it is the right time for our children to go back to school, and for us to go back to work, while at the same time not sending their own children back to school and not demanding that all MP's return to the commons.

Our government have successfully contradicted themselves on every major decision they have had to make since the start of this whole situation. So I can have a little sympathy for those who aren't sure which of the government "advice" they should follow.

41.) 17 May 2020 08:32:14
shappy
Your coming on a website and clearly advocating not following goverment advice.
Unfortunately there will always be a minority of people who think they know better.
I don't fully understand what the extra strain on the NHS will amount to, or what position the NHS is in to deal with it .
Do you?
What I do no is my local hospital trust is currently running at 43% capacity which is lowest in living memory.
I have no idea how the ppe situation will be affected. How do you?
My own experience of testing is that NHs staff can get tested on the same day they apply and while it was poor to start with as far as testing of NHS staff in my area there are no issues.
Reports are that any testing run by the EPL will be independent from the goverments scheme.
But the truth is I know very little, when you look at the bigger picture of mental health, the economy, the amount of lives lost due to cancer treatments being cancelled etc, the effects of domestic abuse i could go on and on and then have to try and balance that against what the virus is doing it becomes a very difficult question

There are some very difficult choices to be made and it is no where near as simple as you are making out and my own opinion is you are in no position to make the assumptions your making.
It a difficult situation with some very difficult decisions to be made the best route out of this is I would imagine is a balancing act of all of the above .
I don't envey the goverments position in this but I personally will try to stick to there advice as best I can .

42.) 17 May 2020 09:33:48
Jred, So what you're saying in short is you have had enough of the lockdown and you are happy to increase the risk to others in order for YOUR life to return to some kind of normality.

The Government started to relax the the restrictions on Monday and we are already seeing the R value increase. If it goes back above 1 then the lockdown measures will need to tighten up again.

But sure let's increase the risk because some people want to watch football again.

43.) 17 May 2020 10:11:05
No what jred is saying is that the point of the lockdown was to enable the nhs to better prepare for the s that arise from this disease not to eradicate the risk of death completely.

The point of the lockdown was to flatten the curve and spread the amount of s over a longer period. The area under the curve is still the same, i. e. the amount of s and therefore death. The whole point was not to go over the line where the nhs would be overwhelmed and people would die from non C.V. related issues that could have been avoided. The goalposts have clearly shifted.

You could argue looking at the excess death figures not related to C. V 19 that this hasn't worked either.

Also the R value is extremely volatile to the extent that there are questions that it is even a reliable statistical measure to be using to adjust lockdown measures. Its been over 1 in germany since they changed their restrictions and we haven't seen the exponential growth that people were worried about.

44.) 17 May 2020 10:15:28
Shappy

You talk utter crap. I will point one thing out that shows what you are writing about the virus and the government is utter nonsense.

You said “The Government started to relax the restrictions on Monday and we are already seeing the R value increase”

Let that sink in, then remember the R value was calculated from data before the measures changed AND the incubation period is up to 14 days so will not have had any impact on the R number.

You come on here like a know all about everything, when patently you understand very little. Stick to what you know.

Hard to imagine but I am more in agreement with Jred. My wife has been out to work every day and is frustrated by the hide indoors mentality being peddled by some, out of fear, fear that has been driven higher by the media, a media that have a lot to answer for in this crisis. We can’t live like this for much longer, there are mental aspects to this as well. Yet you have a go at Jred being happy to increase the risk to others. Life is a risk, your mentality is hide and blame everyone. Who has put food on the shelves in the last 10 weeks? They have not had your attitude thank goodness.

Shappy, I have said before you come on here and tell everyone how to think. You don’t express opinions you try to get everyone to be on your side. Yet go into subjects you are clearly not an expert on.

Whilst I don’t think it is the right time now for football to start, it will be soon, I said July, yet we must start to open the country again or the damage will be far worse than a virus that causes death in less than 1% of cases.

45.) 17 May 2020 10:24:29
jred in turning a good thread into creating an argumentative one shocker!

46.) 17 May 2020 11:00:35
Welsh really have a word with yourself .
Redman I fully agree with the above.
Shappy
Honestly I think your talking nonsense, as I have said above

, when you look at the bigger picture of mental health, the economy, the amount of lives lost due to cancer treatments being cancelled etc, the effects of domestic abuse i could go on and on and then have to try and balance that against what the virus is doing it becomes a very difficult question .
I certainly haven't had enough of lockdown but there are a million different reason and balancing acts to take in to account .

For example hospital capacity is extremely low at the moment, we have even got extra capacity with the nightingale hospitals built up and down the country . The summer period is traditionally less " busy " within the nhs. You could argue the NHS won't be in a better position to deal with a rise in and the uncertainty of coming out of a lock down as they are now.
Fast forward to winter when due to flu season and other annually increases the nhs is already stretched to full capacity, i'm not sure i would want to be coming out of lockdown then .

There is a far bigger picture and I 100% have no idea what the right answer is. Which is why personally I will be listening to the advice of the experts and trying to follow guidelines.
Redman and dsg make some good points above as do many others to be fair .

47.) 17 May 2020 11:26:39
To me there is no need to guess what the impact of football restarting, end the season, study what happens in germany, learn from their successes and their mistakes and see what the impact on health is there .
The start of next season will more than likely have the same risks as restarting now but we will have learned information from the germans about what the impact is and wether it is wise .
This virus duznt need a big centre half man marking you at a corner, simple droplets in your breath emitted when you speak to someone too close has the same result .
Millions of people returning to work are at risk not just footballers and many of these jobs are not essential the same as a footballer isn't, but germany can show us exactly what happens in football's case .

{Ed002's Note - There is no viable comparison between a country that has prepared and managed the pandemic with far, far fewer deaths better equipment and the UK which has made a real mess of everything.}

48.) 17 May 2020 15:39:51
I don't need a word with myself thanks for your kind advice tho.
You always turn a thread into an argument, it gets boring, someone has an opinion that's different to yours, get used to it. I have a spoiler for you, your opinion is not always the only one.

25 Apr 2020 11:32:22
Interesting comments from Woody in the press today, injecting some much needed realism into the debate. There is no guarantee the season will recommence or finish and the assumption that everything will be back to normal by August is presumptive.

Many clubs will be struggling financially and the longer this goes on then the worse it will get. I don’t see massive fees being paid by anybody, whether that means a huge reduction in moves, or a realignment of fees I don’t know, but things have changed significantly and I don’t think we properly understand the medium to long term impacts.

There may be opportunities to nab a ‘bargain’ but by the same token anyone we want to move on will have to go more cheaply or we will be stuck with them. Looks like Sanchez will be back then.

1.) 25 Apr 2020 11:59:51
Its got to have an effect, might not be much business this summer.
You would have to think we are a long way off fans going to games.

2.) 25 Apr 2020 12:00:01
I think its sensible to try and curb fans expectations in light of such uncertainty.

The truth is no one knows how this will effect the market. We might be in a strong position to buy, but then can we sell players to make space in the squad? The size of the squad we can name is limited, can we find buyers for Jones, Rojo, Lingard, Pogba and Sanchez etc in what will emerge from this crisis?

While the reality might be that no one can actually afford to spend 100m on one player, in which case will Dortmund accept a lower fee for Sancho? I doubt it. So maybe he is off the cards.

Maybe Sanchez needs to stay and fight for his place next season.

There is so much uncertainty at the moment, we don't even know if the league will resume. The idea of spend 200-300m in transfer fees seems a little far fetched to say the least.

3.) 25 Apr 2020 12:02:38
clubs may need to sell to balance the books so could go the other way?

4.) 25 Apr 2020 12:04:07
Good post pal will be interesting to see what happens!

5.) 25 Apr 2020 12:25:28
Its one of the benefits of having ole as manager, he has significantly reduced the average age of the squad and bought the club some time to plan long term.

Do we even need to bring in 4-5 players or can we focus our budget on 1-2 key players every summer and blend them in with young players who develop over the years.

6.) 25 Apr 2020 12:37:33
Exactly jred, it might well go the other way. I think it will very much depend on the individual club and the circumstances they find themselves in. Different leagues will handle things differently. While some clubs NEED gate receipts to survive.

So much uncertainty, they can't even say for sure that the league will be completed. I think this was just a case of Ed Woodward being asked a question and him giving the only answer he really can at this stage.

7.) 25 Apr 2020 16:14:11
Trying to sell/ getting Sanchez to leave will be like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

8.) 25 Apr 2020 16:32:36
We have no idea what will happen over the next year. Hard to see this season finish or a normal season thereafter. No guarantees that fans will be able to attend games, or pubs showing games. Think clubs are going to struggle to stay afloat, let alone bring in new players. I would hope that it could lead to a re-evaluation of the economics of the entire game, but suspect the bigger clubs will want to maintain the status quo even if it means lower division teams have to fold in high numbers.

29 Mar 2020 18:27:19
Shappy seems to be getting some serious stick lately, much of which is quite personal and unfair. Shappy, you probably post more than anyone else and I would suggest that sometimes less is more, just my view mate.

Having said that, no need for the personal stuff people. If you want to disagree then fine but surely you don’t need to resort to name calling and confrontation. Shappy has been around a long time and is usually pretty respected, not sure why it has all got so shouty. I agree with some stuff, I disagree with some stuff, but I love everyone. Stay safe.

1.) 29 Mar 2020 19:20:20
Seems a lot of posts on here end up with negative exchanges these days, unfortunately.

2.) 29 Mar 2020 19:26:20
Redman had it right. Its not the site for political religious or those type of debates.
I understand feelings are running high.
Shappy is a really top lad and never resorts to name calling himself.
Anyone can lose their cool and even misinterpret a post. I know shappy didn't mean to offend anybody.
Hope everyone is keeping well.

3.) 29 Mar 2020 19:48:34
AJH

Shappy needs to stop trying to control the masses and ensure people think what he does, thought control. This isn’t about everyone being a believer in his god like status. Express an opinion about football is one thing but to tell everyone that there is but one truth and that is the Shappy truth is very controlling. The Ed comments were right. Focus on football tactics not on politics and unless you are an eminent virologist not on what is happening.

4.) 29 Mar 2020 22:57:41
Jesus AJH, I just read his posts below. A whole load of waffle and dangerous waffle at that.

Not sure what other stick you are referring to but what he got after those posts was justified and brought onto himself.

This is a football site, best leaving the serious stuff to others.

5.) 30 Mar 2020 06:58:36
I get thay boys which is why I suggested he cools off from the excessive posting. But as ken says, he's a top lad, no reason why we can't be critical constructively.

{Ed047's Note - sadly it’s an emotive subject AJH which was why I said we’re best not posting anything we hear because then you are treading on dangerous ground.

27 Mar 2020 12:39:47
i just don't see the season being finished. The government are building field hospitals with several thousand beds in them, things are going to get a whole lot worse before they get better. There is a a wave of fatalities coming, and whilst the lockdown will hopefully reduce or slow the spread, its just a temporary hiatus, as soon as movement starts again cases will rise.

The thought of any major sporting events taking place in the near future is laughable, I can't see games being completed.

1.) 27 Mar 2020 13:39:00
I said over a month ago that the season won't be finished. Not that I take will take any joy in saying I told you so. We just need to understand this is so much bigger than a game of football.

Thousands will die in this country, while hundreds of thousands will across the globe. This event will mark a generation.

Our government were slow to act and started off with an ill-advised plan. Within weeks we will see tens of thousands dead in the UK. While this will go on for much longer than a few weeks. We are likely looking at 3-4 months with isolation measures. And even when they are lifted mass events are unlikely to be allowed to happen for a month or two after that.

To be honest I doubt we will even see the start of next season start on time, and could even see games played behind closed doors until 2021.

2.) 27 Mar 2020 15:28:47
This season is done, i doubt the next season will start before september or october.

I think it is time to take the sane step and just dissolve liverpool fc. Since inception of premier league that team has come close to winning the title thrice.

1st time a up and coming coach who looked like he could join the ranks of the greats got his career tanked in a way that the poor guy could never recover.

2nd time led to a fall that made sure that one of their greatest player will always be remembered for an event he and the liverpool fans would forever want to forget.

3rd time they had no challenger who could realistically beat them to a title and lo behold we have a global pandemic that stops them from winning the title.

I shudder to think what will happen the next time they get so close, world war 3 aliens meteor strike?

3.) 27 Mar 2020 16:58:07
Shappy, let me just say this.

Stick to football, there are 3 things you've said up there that aren't even remotely true and it's contributing towards the spread of misinformation.

As someone who's lost 2 relatives in Spain and someone who's immediate family are working with the NHS it's absolutely crucial that you're saying things that are factually correct at this stage.

A lot of people have died because of misinformation, your opinions are contributing towards that.

People take your opinions on sport serious and thus some will take your opinions on what's happening around the world as fact.

I'm okay with opinions and data twisting when it comes to football arguments but when it comes to this everyone who isn't qualified should not be broadcasting an opinion.

I hope staying safe at such a difficult time.

4.) 27 Mar 2020 17:48:48
I think a lot people stopped taking Shappy serious a long time ago.

5.) 27 Mar 2020 20:09:50
Unfortunately AJH I think your right, sport has to be on the back burner as it can’t take up valuable resources.

Maybe esports have the biggest opportunity they will ever likely receive?

When this is all over we are going to get a torrent of abuse, but the right decision needs to be made for the health of people.

I think if training can’t get back underway by May with a mid May start then that’ll be that.

But if someone said before this you need to sacrifice the title to save 1000’s of lives, there really is only one choice.

6.) 27 Mar 2020 20:48:13
well said wyred.

7.) 28 Mar 2020 11:19:33
Moon, which three things have I said that are FACTUALLY untrue?

I am sorry for your loss; this illness will touch everyone in some way or another. My 86-year-old Grandad is in the ICU in Bristol with Covid-19 as we speak. My mum has got symptoms and she is in the high-risk category and has been told to go to hospital if her condition worsens.

I also have friends and family in France, Italy and Spain. Our friend in Madrid told us nearly two weeks ago that the hospitals there are turning people away as they don’t have space, they are prioritising the young and fit over the old and people with pre-existing medical conditions.

They have also turned an ice-rink into a morgue as they don’t have space. This isn’t just idle gossip or hearsay; this is first-hand from a Spaniard whose mother is a doctor in Spain.

Our government did initially get it wrong, that is why they have done an about turn on the absurd “herd immunity” plan, which was more about saving the economy than lives.

As for the information I am going off, all of it has been stated by the government. They have said thousands will likely die. The have created four emergency hospitals with 12,000 beds, while the NHS have reconfigured their hospitals to create an extra 33,000 beds.

So, between them they have created an extra 45,000 beds, they wouldn’t do that if they didn’t know they are going to need them.
Chris Witty said in his original address that as much as 80% of the population will likely contract the illness.

He then said that current figures suggest that 30% of people who get it will require hospital treatment, while he said that 5% would need intensive care. He wasn’t clear on whether that was 5% of the people who get it or 5% of the people who need hospital treatment. If it’s 5% of the total who get it and 80% of the population get it then that’s 3.2m who would need intensive care treatment, if it’s 5% of the hospitalised people who will need intensive care that is still 256,000.

China have been on lockdown for 2 months, first locking down on 23rd January. However, it is unclear how to move out from lockdown. If they just lift all restrictions, then the virus will likely spring up again and a further lockdown would be needed. Discussions are on going about how best to do it. With staged release from lockdown likely, how long that will take is anyone’s guess. But is likely to take months.

I have used clear language where my opinion is used, words and phrases such as “likely” “I doubt” clearly indicating that these are my own views.
The truth is even the experts don’t know, and many of the things they have suggested have cost lives. “Herd immunity” for one, or that the young are fairly safe which has given young people the idea that they are safe. Yet now the idea of viral load has proven that being young doesn’t necessarily protect you.

Viral load for those who want to know how it works is the idea that the amount of virus that gets into your system has a big effect. For example, if you are in a large space say a park with very few people and one of them has the virus and you breathe it in then you might only get say 6 virus organisms. They take between 4-6 hours to double, so after 6 hours you have 12, then 24 after another 6 hours, then 48 etc.

However, if you go to an enclosed space with lots of people say a supermarket, and in that space, there are 10 or 15 people shedding the virus then you might breathe in 100 virus organisms.

Then in 6 hours you would have 200, then 400, then 800. It takes a certain about of time for your body to create antibodies to fight of the infection, if you have a large dose of the virus then it multiples too quickly for your immune system to create enough antibodies to fight it off and your body becomes overwhelmed and starts shutting down. That is why a 21-year-old with no pre-existing issues has died. Because the information given out by the government allowed her to feel that she was safe from it.

Everything I have written states how big of an issue this is and why following the social distancing is so important. It was not me that kept the schools open, or the pubs. That again was the government more concerned with how much this will cost rather than what is best to save lives.

{Ed033's Note - Here is some info put out by the government:

"As of 19 March 2020, COVID-19 is no longer considered to be a high consequence infectious diseases (HCID) in the UK" - From Uk Gov web site

8.) 28 Mar 2020 14:32:56
I think people should stay away from Government of the Country issues, especially Shappy.

In terms of the virus, there is no vaccine, no cure and once it got out of China mass infections were always going to happen.

Our Government have to weigh up the whole position, make decisions at the right time, base it on medical opinion.

Meanwhile amateurs with no knowledge of what is happening think they know better and run the country their way whilst sat on their sofa.

No more than football clubs can be run by Jonny from Bedford because he has played FIFA 19, than can decisions on the country be made from Shappys front room.

Please keep this to football or set up a political dissident page.

9.) 28 Mar 2020 14:43:13
Shappy; “ This isn’t just idle gossip or hearsay; this is first-hand from a Spaniard whose mother is a doctor in Spain. ”. 😂😂😂. Define hearsay 😂.

10.) 28 Mar 2020 17:26:10
I’ve never encountered anybody so in need of being right (and quite frankly, full of sh*t) as you, Shappy.

It was on March 9th (feel free to check the ‘Banter 9’ page if you’re having trouble remembering) that you were telling us all how people were overreacting and that the coronavirus would be no worse than seasonal flu.

“ If every single person in the UK gets it, then around 6400 people will die at most.

This year in the UK
160k will die from Heart disease
140k will die from Cancer
62k will die from respiratory illnesses
2k will die in road traffic accidents
1500 will die as victims of crime”

For the love of god, please stick to your usual drivel of criticism Jose and praising Ole, because you clearly have no idea what you are talking about.

11.) 29 Mar 2020 08:10:28
Well that escalated rather quickly :-)

12.) 29 Mar 2020 10:34:42
I love how the current situation has totally stopped the "Ole out brigade" from having their weekly rants about sacking the manager. So they now feel the need to take the polar opposite opinion to all the posters who would rather not sack the manager just to get their kicks🤣🤣🤣.

13.) 29 Mar 2020 12:19:13
Whereas you appear to have polar opposite opinions to. yourself.
Did the wind just change direction again? 😂.

14.) 29 Mar 2020 13:36:13
Funbt you say that shappy, my eldest is a nurse just outside of Madrid.

As per usual everything you've just said has been completely. Made up by yourself.

I can categorically say without a shadow of a doubt that Spanish Hospitals around the capital are not ignoring the elderly.

What a stupid thing to say.

If you anything about anything you'd know half of the doctors surgeries around Spain have been turned into medical centers solely for those they seem vulnerable.

You're honestly a disgraceful human being.

15.) 29 Mar 2020 14:54:14
Moon, that is totally uncalled for I might disagree with peoples views but name calling just reflects poorly on you.

I am not lying and I have not made this up. This was first hand information given to us by one of the people who is currently locked down in Madrid. This person is a dear friend and attended our wedding a couple of years ago. Her mother is a doctor and has told her what is happening in hospitals in Madrid right now.

They are not ignoring the elderly, but if they have to choose then between two patients when there is only one respirator then they are choosing the one most likely to survive. Which is more often than not the younger patient. Our friends mum works in Málaga but has friends who work in Madrid as she trained there. Our friend was asked by her mum to take specific care of her grandparents as her mother fears for them if they do catch it.

I don't think you are a bad person, and I hope you regret getting personal. In my opinion you are a good poster who always gives well thought-out opinions. I will say I'm a little disappointed by your response.

{Ed047's Note - appears to me that you bring a lot of this on yourself Shappy and you would be better off not commenting on things unless you know it first hand.

16.) 29 Mar 2020 15:08:29
Ed047, I was on the phone with someone who is in Madrid right now, someone who lives there and is Spanish and understands the language and culture. I trust them and they are well placed to know what is happening there.
Some people are just spoiling for a fight, they want to argue against some posters no matter what they say. That's fine, I accept that is all part of posting on a banter site. I just think it's a poor indictment of a person when they feel they need to resort to personal insults.

{Ed001's Note - if you say so. But your whole post smacks of ignorance and you are just spreading hearsay. I doubt if anyone you would know would be in a position to actually know what is happening there. They would need to be in a governmental position to have that sort of knowledge. As for this reply, you have literally just said what any doctor would do in any lifethreatening situation which is pick the one most likely to survive. My grandad was a paramedic (the UK's first and was the one responsible for training all the early ones) and had to make these kind of decisions on a daily basis. This is just you adding 2 and 2 together and coming up with a load of crappy unthought out bull as a consequence.

The Spanish are not deliberately ignoring the elderly, they are following standard practices when there is a shortage of either equipment or people to use it. First priority always goes to the most likely to survive. Do you think it is any different to any other emergency? Do you think if there are two people bleeding out they ignore the one who has the highest chance of survival while concentrating all their resources on the one with little to no chance? That is why working in the emergency services is so hard on people, they can be called on to make life and death decisions every single time they are at work. For you to suggest that they are deliberately choosing to let some die is a disgrace. They would save everyone if they could.}

17.) 29 Mar 2020 15:13:20
Got to agree with Ed047 who gives sound opinion and advice re your last Shappy.

18.) 29 Mar 2020 19:37:38
I do not regret getting personal when you're spreading made up lies about my country's treatment of my relatives.

To you these are just words, to me you're insulting the hard work my country is putting in to save my family just as the NHS is working hard here.

I do not care about anything you have to say.

How dare you disrespect the men and women losing their lives in this war.

19.) 29 Mar 2020 20:54:05
It's not made up, and I am not disrespecting anyone. I have a friend who is Spanish and in Madrid. Tough decisions are being made in the toughest of circumstances. My point was about expressing how bad this situation is and the consequences of not respecting the issue.

Every person who is suffering from this has my sympathy. My own Grandad has it and at 86 doesn't look likely to survive it. My mum has it and is in the high risk category.

The idea that people think we are weeks away from normal life resuming are living in a fantasy land. This will get a whole lot worse yet before it gets better. The fact that our own politicians have come out this evening and said normal life is likely to be 6 months away highlights this.

{Ed001's Note - so you think spreading lies about how the Spanish are ignoring the elderly and leaving them to die is not disrespecting anyone? I would hate to see what you consider disrespectful then.}

20.) 29 Mar 2020 21:52:53
Ed001, here is exactly what I said

"I also have friends and family in France, Italy and Spain. Our friend in Madrid told us nearly two weeks ago that the hospitals there are turning people away as they don’t have space, they are prioritising the young and fit over the old and people with pre-existing medical conditions. "

Where have I said they are ignoring the elderly? I have said they are priorising young, which is as you say best practice.

I wasn't disrespectful.

{Ed001's Note - you are spreading hearsay and rumour trying to suggest that something different was going on. Just give it a rest.}

21.) 30 Mar 2020 01:39:38
+1 for Shappy here. Witch hunt.

19 Mar 2020 08:18:57
Football continues to look for a solution when there isn’t going to be one and for most sports, it’s over for probably the next 4-6 months at least. Cases and deaths jumped yesterday and schools will now close. London will be locked down imminently, probably with troops on the streets, and it may be the rest of the country follows suit. Projections are scary in terms of potential infection rate and deaths.

And yet, people continue to talk about finishing the season, the IOC appear to have their heads up their behinds, horse racing thinks it can carry on with no spectators, the reality is this situation is unprecedented in the last 100 years.

Advice has been given yet people are not taking it. Pubs and clubs remain open and some of them are very busy, some Brits on holiday think it’s a bit of a laugh, the message isn’t getting through.

I’ve just had a job offer withdrawn as recruitment has been frozen due to the virus. People are losing their jobs every day and it’s just getting started. Many many businesses will fold, this may well be more serious than anything we have seen before. It’s Mother’s Day on Sunday but I won’t be visiting my elderly Mother as it isn’t worth the risk.

Sport is my passion but right now it doesn’t matter, it is just not important. People are diyng, more will follow, tens of thousands (at least) will be sick.

I have no idea what things will look like out the other side but right now, stay safe people.

1.) 19 Mar 2020 09:52:23
Beautifully articulated and 100% right, as much as I love watching football it means nothing atm, as far as the people going pubs and clubs its indicative of how arrogant and stupid this country can be at times, people have been given the opportunity to the the sensible/ right thing and while most have there is an element that continue to embarrass and throw the work of all the people risking their own safety back in their face.

There was an army presence in Birmingham city centre last night, it's not long until our choices are made orders.

2.) 19 Mar 2020 10:12:44
Smashing post Tony and I whole heartedly agree. I’ve been working from home now for a week and honestly thought that I’d be back in the office this coming Monday. Turns out they are shutting many tube stations in London over the next few days so that’s unlikely.

I really hope everyone stays safe and that they are not effected by this current situation. This site has become a family, a crazy one, but a family nonetheless! I look forward this all dying down and then we can go back to arguing and debating football till the cows come home.

3.) 19 Mar 2020 14:42:02
Couldn't agree more, I love football as much as the rest of you. But this is life and death, and for those of us who will survive the virus our lives will be changed. We will have lost loved ones, lost jobs, lost businesses, maybe even lost our homes.

Against all that what is a game of football.

4.) 19 Mar 2020 14:46:23
Post of the year and wholeheartedly agree with you.

5.) 19 Mar 2020 15:20:22
Top post Tony!

6.) 19 Mar 2020 16:41:55
I live in Ontario. All restaurants, bars, clubs, libraries etc etc have been closed. Restaurants are doing takeout/ delivery only.

7.) 19 Mar 2020 19:42:28
Martin Samuel wrote a decent article in the Daily Fail, today. Basically saying, why are they even thinking about how to sort things out just now? In effect, do nothing. Thought that was a good idea, personally.

8.) 19 Mar 2020 20:15:37
Good post AJH.
Totally agree with everything you have said.
I know a few guys on this page and know they are going through a tough time for one reason or another with illness or looking after their parents or grandparents that are ill.
Come the end of this pandemic every single one of us will carry either emotional financial or physical scars. Maybe even all 3.
Please look out for those in need do what you can for your neighbour and follow the advice given.
The ignorance, arrogance and selfishness of some is a very sad reflection on society. But there are also some stand out beacons particularly in our health services and front line staff but also lots of do gooder stories that would fill your heart with joy. Everyone can play a part and do their bit to help curb the spread.
Take care all and don't forget to do your bit.
K.

9.) 19 Mar 2020 21:58:01
This thread reminds me that most people are decent and have their hearts in the right place.

As Ken says by the end of 2020 all of us will be touched by this one way or another.

The football will be back on soon enough, but now is for looking after yourselves, your family, your neighbors, your friends or anyone you can help no matter how small.

10.) 21 Mar 2020 00:59:45
Really nice post AJH. And I agree with it.
Personally I’m a nurse, mental health. Mainly doing telephone consultations with a couple of home visits everyday. It’s heartbreaking the conditions I’m finding people in. This virus is bringing the very best and worst out of us. It’s not often I jump in my car and fight tears but it’s happening frequently.
Frankly we.

AJH's rumour replies

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16 Nov 2019 11:13:10
I’m not arrogant Danny. Whatever our current travails, we pay well, we remain one of the biggest names, we will still attract players. There have always been players who didn’t want to play for us, I’m just getting bored of the ‘step down’ jibe.

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16 Nov 2019 07:40:55
If players are choosing a club based on the cup they are in then they are welcome to go where they wish. If Sanchez thinks United is a step down from Dortmund then his head needs a wobble.

{Ed002's Note - Maybe “Sanchez” realises it is a club run by amateurs with a coach who is not up to the job?}

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13 Nov 2019 16:59:33
Sounds like sulking. They can see others getting game time and are throwing their toys out. If they were contributing then they would be playing more, like Williams, or Greenwood. Ole seems obsessed with youth so if they were showing him anything he would be getting them on the pitch, so they clearly aren’t doing enough.

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13 Nov 2019 16:57:47
Ive they to see him do anything to make me take notice. Gomes had some nice touches, Garner can find a pass, Greenwood is scoring, obviously Williams has been a revelation, but Chong has been forgettable every time I’ve seen him. They can’t all make it.

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31 Oct 2019 19:34:34
So far, only 4 teams have conceded fewer goals. Defence isn’t the problem, scoring goals has been the problem.

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31 May 2020 09:37:02
Great penalty taker too, didn’t blast it, stuck it in the corner having usually sent the keeper the wrong way.

{Ed001's Note - good point, that showed his technique as well as his strength mentally.}

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16 May 2020 07:21:28
I think different experts have different views. I read a different stat every day, if the majority of the current cases are in care homes and hospitals then they means we have almost eradicated it from the general population. But, we know players have tested positive recently and Germany had a similar issue.

Perhaps, and this is a wild guess, people get it and have no or mild symptoms. In the past a couple of days rest would fix them but now they will get tested, be confirmed, and then have to isolate.

I don’t envy any government having to wrestle with these decisions right now.

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15 May 2020 18:33:10
It’s pretty naughty that they want to promote but not relegate, you can’t have it both ways but they appear to want to.

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15 May 2020 18:32:28
DSG, I get that and I don’t really have an answer. It’s risky enough that people are returning to general work in ‘safer’ environments, the economy has to get started and the country can’t stay locked down forever. But a contact sport clearly has a much higher risk, so what level of risk is acceptable? I really don’t know the answer but I can see there being a death that can be attributed to football’s rush back which will be unforgivable.

Perhaps we need to suppress it to the point where the risk is acceptable, whether that is now or not is up for debate.

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07 May 2020 17:20:00
Ruud was an animal, he was so dependable.