‘I don’t see any other way – we have got to finish the leagues..’
FORMER CITY STAR CLEAR ON WHAT FOOTBALL NEEDS TO DO ONCE VIRUS BEATEN
COVENTRY City, Leeds United and Liverpool legend Gary Mcallister has more reason than most to hope that the 2019/20 season reaches a natural conclusion.
Football is currently in limbo throughout the world as the coronavirus takes hold, forcing society to be stopped in its tracks with no-one really sure when life will get back to normal again.
The uncertainty has sparked debate and speculation as to when and how the sporting calendars can be resumed, and how the football season can be resolved.
With suggestions in some quarters of declaring the current campaign as null and void, that would threaten imminent success at three of Mcallister’s former clubs who head the top three divisions in English football, and all of whom have a special place in his heart.
No surprise then that the 55-yearold has brushed aside suggestions that the season could be declared over.
“I don’t see any other way,” said Scottish giant Rangers’ assistant manager. “We have got to finish the leagues somehow.”
As it stands Liverpool are in line for their first top flight title in 30 years – Mcallister having enjoyed a glittering two years at Anfield where he won the League Cup, FA Cup, UEFA Cup, FA
Charity Shield and UEFA Super Cup.
The Sky Blues, meanwhile, for whom Mcallister played and managed, are just ten games away from a return to the Championship.
And Leeds United, with whom he won the First Division title in 1991/92, are looking on course for promotion back to the Premier League.
“I realise there are a lot of: ‘What ifs.’ Does the season get shortened when we eventually get back? With the Euros now next summer, you could have guys playing football for two years nonstop to catch up. “What happens about contracts that are running out in the next few months? But you would take all the problems just to get the current season finished. “Uefa want to get domestic leagues finished by June 30, so we’re all working towards that end.”
All club squads are currently in social isolation like everyone else, all following their individual fitness programmes as best they can.
Uefa want to get domestic leagues finished by June 30, so we’re all working towards that end. Gary Mcallister
With sport science now able to track condition remotely, the former midfield maestro explained how his and other clubs are currently monitoring their stars’ conditioning.
“The fitness side is something every club is having to adapt to,” said Mcallister, who was part of Coventry’s exciting Premier League side from the late 1990s that included the likes of Moustapha Hadji, Youssef Chippo and Robbie Keane.
“They are limited in terms of fitness work, so the players have to view it as proper down-time. The squad have GPS fitness trackers and they have all been given schedules to cover distances while we’re all apart, but there’s nothing like being together.
“Individually they are cracking on, making the best of it and just trying to keep up to speed. But the one biggest thing we’re all missing is being part of the group.
“I’ve been retired from playing a long time and I still miss it. It’s why you stay in the game in any capacity. Even when I was doing bits for the media, I was still bumping into football people.
“It’s that mentality, football people like being around each other because we’ve all done it for so long. That’s what none of us are getting at the moment and what we’re all missing.
“But everyone’s in the same predicament, and it’s having an affect across every aspect of the game. The media, players, staff — everyone involved in it does it because they love it. It’s not like it’s just a job.”