Should campaign be are critics?...Answers Paused? Where to your queries
THE Pompey Q&A returns to bring you the latest on the coronavirus outbreak, what happened over the weekend as three players tested positive and what’s the next steps. There’s also a response to the suggestion The News are overhyping events and news on the EFL Trophy final against Salford City.
Do you think the season should be stopped? The pandemic is only getting worse with this new variant spreading it faster surely stopping the season is the best thing for football all round?
Shawn Woodward
JC: Only one place to start this week and Shawn has tackled the subject on all of our minds after the coronavirus outbreak at Pompey.
Sunday at PO4 was the fastchanging nature of a global pandemic in microcosm.
The situation going into the day was Jack Whatmough had tested positive and was isolating, with the club following EFL and government guidelines.
That meant tests for the players Jack had come into close contact with, which returned negative results. Things were looking broadly positive.
Within a couple of hours, however, (chief executive) Mark Catlin had taken a call from head physio Bobby Bacic saying a couple of senior players weren’t feeling well, leading to them taking a ‘rapid test’, which then unfortunately returned positive results.
That spun everything on its head with Whatmough’s roommate Ryan Williams also isolating, leading to the call to test the rest of the squad.
That process is expected to run through until today, with the tests accepted by the EFL taking longer to analyse than the rapid equivalents.
But there has to be very real fears of more positives with the narrative highlighting how quickly the virus and, in all likelihood, its new strain is spreading.
An official decision on the Boxing Day game with Swindon will be taken once more detail is clear, although sources within the club state that such an outcome is likely.
So that’s the backdrop to the Pompey scenario which is being echoed across
League One at Sunderland, Peterborough, Ipswich and Bristol Rovers.
With the pace at which the virus is spreading, the thought is similar outcomes at other clubs are pretty likely in the coming days, at which point the authorities will have a decision to make.
I feel a sensible route if things continue to develop at the current rate would be to have a blanket suspension and get players at all clubs to isolate for 10 days, in line with government advice for the timescale for a positive test.
Hopefully that would allow things to restart shortly after, but as we’ve seen in previous months and once more over the weekend, things can change dramatically within hours, let alone days.
Why do you want the season to stop? Your sensationalist coverage of the Covid situation isn’t helping matters when things are going so well for Pompey.
Vic Colwell via email
JC: Vic has taken a tack which a few other readers also did with how things have developed over the weekend. First thing, of course we don’t want the season to stop – and nor does anyone at Pompey! Things are going well on the pitch, and a sentiment I aired in many conversations over the weekend is Pompey would actually have an advantage over those clubs whose games are postponed if they could keep their season running. The mood was high after the Hull win, going top and the confidence could be felt within the camp. It was a good journey back for the media, as well as the players and staff on the coach.
Unfortunately, that feeling changed over the weekend quite dramatically by Sunday tea-time.
That led to some conversations about what could possibly happen now moving forward and whether it’s good news or bad, we’re duty-bound to convey that to you.
There are fears about what could happen to Pompey’s season with games piling up amid a possible suspension. Likewise at other clubs.
An unexpected stoppage would be chaotic and, depending on its length, raise questions about how and when things restart.
The official line from the EFL at present is things are continuing as normal, with it the clubs’ call on whether to postpone games in the event of an outbreak which they will then investigate.
The league know full well, however, if other clubs are hit like Pompey, Sunderland, Ipswich and Peterborough, they will have to take action.
Like Mark Catlin has said, it does feel like we’re back in similar terrain to we were in March, unfortunately.
It’s the last thing we want as a newspaper or journalists, but it’s our job to relay the information we have and tell you things how they are without sugar-coating.
Where have all the antiJackett cretins gone?! They are conspicuous by their absence. Still it won’t take much for them to pipe up again when we next drop some points... PUP @PAULFH711
JC: You’ve got to give it to
Kenny, haven’t you, Paul.
Five clean sheets on the spin and 10 points out of 12 against four promotion rivals to put Pompey top.
All of that against a backdrop of a toxic online environment and some pretty nasty vitriol aimed at Jackett, pictured left by Daniel Chesterton, at times.
Through it all the Pompey boss has remained calm and unflinchingly polite in a very classy manner.
I said back in August the biggest task in my mind was for Jackett to repair fractures in the dressing room, at a time where I believe he himself thought he would lose his job after the play-off defeat.
By a mixture of moving players on, bringing men in and good management, it looks like the Pompey boss has gone a long way to doing just that. Obviously results always help on the morale front but the mood has been bullish and buoyant of late, and there’s been signs of camaraderie between the players and manager not seen previously. Long may that continue.
Pompey are one of five League One clubs hit by coronavirus outbreaks recently
What are the current thoughts on our Wembley final of last season? Will it be played? Cancelled? Supporters deserve an early decision. @adeyb29
JC: Hi Ade, again this one is dependent on how things develop in the coming weeks but the current plan is for last year’s EFL Trophy final still to be played.
There’s 51,000 people like you who want to know what the way forward is going to be, and I can refer you to our recent story which stated Pompey have asked the EFL to formulate a plan for refunding tickets.
Minutes from the Tony Goodall fans’ conference earlier this month show Mark Catlin said: ‘The club has informed them that fans would like a refund and asked for a plan. The club was hopeful of refunds for fans in time for Christmas but this now looks unlikely.
‘There remains some hope that the game could be played in front of fans in the spring.’
Again, those quotes were made a couple of weeks ago, so liable to change in the current climate moving forward – but that’s how things currently stand.