Western Morning News (Saturday)
Covid is causing havoc with City’s preparations
HAS there ever been a harder time to be manager of a football club? We all know that the general lifespan of a football manager is short, due to the volatile nature of the industry, where time and patience is rarely offered by trigger-happy chairman demanding instant results and performances.
But now, managers are facing a new challenge, something which was highlighted by Exeter City manager Matt Taylor ahead of the Grecians’ League Two trip to Southend United this weekend.
As we know only too well, the coronavirus pandemic is affecting all walks of life and having damaging and far-reaching consequences on so many aspects of society. Football is well into its ‘new normal’ but preparing for games is so very different to how it used to be.
A manager can spend all week preparing his side for a particular fixture, focusing on whatever he deems important. But even those best laid plans can be thrown into chaos at any given time if a player suddenly feels unwell.
“Nicky Law didn’t feature at Swindon because he had an illness this week,” Taylor said when asked how his squad were shaping up for the long trek to the Essex coast. “He was tested for Covid and it came back negative, but it meant he missed the game and missed a few days training and he isn’t back with the group yet.
“It’s such a strange time because any player that picks up a cold or a cough or a sore throat, then they miss a period of time until the test result comes back and then you are worried about reintroducing them to the group because, as much as we are worried about Covid spreading, you don’t want that to spread either.
If the whole group got a cold, then I’d miss a whole group of players for three or four days until they get tested and get their results back.”
Until lately, the South West has been largely Covid-free, certainly in comparison to other areas of the country, where positive cases and death rates have been much higher. But this week, it emerged that Devon’s County town now has one of the highest infection rates in the UK, placing it in the top 20.
“We are taking every precaution that we possibly can,” Taylor added. “It seems like we have had it so safe down here for such a long period and now, our numbers are as high as anywhere else. University students coming back has maybe affected that, but we have to be mindful of it.
“It’s that time of year anyway when the weather changes and it gets colder and people pick up sniffles because of the change in temperature. But it’s such a difficult one because any symptoms, we have to then get the players to self isolate until they get their test result back.
“The uncertainty of knowing who is available on a daily basis, let alone a weekly basis is something we will keep encountering throughout this season and it is a challenge.”
City head to Southend off the back of three straight wins with League
Two victories over Mansfield Town and Cambridge United followed by Tuesday’s superb 4-3 win at Swindon Town in the EFL Trophy.
It is five and a half years since the two sides last met in competitive action with the Shrimpers enjoying some time in League One prior to their relegation at the end of the Covid-restricted 2019/20 campaign.
“They have had a disjointed start and it looks like a club that is struggling behind the scenes,” Taylor said.
“But our focus – as always – is on ourselves and we feel that if we put in a performance like we have done in the last couple of weeks, then we are a match for anyone on their day.”