Premier League fans preview the restart, part 2: Man City to Wolves
This is the first time we’ve had a fully fit squad this season, with Laporte and Leroy back. And the various changes should suit City: Pep’s cerebral and intensely detailed brand of football should be easier to implement given the lack of emotion in the fixtures, and the ability to make five subs. That helps the bigger clubs.
Is it right to restart? I was strongly against it when lockdown was still fresh and the infection/death rates were very high. Finishing the season on a pointsper-game basis seemed the best option at that point. But as the situation in the UK has improved (slightly) and the Bundesliga has shown what’s possible, I’ve become more comfortable with it. I’m struggling to get excited about behind-closed-doors football, though. And from a City perspective, that’s a real shame. We’ve still got so much to play for in Europe and the FA Cup but any successes will feel somewhat hollow.
What I missed most … Seeing my mates in the pub before games, slagging off Pep’s weird and wonderful team selections over a beer, turning up late to almost every home game. It’s those daft match-day rituals I miss most.
What I missed least … Lazy punditry. And the hot takes you see on Twitter.
Has the club had a good lockdown? The Etihad campus was transformed into a huge testing facility and a hub for local NHS workers. The club didn’t furlough any of the staff. The ticket office was slow with refunds, though – but that has now been sorted.
Predictions … Top four: 1 Liverpool; 2 Man City; 3 Leicester; 4 Man United. Going down: 18 Bournemouth; 19 Aston Villa; 20 Norwich.
• Lloyd Scragg NinetyThreeTwenty.com@lloyd_scragg
Manchester United
Rashford and Pogba are available after injury – but will Pogba feature in Ole’s plans, given everything that’s gone on? If he does start, how will he and Bruno work alongside each other? If they gel we’re likely to finish very strongly. We used to lack nous but with those two in tandem that would be a thing of the past.
Is it right to restart? No, I can’t see the point. We have hundreds of people still dying and there’s this big rush to finish the season off – I just can’t get my head around it. We have plenty to play for in the FA Cup and the Europa League but you can’t risk lives for football. In any case, watching the Bundesliga has been like watching testimonials. You’ll see plenty of midtable teams just going through the motions to appease the TV paymasters.
What I missed most … The social aspect. I’ve made many friends in the 40 years I’ve been going – it’s such a massive part of life and lately it has felt like that part of life had ended.
What I missed least … The guy who sits in front of me at Old Trafford.
Has the club had a good lockdown? Yes, supporting charities and hospitals, not furloughing full-time staff and giving goodwill payments to a further 950. And Marcus Rashford helped raise around £20m to feed vulnerable children during the pandemic. What a guy. Also, fans rallied around those who were ill, arranging fundraisers and other support.
Predictions … Top four: 1 Liverpool; 2 Man City; 3 Leicester; 4 Man United. Going down: 18 Bournemouth; 19 Watford; 20 Norwich.
• Shaun O’Donnell
Newcastle
It seems like aeons ago that we were celebrating getting into the FA Cup quarter-finals. That remains our only shot at a good season, though if we can keep Andy Carroll fit and Allan SaintMaximin firing, we might yet improve on our precarious league position. The prospect of new owners has been the main focus, but, as it’s Newcastle, we’ll probably get relegated and face the Championship under Mike Ashley.
Is it right to restart? No. It puts players at risk and, in any case, it won’t be the same without the crowds. Voiding the season may have been a better option. This smacks of greed before health.
What I missed most … Having a pint before the game and drowning sorrows after it in the pub (remember them?).
What I missed least … The media obsession with the “top six” clubs, and trudging through Match of the Day to watch our (usually) insipid appearance. Lineker, Shearer and Wrighty’s Top Tenshave been far more entertaining.
Has the club had a good lockdown? It taught us what we already knew … Mike “please can I keep my shops open” Ashley made us the first Premier League club to furlough staff, there was silence on ticket refunds while direct debits were being taken for next season, and no communication on the prospective takeover. As usual, fans have been treated with contempt, and the club also seems willing to lose one of our hottest local prospects, Matty Longstaff. So, typical Newcastle, really. At least fans’ groups and the foundation have done tremendous work in helping our city’s most vulnerable. Hats off.
Predictions … Top four: 1 Liverpool; 2 Man City; 3 Leicester; 4 Chelsea. Going down: 18 West Ham; 19 Aston Villa; 20 Norwich.
• David and Richard Holmes
Norwich
We’ve a couple of extra bodies fit but that applies to the other 19 teams, too. Our task remains the same: to close a six-point gap in nine games. For our website I tried, through yellow and green tinted spectacles, to construct a set of results that would see us safe. I failed …
Is it right to restart? Not convinced, but I’d rather we were relegated by playing the season out, even in a diluted form, than go down on points-per-game where we’ve not had a fair crack at it. In terms of player and staff safety, though, is it really that much safer now than when the season was suspended? I guess they’ll argue the Bundesliga relaunch has been a success, but Germany has been rather more successful than the UK in managing the spread of Covid-19.
What I missed most … Match days the people, the friends, the smells, the sights and the sounds. I’ve even missed that bloke who sits near me who shouts “BOOT IT” constantly when the ball is played patiently from the back through the thirds. And I miss sitting next to my dad.
What I missed least … That constant feeling of being unwelcome guests at a posh party. Norwich and the Premier League are not natural bedfellows.
Has the club had a good lockdown? It’s a proper community club. 7,000 calls made to older season-ticket holders, 300 by first-team players; 1,500 food parcels delivered. We took some flak for furloughing some staff but this club has more financial limitations than most.
Predictions … Top four: 1 Liverpool; 2 Man City; 3 Leicester; 4 Man United. Going down: 18 Brighton; 19 Aston Villa; 20 Norwich.
• Gary Gowers norwichcity.myfootballwriter.com@gar y_gowers@MFW_NCFC
Sheffield United
I’m excited for the resumption of what’s been one of the most brilliant seasons (on the field, at least) for the Blades in living memory. The positive, “raring to go” noises coming from all levels of the club in the last couple of months certainly give the impression that we’re itching to get back at it, and by all reports some members of the squad are now fitter than they’ve been all season. European qualification is legitimately achievable; whether we’ll be able to actually travel “from Amsterdam to Kazakhstan”, as the fans have been singing, remains to be seen.
Is it right to restart? If it’s safe, yes. The hysteria about voiding the league just seemed preposterous to me - I think it’s vital for the integrity of the league that the season is finished, and the best way to do that is by fulfilling every fixture.
What I missed most … It’s hard to convey just how watchable and well liked this team is compared to those that came before. It’s a simple answer but I’ve just missed the experience of watching these players every week.
What I missed least … Over-the-top Twitter tribalism can be pretty wearying.
Has the club had a good lockdown? Like most clubs they’ve stepped up: senior staff volunteering pay cuts, furloughed staff paid in full, and support for the NHS via staff volunteering and use of club facilities. Meanwhile, players have stayed in touch via social media. Turns out that a lot of their kids have got some serious footballing ability. It seems Billy Sharp and John Fleck are raising their own replacements.
Predictions … Top four: 1 Liverpool; 2 Man City; 3 Leicester; 4 Chelsea. Going down: 18 West Ham; 19 Watford; 20 Norwich.
• Ben Meakin BladesPod – the Sheffield United Podcast @bladespod
Southampton
Feelings are mixed – while we’ve now got ourselves into a position where we should be relatively comfortable, the games before the shutdown didn’t go to plan. But the break has enabled Nathan Redmond to get back to fitness and Sofiane Boufal will presumably have got over the niggle that was affecting him in March, so we may have our main creative forces available again. There’s probably too much for too many teams to do in the remaining nine games for us to get dragged back into trouble, so hopefully we can look up rather than down the table.
Is it right to restart? From a financial perspective, it was imperative. Bigger clubs could probably have absorbed the hit if the season had been cancelled, but most run at pretty much breakeven, so this situation is only going to extend the gap between the haves and have-nots.
What I missed most … Seeing friends before and after games in the pub, having weekends away for away games, that sort of thing.
What I missed least … The tedious media circus around the bigger clubs has quietened significantly, and that’s been a blessed relief, to be honest.
Has the club had a good lockdown? Considering the board announced fairly significant losses days before it started, it would have been easy to place staff on furlough and refuse to refund ticket money. Instead the club have been an example, with charity and community work, and being the first to agree a wage deferral. They did the right thing.
Predictions … Top four: 1 Liverpool; 2 Man City; 3 Leicester; 4 Chelsea. Going down: 18 Brighton; 19 Aston Villa; 20 Norwich.
• Steve Grant SaintsWeb.co.uk@SteveGrant1983
Tottenham
The prospect of exhibition football isn’t sending tingles down my spine – but I’m looking forward to celebrating (bemoaning) some Spursy moments. We have some big fixtures so, even if this does play out like a pre-season, perhaps the novelty will inspire players to show off a little. Lo Celso injured? All hope is on Ndombele. This is fine.
Is it right to restart? No spectators, five subs … it’s a flex nobody asked for. The atmosphere is often the trigger for setting a tempo – we can’t influence the game from our sofa. It isn’t the right decision to restart, but money is more important than integrity.
What I missed most … Football is about belonging. Pubs, dodgy burgers, the emotional hedge bet, singing, hugging and kissing strangers. The fundamentals. Football is about mates, family – this pandemic is the antithesis of everything we take for granted. I miss the escapism. I demand to see Spurs defend poorly again.
What I missed least … Spurs defending poorly.
Has the club had a good lockdown? We’ve been treated to a vintage Tottenham paradox. I call this Schrödinger’s Chairman. Daniel Levy is worth over £300m. I have around £6 in Bitcoin. So I’m not going to pretend to understand the weight of running a super-rich football club. But the furlough debacle was exactly that. Even when there’s an opportunity to make a positive statement of unity and togetherness, we score an own goal. He corrected the error – and the stadium has been used to help the NHS. As for José and two or three players breaking lockdown to train? An illegal haircut? It’s daft, but not Kyle Walker levels.
Predictions … Top four: 1 Liverpool; 2 Man City; 3 Leicester; 4 Tottenham. Going down: 18 Norwich; 19 Aston Villa; 20 West Ham.
• Spooky DearMrLevy.com, The Fighting Cock, @Spooky23
Watford
We’re a goal above the drop zone, so everything’s obviously perfectly fine … no concerns at all … Our form since Nigel Pearson arrived has been solidly mid-table, the familiar mix of startling wins, lamentable defeats and spread of in-between that’s characterised our Premier League career since 2015. But the poor start leaves us giddily precarious. It’s very difficult to predict how things will go following this unprecedented interruption but we do have a solid, experienced spine, and leaders in the side in Deeney, Foster and Capoue, plus the volcanic Sarr. The break wasn’t long enough to accommodate Deulofeu’s injury, though, and one suspects that any impact of empty stands on both our winnable home fixtures and our propensity to make expensive defensive mistakes won’t be to our benefit. We’ll stay up, obviously.
Is it right to restart? I think so. The lack of fans isn’t ideal but lots of stuff is far from ideal right now. Everyone has to be safe, but life has to carry on somehow; here as elsewhere there’s a balance to be struck between caution and having stuff to “get back to”. I’m glad it wasn’t my decision to make.
What I missed most … Specifically, everything. But most of all the place to escape to just when it would have been
most useful.
What I missed least … Nothing, I’ve missed all of it, even the rubbish bits. Give me a long away trip to watch us lose 1-0 in the rain and I’ll be delighted. Unless it’s to Palace.
Has the club had a good lockdown? It’s tremendous to have pride and belief in the club and its place in the community reaffirmed. Having a hospital next door makes it easier to be supportive, but catering for, cleaning scrubs for and providing a sanctuary for hospital staff was just wonderful. As was players and ex-players ringing older and vulnerable fans to check up on them. My dad got a call from Tommy Mooney – he was delighted. A small thing, a bit of kindness, but they did it. I’ve never been prouder of my club at a time when so many things that you’d like to rely on are crumbling.
Predictions … Top four: 1 Liverpool; 2 Man City; 3 Chelsea; 4 Leicester. Going
In some ways an empty stadium might free up West Ham. We have a lot of fancy dan confidence players (Anderson, Lanzini, Fornals) who might be better without a crowd hollering at them. And as our lads are already used to the carpet gap between players and fans, they may adapt quickly. The money-induced loss of out-of-contract Jeremy Ngakia after just four (four!) games is a blow, but at least we’ve got our crisis in early. Much, as ever, will depend on Haller justifying his £45m fee and our defence not socially distancing. But I think we’ll stay up.
Is it right to restart? I’d have delayed it a little longer – but no sport is without risk, and there’s something horrible about the idea of an abandoned season, even if that might have kept the Hammers up.
What I missed most … My fellow season-ticket holders, in particular Matt’s haranguing of referees and VAR, Fraser’s demands to sack the board, Michael’s Shakespearian insults and Nigel’s “lucky” half-time banana.
What I missed least … Having my weekend ruined by calamity keepers. I’ve missed watching Match of the Day and MotD2 less than I thought, though, as it’s meant I’ve finally had the time to read War and Peace, where Napoleon suffers an away defeat in Moscow.
Has the club had a good lockdown? Turns out David Moyes is a decent man who is good at delivering vegetables to the housebound. Other things I’ve learned through all this: Michail Antonio is a much better driver during lockdown; Tomas Soucek’s girlfriend is great at keepy-uppy, while Felipe Anderson has an apartment the size of a small runway and is good at dribbling past his alsatian.
Predictions … Top four: 1 Liverpool; 2 Man City; 3 Chelsea; 4 Leicester. Going down: 18 Brighton; 19 Bournemouth; 20 Norwich.
• Pete May Author of Goodbye to BoleynHammersInTheHeart.blogspot.c o.uk
Wolves
I’m pretty confident: our outstanding fitness and medical team should have the players in good shape. That said, the preparation hasn’t been ideal for anyone and we have a small squad, so the number of games in such a short spell could take its toll. I back Nuno to get the balance right – but it won’t be easy.
Is it right to restart? I’m not sure it could ever be completely right – I totally understand the players, owners and fans who have gone public with their fears. But with so many competing selfinterests in play, the season really had to be completed.
What I missed most … The nervousness on the day of the game. It’s quite an empty feeling knowing there hasn’t been a game to look forward to.
I’m starting to get that feeling again the nearer we get to the restart.
What I missed least … I quickly realised during the first Bundesliga game that I hadn’t missed Steve McManaman or Martin Keown. But their punditry is a price worth paying to get football back.
What I learned about my club … The owners made a fantastic effort to help the community and avoid furloughing staff. On the negative side, Morgan Gibbs-White was caught attending a mid-lockdown party with Love Island “stars” … Nuno will have dealt with it.
Predictions … Top four: 1 Liverpool; 2 Man City; 3 Leicester; 4 Chelsea. Going down: 18 Watford; 19 Aston Villa; 20 Norwich.
• Louie Silvani ThroughTheThirds.blogspot.com@loui esilvani4
• Part 1: Arsenal to Liverpool
Is it right to restart? I keep changing my mind. It was never about the integrity of the league: it was all about money. The Premier League should have come straight out and said that: I think most fans would have appreciated the honesty. Having tried to watch some of the German football I’m still not convinced it’s the real thing – it feels more like glorified friendlies.
What I missed most … The social side: the pub, beer and the moaning – all as important as the game itself. Football without fans is nothing, and we’ll see that over the next few weeks.
What I missed least … Football fan video bloggers. Oh, and the media fawning over Liverpool. The thought of Liverpool winning the league is bad enough without the 24/7 rolling coverage.
Has the club had a good lockdown? Chelsea responded positively: they’ve supported the NHS and local charities from the start. By way of contrast, the likes of Liverpool and Spurs using the furlough scheme was embarrassing.
Predictions … Top four: 1 Liverpool; 2 Man City; 3 Chelsea; 4 Man United. Going down: 18 West Ham; 19 Bournemouth; 20 Norwich.
• Paul Baker In memory of Trizia
Fiorellino
Crystal Palace
We’d built up a bit of momentum before the lockdown, with three wins on the spin and surging up the table. The squad is fully fit now, but who knows what sharpness is going to be like … With a reasonably difficult run-in, a top-10 finish would be a great success.
Is it right to restart? Absolutely. Once the safety of players and match-day staff was established there was every reason to restart – both for the obvious financial reasons, but also for the morale-boosting effect it’ll have on football supporters everywhere.
What I missed most … Not so much the matches themselves, but rather the friends you meet beforehand in the pub or sit with at the match, as well as the wider football chat in person and online. I didn’t realise how much structure football gave my life until it was gone.
What I missed least … Queuing for a beer. Queuing for toilets. And those abject defeats that hang over you like a cloud until the next match.
Has the club had a good lockdown? The chairman took a lead in pushing for the Premier League to come back – he’s come across well in the media. The club have been impressive all round: not furloughing staff, continuing charity outreach to vulnerable youngsters and providing free meals to NHS staff.
Predictions … Top four: 1 Liverpool; 2 Man City; 3 Leicester; 4 Man United. Going down: 18 Brighton; 19 Aston Villa; 20 Norwich.
• Chris Waters PalaceTrust.org.uk@Clapham_Grand
Everton
We’re in a very precarious state. With Mina injured we have just two experienced centre-backs in Holgate and Keane. Given the high injury rate in Germany since their restart that’s an obvious worry. Gbamin’s injury also makes midfield extremely light. Players such as Walcott who are always susceptible to soft-tissue injuries make the situation even further stretched.
Is it right to restart? No. It’s been driven by the financial consequences of not delivering a complete season to the broadcasters. Years of financial mismanagement by the clubs and poor relationships between the league and broadcasters are coming home to roost.
What I missed most … The buildup to games, the anticipation and the predictions among friends, followed by the post-match debate and arguments. The games themselves, not so much.
What I missed least … Pundits! If broadcasters could just let the football do the talking and leave the punditry out it’d do us all a favour …
Has the club had a good lockdown? They continued to excel in community work, and they’ve also been fantastic employers, maintaining and paying all positions. Communications and engagement regarding the restart have been very poor, though.
Predictions … Top four: 1 Liverpool; 2 Man City; 3 Leicester; 4 Chelsea. Going down: 18 West Ham; 19 Bournemouth; 20 Norwich.
• The esk TheEsk.org@theesk
Leicester
It’s going to be a nervous run-in. It feels like the start of a new campaign, except there’s so much more to lose, especially for us. I have to hope the coaches have kept to the usual high standards and that everyone is fit and raring to go. More of the same will do nicely.
Is it right to restart? I don’t think so. The aftershocks of the pandemic will be felt in football for years to come. Restarting after such a long break was just as unfair as all the other possibilities. I think we should have ended the season, honoured promotions, qualifications and championships based on current positions and played with 22 clubs in the Premier League until we can gradually return to normal.
What I missed most … Just having something to look forward to – a distraction from the endless stream of bad news.
What I missed least … Stressing about whether or not we can keep hold of our top-four spot.
Has the club had a good lockdown? The club has been tremendous as always – taking much of the financial burden. Our players have made generous personal contributions to Covid-19 relief efforts, too. It’s one aspect we never have to worry about.
Predictions … Top four: 1 Liverpool; 2 Man City; 3 Leicester; 4 Chelsea. Going down: 18 Bournemouth; 19 Aston Villa; 20 Norwich.
• Chris Whiting clippings.me/ chriswhiting@ChrisRWhiting
Liverpool
Our first game is the derby, which I think we’ll win and be on our way. I’m confident we can take up where we left off, perhaps not with the same intensity at first, but I can’t see us not winning most of our games. Six points and we’re champions. It’s been a while.
Is it right to restart? Yes. This season needs to finish before we can start to think what’ll happen for the next. Behind closed doors isn’t great but at this stage there’s no other way. Who knows when crowds will be able to gather again, and we’ve already had to play a game – against Atlético Madrid back in March – that we shouldn’t. It looks like it had dire consequences.
What I missed most … Seeing Liverpool win the league. Celebrating Liverpool winning the league. Seeing mates. I’ve been asked a few times if I think this title will be tarnished because of the situation? Tarnished? Madness.
What I missed least … Travelling at crazy times for crazy kick-offs to suit TV. Oh, and the rubbish you hear (see above).
Has the club had a good lockdown? Klopp and the players have done a fair bit of community work and online connection with fans. The club took some stick when they announced they were going to furlough staff, and days later they backtracked. But they did backtrack. Anyone can make mistakes. The reversal came thanks in a large part to pressure from Spirit of Shankly and the club’s willingness to engage with the supporters’ union. The club also worked with SOS to lobby for games to be played at Anfield, not neutral venues. We’ve got an ace squad and the best manager. And pretty soon we’ll have number 19.
Predictions … Top four: 1 Liverpool; 2 Man City; 3. Leicester; 4 Chelsea. Going down: 18 Watford; 19 Aston Villa; 20 Norwich.
• Steph Jones
• Part 2: Manchester City to Wolves