Does Covid only affect league games?

[bigpockets]

As it stands, not a single FA Cup game postponed. Is everyone suddenly better?

 

[YorkBlade]

It's the greatest cup competition in the world and even Covid respects that.

 

[robbiez666]

As it stands, not a single FA Cup game postponed. Is everyone suddenly better?

The bigger teams don't really care about it, so playing reserves/kids not a problem. The smaller teams want the money, which might not be guaranteed from a rescheduled midweek fixture. Man City have 20 odd cases yet quite happy to play kids.

 

[mattbianco1]

The FA have said that ALL games must go ahead haven't they?

 

[Ralph Blade]

I read the other day, but can’t find the source now, that it’s different because it’s the FA running this not the EFL. As far as I remember, teams are expected to look beyond their named squad of 25 in the FA Cup or something like that. That’s why Klopp was getting stick the other day for wanting the Carabao Cup game off whereas Villa had to play their kids against Liverpool last Jan in the FA Cup, it’s two different sets of rules. It’s not very clear in practise because a lot of clubs play weakened teams out of choice, which I personally cannot abide. It never happened, but I wondered how close the team that Wilder would have been forced to put out on New Years Day would have been to the one he voluntarily fielded away to Mansfield.

 

[MobileBlade]

I read the other day, but can’t find the source now, that it’s different because it’s the FA running this not the EFL. As far as I remember, teams are expected to look beyond their named squad of 25 in the FA Cup or something like that. That’s why Klopp was getting stick the other day for wanting the Carabao Cup game off whereas Villa had to play their kids against Liverpool last Jan in the FA Cup, it’s two different sets of rules. It’s not very clear in practise because a lot of clubs play weakened teams out of choice, which I personally cannot abide. It never happened, but I wondered how close the team that Wilder would have been forced to put out on New Years Day would have been to the one he voluntarily fielded away to Mansfield.

Liverpool asked for the FA Cup games to be cancelled and FA said no, use your kids.

 

[Frank the tank]

It's a great chance to play some of the other 50 odd available players at most clubs who should have played in place of the best players who are affected by covid

 

[Dark muffy]

I hope Middleborough can battle on and put a team out.

 

[Yellarbellyblade]

Apparently we’ve got 11 unavailable but are playing

 

[YorkBlade]

The FA vs The EFL

 

[CPB]

Interesting that we have a few in the camp with it too.
Hecky says up to 11 out. Guessing this includes MGW, JOC, Olsen etc.

Sounds like the FA have said if you can't play you forfeit? Could also be because there is already a fixture pile up as well and for the purposes of the cup games need to be played within weeks of each other for the rounds to work as well.

 

[Ginger Gnome]

The side effect is any kids who play will then count as having first team experience when it comes to teams trying to cancel league games

 

[Panini]

The side effect is any kids who play will then count as having first team experience when it comes to teams trying to cancel league games

That's not the case, only League minutes count towards League eligibility.

 

[Pollingtonblade]

Maybe covid doesn't impact on the cup like it didn't impact on customers in pubs if they were eating a substantial meal, or it only impacted on groups of more than 6?

 

[Broomhall Blade]

Out of interest loads of games going ahead in leagues 1 & 2 only games off are those involved in the FA Cup.
Maybe covid has had a week off.

 

[Berkshire Blade]

Out of interest loads of games going ahead in leagues 1 & 2 only games off are those involved in the FA Cup.
Maybe covid has had a week off.

There's got to be a degree of herd immunity in football squads now as it's been most of December and January it's been ripping through them! We seem to be last hit in the championship and we have 11 out this week.

 

[SwissBlade]

As it stands, not a single FA Cup game postponed. Is everyone suddenly better?

Yeah it’s miraculous. It’s the English FA Cup Outlier as Drakeford would say

 

[1889]

The ironic thing is of course, that in many years prior to Covid, half the Premier League sides would be playing their kids anyway