Leicester City granted postponement of Tuesday's game

Not one Covid-related postponement this weekend because not fulfilling your fixture risks your place.

Back to the bread and butter on Tuesday and Leicester want to cancel. Second time should be a default.

Andrew,

I think the FA Cup has different rules relating to the postponements of matches, if you can't field a team in the cup you automatically forfeit the tie, therefore any walking body will be used, the Premier League has the 13 fit squad players plus Goalkeeper rule.

Four Leicester players attended the packed World Darts Championship final last week may have contracted Covid or passed it to their team mates since then. If so, should the Premier League be allowing them to cancel fixtures?

With Omricon rampant, a bit of a self-inflicted problem that the club is allowing them to do that. (If that's what's caused their latest outbreak).

They shouldn't be allowed to use players at Afcon as an excuse when saying they can't raise a team. They knew when signing these players they would be unlikely to be available so they should live with the consequences.

Forfeit 3-0 win, Ok, 3-1 - even in a forfeit we would concede a goal within 5 minutes.

They still looked pretty good yesterday against Watford.

I think a postponement would be better for us than for them because, without Richarlison and Calvert-Lewin, we're pretty poor and we concede at least 2 per game so we have to score at least 3.

Jay (6), I agree.

Apart from the absence of our two main strikers, a few of our key players looked knackered towards the end of last night's game. Gray played 105 minutes but would normally have been taken off well before then.

Also, Allan put in a hell of a shift and along with Seamus would hardly relish another key game 3 days later.

Take a look at the injuries / non-availability of Leicester players from the link below:

Premier League Injuries

Obviously not sure how accurate this is, but it shows Leicester have up to 16 players who could miss Tuesday's match. There is not one Covid case amongst the list, and many have no scheduled return date. Take into account their Afcon players, who won't return until February at the very latest, and you might as well just say Leicester will want all their remaining league games this month postponed………

Correction: there may be one covid case listed – Soumare.

If Rodgers watched yesterday's game, he would be foolish to ask for a postponement. We just can't put a decent performance together so Leicester would be guaranteed 3 points.

Tony @ 3, if four of their players attended the World Darts at the Weekend and now want to call in sick, due to Covid. That is definitely Bull to me. :-)

FFS, this game has been postponed again. Might as well postpone all their league games this month, as nobody missing on Tuesday will be back anytime soon. Fucking joke. 😠😠😠

We should ask for all our games to be postponed until mid-February when all our injured are fully fit and our new signings have bedded in. Everyone else is doing it so, fuck ‘em. What a joke this has become.

They should do what Rugby league do. The team that calls the game off automatically forfeit the match.

This is taking the piss. An absolute joke.

Leicester cite injuries, players away at the AFCON, and covid for their request to have the game postponed. Well excuse me, but injuries have been part and parcel of the game for years. They've known all season the number of players they would be missing at the AFCON, and as far as I can tell, they have one player with covid. Leicester city, fucking joke of a club!

Farce of a season just like the previous two. Make the managers have a face slapping contest with wet fish. Winner takes all.

We should ask for all our games to be postponed because the majority of our players are shit

Just in efc site game off Tuesday

I thought that cancellations only went on the number of Covid 19 players affected to your first team squad members, not on injuries and absentee players due too internationals.

So the original game in December was postponed because Leicester had a COVID outbreak, and now the game is being postponed because they have injuries and 4 players at the AFCON. I appreciate that these are unparalleled times but considering the side we had to put out against Chelsea that valiantly battled to a draw at Stamford Bridge, it's hard not to scratch your head and shrug your shoulders at the complete farce that on-the-hoof Premier League regulations are turning this season into. I half-expect to see Liverpool fob the powers that be off for the entire month of January as they wait for Salah and Mane to return.

Leicester a more fashionable bigger club than us ( sky era ) so hold more sway probably..

Andrew, have no fears mate. That will happen.

The problem isn't Leicester or the PL allowing this to happen it's Kenwright/EFC and the usual passive fucking rolling over and do nothing. If this club had any backbone whatsoever, they would be driving the PL to award a forfeit. But that's wishful thinking. Absolutely pathetic.

Very weak excuses by Leicester if not all Covid cases. It's like us saying cancel our games until we can find a competent chairman.

The covid situation is critical and the league should cancel all games for the next month. This situation is just stupid and is contributing to the rapid rise in cases throughout the country not just the players but the crowds who are packed together many without masks and unvaccinated and those outside the grounds who are not even going to the match.
Public safety is being ignored by the inept governing bodies.

I think it's a wait and see scenario, and it will now be intriguing to see when Leicester City next play.

Rules, no matter how well intentioned, will be gamed. Especially when the stakes are as high as they are at top level football.

I've got a neutral - as far as English football is concerned anyway - footy watching mate here in NZ and we discussed this watching the cup tie win. He made the very interesting point that teams at the bottom getting postponements will have an easier run at important fixtures if they're tacked onto the end of the season. When champions league places have been sorted, and the title decided, it's naive to expect the same amount of desire and effort from teams with in effect nothing to play for.

This is blatantly gaming a system. The rules makers need to have a long think about what's going on, and they need to start quickly.

Tom Bowers (#25) the league ought to follow your suggestion, but with the amount of revenue the clubs have forfeited over Covid already it's almost certainly not going to happen. There's little doubt the broadcasters would want another rebate if the league were to follow your suggestion - so we just muddle on with the integrity of the league schedule itself being undermined. Farcical.

Fuckin Hell.

I don't think it's a case of Everton being too soft, they have no power over the situation, it's all the fault of the Premier League and how they decided to proceed during December. Clubs are savvy and a way of mitigating the loss of important players to AFCon is to try and get your fixtures postponed.

Derek, I doubt the season will be extended, so doubt the scenario you describe will happen.

Soyuncu. hamstring injury. Return date unknown.
Pereira. broken leg. Expected back mid feb.
Jonny Evans. hamstring. Return date early april.
Amartey. AFCON. Return date 10th Feb.
Bertrand knee injury. Return date unknown.
Fofana leg injury. Return date mid Feb.

Soumare. covid.
Ndidi AFCON. Return date 10th Feb.
Dewsbury Hall calf injury. Return date unknown.

Vardy. hamstring injury Return date early March.
Iheanacho AFCON. Return date 10th Feb.
Daka. hamstring injury and on AFCON standby. Return date unknown.

Play some fucking kids Rodgers. You're a nothing club and nobody cares about you.

The PL will need to re-think this as it's become a joke now.

The games will be made up at some stage Ray(#30). If they're made up towards the end of the season then this tactic quite simply will have worked.

Not really getting your point, to be honest.

The problem that the likes of ourselves along with Burnley et al is that we'll end up playing 3 games a week at some point and if we do progress in the cup that's an awful lot of fixtures to fit in before the designated end of the season. As it stands we have at least 21 games to play before May 22nd (18 weeks away) plus there are weekends where there are internationls scheduled.

No doubt gerbil gob VARDY will be back for the re rearranged

Tony # 26. I really do think Leicester will want the rest of their league games this month postponed, and their next game will be against Forest in the cup, four weeks away. Interesting to see that they are scheduled to play at Anfield on 10th Feb. How many of the list I posted above will be available for that game? Four or five at the most I should imagine.

It is not Leicesters fault, we would have done the same. Blame the premier league they are the ones at fault. They should have told Leicester to do one.

I suspect Rafa is as relieved as Rogers so we will hear no objection from Everton.£MIllions going down the pisser as players sit on their arses. The whole game stinks !

With the injury list that you've just posted Rob, I suspect that's what they might want to do. Will the league continue to grant them this request though? Because that's what I find interesting.

Sorry, I don't understand this at all. If the whole squad was decimated by Covid, fair enough but it seems most of them are routine injuries according to Rob's post. This could start a trend. The PL needs to sort it out.

Well, would you Adam and Eve it!! Bingo has now come out and said that the RS had a lot of "False positive" covid results last week, which forced their Carabao cup game to be postponed. Only one player, Trent Arnold actually tested positive, all the rest were negative results. What a gobshite he is, and a horrible, vile scumbag of a club.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/59931656

Derek #33, my point was that the games won't be "tacked onto the end" of the season when the critical Champions League and relegation positions may have already been resolved. They won't necessarily be any easier for teams at the bottom, they might even be harder.

I hope you're correct Ray, but my hunch is that this tactic is working exactly how it was intended to. Time will tell I guess.

Rob @ 41
In fairness to the toothy one, he had no choice as the rules include players who test positive, even those with a false positive. It's about time us Evertonians became less false positive and more positive, if that's at all possible.

Second time cancelled by Leicester, why did they let players go to AFCON. Fixtures pile up for Everton who haven't called for any games to be cancelled. Yet another pathetic season. Clubs should be deducted points, that will put an end to this farce.

Just the Burnley game, Joe.

How on earth is it fair that they can use the excuse of the African players being at AFCON to inflate the lack of numbers? They shouldn't even factor in as it gives an unfair advantage over other clubs who have lost the African players for the month

Praise be that the game has been postponed.

We wouldn't have had a prayer without Iwobi.

Here's hoping that Iwobi has a storming AFCON. Could then work out well all round come the end of season.

Norwich game will probably be called off, they have a game on Wednesday night so probably won't want to play again Saturday.

"Norwich v Everton postponed due to an outbreak of piles and a shortage of Germoloids"

😂

I am glad that Everton are not playing in their current condition, but I have never seen a club retrieve points from games in hand as hoped. All a bit of a mixed blessing.

Forgot about that one Rob. Still don't wanna play em, we will get kick to shreads again. Its crazy to think some Everton fans wanted Dyche as manager, not even Burnley fans want him.

The logical solution is to sell Digne to Leicester, game on 😉

Ian, that's the kind of thinking we need in our boardroom!

Jim B @ 50, "Norwich v Everton postponed due to an outbreak of piles and a shortage of Germoloids "

I am confident this will have been reported to Nurse Emma (Royd), just to allay your fears mate ! :-)

Just a joke now
Next it'll be we can't play next Sunday because a couple of our lads want to go to Mass

It is frustrating but the difference between FACup and PL is that in FACup we can play kids not in PL squad. This isxwhy Red shite supposedly couldn't fulfill the League Cup semi but could manage to play in the FACup.

It hasn't stopped them in the past Eddie, I'm sure they had to play the kids in a quarter final against Villa, a couple of seasons ago, but maybe with it being a semifinal, they decided they wanted to play a better team?

Tony, was that in the League Cup ?

At this present time, the only solution to this Pandemic is for EVERYONE to be vaccinated - including anyone employed by or associated to a football club in whatever capacity, it should be written into players contracts to keep them and thier families and everyone else safe. Football is our life - blood, don't let COVID win / COYB

At this present time, the only solution to this Pandemic is for EVERYONE to be vaccinated - including anyone employed by or associated to a football club in whatever capacity, it should be written into players contracts to keep them and thier families and everyone else safe. Football is our life - blood, don't let COVID win / COYB

Can't help seeing past clubs now manipulating the current situation to pick and choose when they want to play. Didn't we have 5 players under the age of 20 when earned a point at Chelsea?

Although we called off Burnley.

This is why we have squads.

Another train ticket wasted. Well not quite, I can change or get a refund.

Norwich away next then.

Danny we had 5 players with COVID for the Burnley game, that was first turned down, before doing a uturn, so how have they managed it with only one showing up as positive.

You have 25 players that you can register to the first team premier league squad, more than enough for Leicester to fulfil the fixture.

We had to do just that, away to Chelsea.

This is taking the P?

It was expected, which is rank, so how the hell, is any UK football match criteria,, and for Evertonians, allowed under genuine rules to happen?

This is taking the so called squad criteria to, a level with no rules.

There's no law and no rules, but for me, UK Football is hitting the Pitts.

No code, and no honour!

Is the question?

This is taking the P?

It was expected, which is rank, so how the hell, is any UK football match criteria,, and for Evertonians, allowed under genuine rules to happen?

This is taking the so called squad criteria to, a level with no rules.

There's no law and no rules, but for me, UK Football is hitting the Pitts.

No code, and no honour!

Is the question?

Redefine the EPL, squad rule, and then it will be like waiting for the bus or the taxi, that never turns up.

All the rules have gone and now it's as if a Carry on Film, regards the merits of a game, being postponed.

Not so bad in orden to get injured players time to get back.
And an off tópico: Does someone know when DCL and Richy could be back?

Is anyone seriously surprised that those in charge of football, and Premier League clubs to boot, don't give a monkeys about the wishes, finances and feelings of fans?

Paul Birmingham, your commas, are increasingly, freaking me out, are you, on oxygen, mate, if, so, get well, soon. Gentle rib, please, don't take, offence.

Mike, if you're, not, comma-tose by this time in the night, you need, another bevvy!

This would happen too, when we were on a winning streak ! :-)

I don't really mind having the opportunity to rest and heal up - the more games we can play with Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison, and Mina healthy, the better. Sure, we might have been able to take advantage of a depleted Leicester side, but they didn't look particularly up against it in shredding Watford, whereas we looked pretty gassed coming off our Hull win, with Gray in particular clearly ailing.

Never mind all being well Rafa might turn things around and dissapoint a lot of blues..

Leaving aside which clubs might benefit from games being called off, why have clubs name squads of 25 players plus allowing any youth players at any time if games will be cancelled because only 14 of that named squad are available? And is it beyond the Premier League to call forward fixtures between clubs that are not affected or would that be unfair as neither would have prepared for that opposition?

I suppose they could help out the richer clubs by throwing open the transfer market or doing away with penalties for over spending for the lesser considered.

It used to be a game, a sport.

I'm with Bill @72 after the extra time on Saturday, Mina/DCL and Richarlison out and two new fullbacks to bed in I don't think we'll be complaining. Extra fixtures later but it's not like we're in the champions league.

Was DCL rested v Hull

Bobby#76

Pucked up a slight injury during training Precaution taken not to select him.

Mark

Blimey I forgot all about Mina, I think he's another one coming to the end of his time at Everton though, absolutely no way we can rely on a fella who plays 2 games and misses the next 8, his injury record has gone worse again this season.

DCL will probably be the same all season, misses too much football now and the muscles will be tight every time he plays so will most likely mean niggly injuries keep him out, ala Seamus Coleman when he first returned.

I don't buy into the old "when we have everyone fit" because let's face it we only have our best team out there in the first three matches of every season, it's the same with us year in year out.

Saw rogers going on about the "integrity of the league". Lots of integrity to it shown towards it by the darts jolly squad. Second time should be a forfeit. 25 players on their league roster and they named 16 players in their last PL2 squad. Interestingly they don't list their academy players. Just in case someone tries to count the numbers I guess.

I am sorry but this is an absolute joke situation the league have got themselves in.
Come March / April all these teams will be moaning about playing 2 to 3 times a week.
Injuries and AFCON should not count as they are part and parcel of the game and nothing to do with COVID and all the scare mongering that goes along with it.

Ian 80

What's even more berserk is that they have got a blank Saturday for the winter break on January 28th.

Absolute piss take under the circumstances and I'll reiterate again, the FA have dug themselves a whole that everyone is jumping in now at first opportunity.

There's no way the season will end in May at this rate.

Repeat moment, but clubs are absolutely manipulating the situation. But as others suggest, come March and April, they'll be contradicting themselves by moaning about fixture congestion.

Get the games played. It's why you have a squad, not a team.

Sorry Eddie, just saw your post now, but I'm sure it was a league cup quarter final, a couple of seasons ago when they went to play in the world club cup or something stupid like that.

I'm sure last season at one point we had; Pickford, Alllan, Doucoure, Richarlison, James Rodriguez, Mina, Digne all out with injuries. I remember Carlo not being able to field a full strength team in months. Where was our postponements?

Don't forget more meaningless international matches in March where they expect to break up another two weeks club football for more basketcase Sunday league standard games against the likes of Gibraltar ect ect

Thanks Tony. It seems clear that (whether we would benefit or not) that the likes of Liverpool and Leicester are using the smokescreen of false positive covid tests to get games rearranged so that injured players can return.

The AFCON players should not be counted. Everyone knew that these guys would be missing at this time and so should have factored this into their squads.

It is ridiculous that the Premier League have not changed the rules to allow Under-23s and youth players to be drafted in on a temporary basis to cover.

Last season we lost James, Mina and Richarlison to the Copa America. I don't recall any big whinging from us about it.

I agree the PL should have been proactive and allowed all U23/academy qualification to go straight into the squad. I think the rule as it stands is only those with a first team appearance in the previous or current season qualify. Leicester has a first team squad of 25 and 48 others (U21/scholars) named on the PL site. I'm pretty sure the likes of Rodgers would find a first team if he was told there was no let off.

Spanish B Team concept Peter. They can "transfer" players between squads during the season. Both ways as I understand it. Only their B Teams play in the actual pyramid of competitive league football.

I think it was the Southampton manager talking about Newcastle who had an interesting take on the integrity of the competition. He was asking whether when games were postponed prior to the January window whether it is right that clubs should be able to play newly signed players that weren't eligible for the game as originally scheduled? Think that is an interesting point?

Eddie,

It is ridiculous that the Premier League have not changed the rules to allow Under-23s and youth players to be drafted in on a temporary basis to cover.

My understanding is that those U23 and academy players are already eligible to play without any change in the rules.

Peter,

I think the rule as it stands is only those with a first team appearance in the previous or current season qualify.

I've never seen anything like that before. Any chance you could find a source?

Eddie @ 86, Spot on there mate, these people, whoever they are, (?) are getting paid astronomic salaries (Premier League) yet making very few decisions that affect so many.

Furthermore the few decisions that are made, always seem to favour certain Clubs over others, and I am not speaking ' Conspiracy Theories '. It should be the same for ALL, regardless of status, history or League Position.

If this covid wasn't around, leicester would only have had one player more “available “ for tomorrow, Soumare. So what would have happened then, they would still have had all these injuries and players at AFCON. Would the premier league have still postponed the game?

Anybody remember that tournament they held in the late 80s to celebrate the Football League centenary?

16 teams playing back to back 30minute matches over two days. That might be the way to finish this season with the backlog they will have come May.

Andrew, wasn't it the Mercantile Credit trophy, or something? Wasn't it also played at Wembley as well, but don't think it involved sixteen teams. Could be wrong on that though.

Well played Leicester, they know how to disrupt our meticulous game plan to try and gain a psychological advantage.

They can run, but they can't hide. We'll be ready for them, even if it's us who end up playing the kid's due to an injury crisis aka covid related issues.

It was Rob. Just had a quick google, we lost to Man Utd in the quarter finals and Nott'm Forest beat Sheff Wed in the final.

It was quite a good idea at the time though. Maybe they should do something this year to mark 150 years of the FA Cup

Michael (90) this was reported in The Mail by Mike Keegan on 20th December “ If fewer than that are available, ‘appropriately experienced Under 21s' must be used to reach that number. Any Under 21 player who has started a first-team match in the current or preceding season will be eligible.” It was repeated the same week in The Guardian.

However I've just checked the PL site and it clearly states:
“Each club squad list is below as well as an additional list of each club's registered Under-21 players who are eligible over and above the squad limit of 25 players.”

I think you are correct and there is no need for a rule change. That's an apology from me and my sources!

PS There are a few other sites using the term “ appropriately experienced U21 players” on 20th December but can't find any PL statement as to what this means.

Gray got a hell of a knock the other night and so a few days rest won't be a bad thing for him

Here's the link to new Covid rules and using U21 players. Seems there was a rule change and I'm correcting my correction.

https://www.premierleague.com/news/2426753

“Players listed on the club's squad list who are still available to play in the match, including appropriately experienced Under-21 players (which includes Under-21 players who have played for the club, another Premier League or EFL club, or an overseas club in the current season. However, any Under-21 player who participates in a club's FA Cup Round Three match and has not played in any other first-team competitions for the club this season will not be considered by the Board as appropriately experienced).”

I believe the term, "appropriately experienced u21 players" has specifically been used for the covid situation, which muddies the water rather than making things clearer.

Any player registered to the club under 23 (I think ?) is eligible to play. But the term appropriately experienced gives clubs a valid excuse to cancel.

Typical of those who run football. They love to make up rules but shy away from being specific.

They then suggest to threaten those who don't toe the line knowing their own rules and arguments are weak and open to inconsistant interpretation.

The real world legal system trumps the games lawmakers. A billionaire owner has more money than an FA and can always find good expensive lawyers to argue against the weak and "open" rules.

Thanks Michael and Peter. Would someone like to try and clearly establish the accurate rules for the PL, the FA Cup and the League Cup?
Also -on our neighbour's false covid test results..would these have been Lateral flow test? If so, the well documented unreliability of these should surely not cause postponements, indeed these super-rich clubs should surely be able to organise PCR tests and have them couriered to a lab for very quick reliable results.
It was very convenient for Klopp and Co to get extra rest with their AFCON players missing. The more postponements will give them more chance of getting those lads back for at least one game more than was presumed.
It seems that the PL are interpreting these covid rules for the benefit of their money-makers, just like their VAR use.

Comment no. 23. Once again Kenwright gets the blame.
I just don't get it.

Denis@102. Course it's Kenwright's fault. So is covid, global warming and anything else you want to blame him for.

Eddie the FA Cup rules are tighter than those of the PL. Just need 14 players fit and the game goes ahead, no qualification needed for youngsters, they are all eligible to play. To slightly muddle matters any U21 appearing in the FA Cup alone under this measure does NOT then qualify as “appropriately experienced” under PL rules. So you could play in the FA cup but not qualify for emergency selection for a league game.

The EFL run the League Cup and that is similar to PL rules.
“Club has 14 players including a goalkeeper available from registered squad list, along with 'Under 21 players not on the squad list but who have played one League match, or any other contracted player not on the squad list but otherwise would have been eligible to play.”

Good job we have administrators making these rules joined up and straight forward!

So much confusion and ''corruption''. We all know it goes on and the clubs with the clout will get their own way with the league.

Why was Mane not sent off against Chelski. A clear and obvious intentional elbow that didn't need any VAR. Shame on that referee !!!

Eddie the PCR test are carried out by Prenetics a Hong Kong based start up. The initial contract with the EPL in early 2020 was worth £4M. It was announced last week testing is to be scaled back with PCR only following a positive lateral flow result.

“The Premier League has told clubs there will no longer be a requirement for twice-weekly PCR Covid-19 testing.

From Thursday clubs will conduct daily lateral flow tests.

Tests will be carried out the day before matches and on all training days, with PCR tests only taken to confirm a positive lateral flow result.

The change comes following the Government's updated policy to testing and isolation, which places less emphasis on PCR tests.”

Peter, many thanks for the info.
I wonder if by coming on for a few minures in a league game qualifies a young player, or does he have to have started a game?
The govt changes in emphasis on testing suggest that it wants all and sundry to get on with normal life. Whilst I can sympathise with clubs with high injury rates, I have no sympathy with clubs with AFCON players.
It is a simple consideration when buying players not to be too reliant on any overeas group, whether they be African, South American or other.
Tough titty.

On the positive side we'll have Iwobi back for the rescheduled game.

Pat, great news!

He will be like a new signing.

Pat/Rob/Eddie, so Every Cloud Does Have a Silver (?) Lining ? :-)

FFS just when we were on a roll.

Thankfully we can tune into the thrilling spectacle of the African Cup of Nations… the quality of football is so poor that it makes us Blues feel quite at home.

If you look at the starting line up last Saturday, could the selection be down to originally having one eye on Tuesdays game.

If so then it could have cost Everton a place in the 4th round ,with prioritising the league game and leaving some players out, or on the bench, thankfully we got through.

Brian W, Very possibly so, which I also advocated on the Hull City thread that we should go out to Win every game and select accordingly, and not to prioritise, never thinking for one minute that the Leicester game would be called off again for the second time.

Off Topic, I know but it's good news that Bury FC have finally been resurrected, by a Fans Consortium of sorts I believe. They are nearly as old as we are (1885) so it would have been a shame if they had just been forgotten and committed to the scrapheap.

Had a feeling Leicester would choose not to play this one! Oh well, Norwich next. Surely we'll get 3 points at Carrow Road? Surely?

Let's look on the bright side. At least this postponement gives Benitez & coaches additional time to continue the great work they have been doing at Finch Farm on defending corners & set pieces?!?!

That would be a bit like waiting for Godot.

I should have added:

I read on another post, that Benitez had sent Ronaldo a USB stick with examples of how he could improve. Perhaps this postponement gives us time to compile a USB stick to give Benitez examples of how he could improve?!?!

Don't you think people give Benitez enough stick as it is?

The bottom line is, if he loses to Norwich it's over and Ferguson is in.

And then the bottom line moves to the next game if Everton win. We get it.

No Dale, I don't think he gets enough stick.

Have Leicester asked for this coming weekends game at Burnley to be postponed yet, after all, there is no chance of anyone who was un -available for tonight being available for this weekend. Maybe Soumare, but that's all seeing as he is / or was, the one with covid