I’m not sure who it was who came up with the term “known unknowns” but it’s very definitely where football and Tottenham Hotspur are at, at the moment.
Writer: Jod
We have cancelled matches across Europe with no clue whether or not they will eventually be played. We have talk of the Euros being moved to next year but aren’t sure whether that will actually happen. Even without the public health problems, we don’t even know whether fourth or fifth will be needed for the Champions League.
The strange thing is from our perspective, the situation was already so bad it couldn’t get much worse. Depending on how it plays out the situation could actually work in our favour.
Does The Break Suit Spurs?
Yes, Get Everyone Fit & Drilled
No, Other Clubs Will Do The Same So We Don't Really Gain
Ideally, we want a nice long delay before football resumes with the Euros moved so that the various leagues can finish their seasons in the summer. This would have a number of pluses for us. First, of course, we would have time to get players fit. How different would the remainder of the season be if Kane and Son were available?
Second, it would give Jose a period to work full time with the players on the training ground. There’s a difference between a manager telling the players what he wants and drilling it into them with practice after practice. It’s hard to to get enough training in when you are playing twice a week, it’s dead easy if you aren’t playing at all. If the Euros are moved there’s a further bonus.
The World Cup really hurt us with players starting the season already tired from having no summer break. If we have no summer tournament we have the possibility of starting with an injury-free, fresh squad next season which would make a nice change.
Of course, like everyone else, the club would take much less of a financial hit if the season was eventually finished. In our case there are also the various events that may or may not take place at the stadium. So we want a break that lets us get our players fit, but still lets us stage as many of the concerts etc as possible, not sure how long that would be.
I’m also not sure how significant the loss of income would actually be. If every club ends up losing money this season then every club will have less to spend on players, the laws of supply and demand say that will mean prices go down. Theoretically, the financial impact may not be that great. Its all ifs, buts and maybes.
But we could end up looking back on this strangest of seasons and think we got out of jail.
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I also thought this delay in games will help our injured players back and the newbies more settled. Tanguy t get his fitness up and perhaps be more settled in London. Jose will have more time on Enfield training ground, and can reconnect with (dele not his brother..) the players when all the pressure of last 8 games results reduced quite a bit. As such a return of a mix of the humble one and stroppy one will be better?
However the other clubs will also have the same respite as us, so expect renewed energy and tempo in rescheduled games. COYS
Though I don’t really want to see this myself, Karen Brady’s wish of cancelling the season might actually be best, as it would put us back in the Champions League without having to play another second of football!
I don’t like this idea as it seems the least sporting option. If nothing else this season, Liverpool deserve to have their title parade and the teams at the top of the championship deserve to be promoted
The break no doubt benefits us in has much has getting players back. I’m not too sure it will benefit us on the training ground. This all depends on whether training continues. One person who displays symptoms or gets diagnosed with cornavirus means whole squad self isolate, no training. I also read Jose is going to be looking at next weeks training schedule. It might mean they don’t train to reduce risk, some clubs are not training. However, another benefit is players having a rest. Will do world of good in that respect. Jose said Moura, Dele, Celso, Winks were shattered, so 3 weeks of from playing will help them and others.
Has for everything else regarding whether the season is void or finishes and the consequences of that who knows. Too much speculation, void doesn’t necessarily mean we get CL, i really don’t know how this is going to be resolved. Further more football has much has we love it the country along with many other countries are going to be hit hard in so many ways. Deaths, economy hit, job losses, loss of earnings, loss of finances from events unable to take place and paid for with no refunds, NHS is going to go through hell at times, the list goes on. Buckle in and sit tight, i can see this getting worse before it gets better.
Times like this always reminds me of how things can change so quickly in life. Even when the news first broke about the virus i personally didn’t expect such an impact. Lets pray the professionals kind get a strong hold on this and that we all be resp0nsivle and do what is asked to ease the pressure and keep each other safe.
Has for football well tbh i think its going to be hard to finish the season but i expect they will try. You can’t play games with or without fans if squads are self isolating. It only takes one person to get ill and everyone has to self isolate. Come April everyone is still vulnerable to this virus, it hasn’t peaked yet, so i just can’t see the PL starting again in April. If it is to finish i would say it will be after the predicted peak and that might be round July onwards. Government said we are a month behind Italy, well look how bad it is there and Spain. Personally if it could be done i would say, make it void and let players stay at home, its likely that the country will be made to do that anyway at some point especially if it gets to a point that we are unable to reduce the peak.
Spurs as i see it are at the moment benefiting from this break with players getting fit and resting and may be training if it goes ahead. After that who knows.
block 108 spurs – Its true every club will get the same break but not every club has the same injury problems. If we had a couple of midfield players injured and Kane and Son fit we would actually be in a much better position as we have cover in midfield. So the break will help some clubs more than others as the ones starting in better shape are helped least.
I doubt training sessions are even being held right now. Potential positives as far as injury recovery is concerned, but I just don’t think the current situation will help Jose, as I think the number of training sessions will be very, very limited.
Personally, I’d be quite happy for the season to end now, on current standings. While I recognise that we probably would be one of the teams to benefit the most from restarting later, I still think that getting back in the top 4 would be a challenge. And if we’re going to miss out on CL, I’d rather we finish 8th and skip the EL too.
I don’t think all the training has to happen on the pitch. JM will now have an extended opportunity to sit the squad down in front of a whiteboard and talk about positioning, link-up play, and re-visit what he needs from every member. That has to be beneficial. That’s assuming they are still able to come together as a group at this stage.
Geof….I’m sure they have enough space to allow everyone to sit two metres apart. :- )
I can’t let Wayne Rooneys comments go without saying something – what a selfish pr*ck! While the likes of Messi and Ronaldo are sending their best wishes to the world in these difficult times and praising the hard and dedicated work of medical staff around the globe what does Rooney do? He claims he is being used as a human guinea pig by the authorities which endangers his family. What nonsense, someone who’s brain is clearly in their boots shouldn’t claim to know more about epidemiology than the experts.
He has made more than enough money to provide him with a very comfortable life for the rest of his days without having to do a days work, he should just shut up, or better still, use some of his massive wealth to help those who really will suffer during this difficult period after all, many will be supportrs who have contributed towards priviledged lifestyle.
*supporters who have contributed towards his priviledged lifestyle.
Though I think the season has finished, virus is yet to peak, it is a “blessing” really, not just for Spurs and all other top clubs, sorry for the smaller clubs, but it is going a long way to prove everyone’s life is way more important than football/sport.
Oh yes! just completed a “3 day fast” of no live sport on the TV and discovered a lady sitting on my sofa, she seems very nice lol! Still COYS 4 ever.
BelgianSpur – If the City ban is upheld not sure 8th will be low enough to avoid the Europa.
I the big scheme of things. The premier league matters little. Our footballers get a, “much deserved”
rest meanwhile nurses, doctors, firemen, police, prison officers, army, carers etc have to work on regardless. Risking their health (and that of their families). People may lose their lively hood over this. There isan old Chinese Curse “may you live in interesting times” mmmm.
Back to football. Surely there are around 8 to 9 fixtures for each club in the premiership, this could be wound up in around 3 weeks. If we play midweek( say end of June mid July) (this may not suit Leicester) Followed by the the FA Cup.Shelve the internationals and the CL and The UEFA. We can’t legislate for other countries. We then won’t need the “risk” of playing overseas in preseason as these games will be our warm up. But in the big scheme of things if it’s cancelled so what.
TQ2S….spot on regards Rooney, was just reading his “brain dead dialogue”, as you say put some of his vast wealth to use, as in helping others, maybe take a leaf out of Ronaldo’s book, who has given his hotels over to the health service which includes a load of cash. COYS 4 ever
I think Coronavirus started in the UK and its first victim was PAGE TWO!
You’ve outed them Geof, Vital were hoping nobody would put 2 and 2 together. 🙂
They’ll probably have a vaccine available for Coronavirus before they find a fix for page two Geof! lol
EJ….in case you didn’t see my reply to your good self in the last article, put “no probs” and thanks any way.
Also just to add, my missus got put on the “Corvid 19” watch out for hit list this morning, as she is on the list of severely vulnerable people, but god love her she is still smiling and laughing, well I suppose she would do being wed to me lol! take that any way you want it lol! Still COYS 4 ever
There are already strong rumours of Harry Kane having his head turned with Italian clubs at the front of the queue. I would be gutted if he left. it would be even more galling if Man You or City signed him.
I couldn’t see him playing for another PL club Wentworth, if he moves it would be abroad I am sure.
Earlier today, it was mentioned that HK10 would stay at WHL… unless Zidane / R Madrid call Levy for a transfer. So if this happens I expect we get a quality £80m worth of p/x deal and 100m cash as RM sell a couple of their squad fringe players.
Hi PY hope Mrs PY stays well. Still COYS 4 ever.
ND…thanks for that, her indoors has now been officially locked down, lol! not a laughing matter, but hey we both look to “dark humour”.
Better to be safe than sorry, remember that all my fellow Yids in these days of the unknown. Still COYS 4 ever
TQ2Spurs – while I understand your point about Rooney and the tone of the message, he is right in what he says. It’s crazy that football is/was in fact still going on, when he said what he said.
Epidemiologists have in fact been quite clear in their messages – stay home and stop the spread of the virus. If the FA/PL/EFL aren’t listening due to the economic considerations at play, it’s only normal that players will call them out. And with that said, it probably carries more weight if Rooney says it, rather than say a Mason Greenwood.