Gary Neville believes that the many canceled games in the Premier League and the EFL Cup must come to an end. In recent weeks, sixteen matches in the top division of England have already been drawn due to the various corona infections. According to Neville, the various associations should do more to allow competitions to take place.
For Gary Neville, the many canceled games in England are a thorn in the side. “The PL and EFL (in particular) should stop with these cancellations, unless they are exceptional circumstances,” writes the analyst of Sky Sports on Twitter. “Every club, including youth players, has forty to fifty players at its disposal, at least. If a game has to be played in the Carabao Cup, they don’t mind leaving the first eleven out of the team.”
The PL and EFL ( in particular ) have got to stop these cancellations unless in exceptional circumstances. Each club has 40-50 players including youth team as a minimum. If it’s the carabao cup or EFL trophy they find a team without fielding the first 11. Get on with it.
— Gary Neville (@GNev2) Dec 29, 2021
According to the rules, clubs must have at least fourteen players at their disposal. If that’s the case, then you just have to play. That’s one of the reasons Tottenham Hotspur – Crystal Palace (3-0) went ahead on Boxing Day. “It’s impossible that these clubs can’t put together a team,” Neville continues. “We have seen in the Premier League that when clubs request a postponement are rejected, they still almost start with the strongest team. Time for clubs to move on and give their young players the confidence.”
The league organizer decided last week to play football on Boxing Day, despite 103 players and staff members testing positive for the coronavirus last week. Due to the many corona cases, various selections are struggling with a shortage of players. On Boxing Day, three Premier League matches were lost, at the lower professional levels only 10 of the 32 scheduled matches were played. On Tuesday there was a line through Arsenal – Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leeds United – Aston Villa, while Everton – Newcastle United will also be canceled on Thursday. The Magpies cannot get enough players on their feet due to corona infections, suspension and injuries.