Directives have always changed across the season. This is nothing new and still does not change the fact that in each and every single game both teams are subject to the same laws and directives.
Most Unfair Premier League in History?
- Thread starter hmchan
- Start date
And it’s always been wrong. The competition needs to be consistent across a season. It doesn’t matter if the rules are the same for both teams on any given gameweek, even one rule change midway through a season can change the ultimate outcome.
I agree. Because none of the recent changes have improved the game as a spectacle. Quite the opposite, in fact.
Has the Premier League ever been fair when some clubs can spend 250k a week to a player and others can't break a 100k? Until there is a worldwide wage and transfer cap then football will never be 'fair'.
I mean the PL has never really been a bastion of fairness - not when you have the richest 5 clubs monopolising the league on sheer financial prowess alone, sweeping up all lower league talents into their ranks. And then you have the likes of City evading repercussions of FFP and evading champions league bans because reasons. I mean you can say the same for all major European leagues.
Personally I find the tumultuous nature of this season a little refreshing if it even remotely evens out the chasm between the bigger and smaller clubs.
Precisely.
Personally I find the tumultuous nature of this season a little refreshing if it even remotely evens out the chasm between the bigger and smaller clubs.
I find it particularly annoying that Liverpool are being rewarded and nobody else is. Remember it's the fact they were the worst effected area in NW to begin with which was why they introduced mass testing there.
They haven't behaved better than us. They were slightly worse if anything. They've been rewarded for their spectacular failure.
Also the tier systems are utter s41t3 anyway. They don't work.
They haven't behaved better than us. They were slightly worse if anything. They've been rewarded for their spectacular failure.
Also the tier systems are utter s41t3 anyway. They don't work.
Is it fair to say Liverpool are two points better off than they would have been if the handball shambles had been sorted before - and stuck to throughout - this season because their penalty against Leeds wouldn’t count if it happened this week?
These are fair points but distinct to the need to establish a set of rules before a ball is kicked that remain in place for the whole season. The VAR driven tweaks to the rules that only kicked in after loads of games were played is absolutely ridiculous.
You do realize there's frequent contact between all players, no?
It cost teams in the beginning when they gave pens out for any handball at all. Lindelöf for example then yesterday we didn't get a pen. That goal that Cavani scored yesterday should have counted, either handball or a goal as a new moment came when Coady "played the ball". There was a similar case in a game couple of weeks ago were the goal was given. But last night they just didn't want to look at anything. I don't understand the rules anymore.
You keep saying “rules”. You mean laws or directives, surely. The laws haven’t changed. Directives are always updated and clarified.
Don't play them. Don't pay them.
That'll go down well and not be in breach of any human rights.
It's their choice. Don't vaccinate, don't get to play.That'll go down well and not be in breach of any human rights.
I guess most of us here are mature enough to know the world is not fair and there are certainly financial considerations behind some decisions. Problem is, is the Premier League trying its best to keep the competition as fair as possible and protect its integrity? I personally don't think so.
Teams are not affected equally despite the change of rules applies to all of them. Some teams have more handball calls before the change, some teams have more home fixtures in tier 4 lockdown, some fixtures are tougher and more important than others.
Yesterday yet another match (Tottenham vs Fulham) was postponed, solely based on the claim that "a number of players showing symptoms". Without a clear guideline and adherence, clubs can just postpone tough matches and affect opponent's preparation as they wish.
Teams are not affected equally despite the change of rules applies to all of them. Some teams have more handball calls before the change, some teams have more home fixtures in tier 4 lockdown, some fixtures are tougher and more important than others.
Yesterday yet another match (Tottenham vs Fulham) was postponed, solely based on the claim that "a number of players showing symptoms". Without a clear guideline and adherence, clubs can just postpone tough matches and affect opponent's preparation as they wish.
The most unfair was last season. Should have been cancelled.
Don't think it's that much more unfair than other seasons. The fixture list always been a bone of contention, that is what Rafa's facts rant was about 15 years ago. Remember when they started giving penalties for holding at corners then stopped mid season?
Last season was more unfair I would say with the huge break and fans in grounds half the games.
Clearly they're not going to give vaccines to football as a priority. The death rate in football clubs is zero so far and we don't even know if they're even sterilising. You could well still get COVID-19 positives.
Just enjoy the games in these dark times.
Last season was more unfair I would say with the huge break and fans in grounds half the games.
Clearly they're not going to give vaccines to football as a priority. The death rate in football clubs is zero so far and we don't even know if they're even sterilising. You could well still get COVID-19 positives.
Just enjoy the games in these dark times.
Void the title this year.
Unless we win it, than its the hardest title ever won in history and they should keep it in the record books.
Unless we win it, than its the hardest title ever won in history and they should keep it in the record books.
I think having the Premier League playing is keeping a lot of people sane as it offers some (altered) reality to people sat at home with nothing to do. I’m certainly watching a lot more football than I’ve ever done.
If a new directive like the handball changes aren’t working, and all the post match discussion focuses on the stupidity of an accidental handball (eg Lindelof v Crystal Palace), why wouldn’t you change that for the better mid way through the season. Ridiculous to argue otherwise.
Having fans in the ground is a real positive and can only make the game better. It’s not like going to a full house at Anfield really is it?
I think the ‘unfairness’ of the current Premier League is probably a fair reflection of the unfairness some people see in the constant changes to our lifestyle. It’s not unfair. It’s different.
Add to that we‘re having our best season for years and I’m certainly not complaining.
If a new directive like the handball changes aren’t working, and all the post match discussion focuses on the stupidity of an accidental handball (eg Lindelof v Crystal Palace), why wouldn’t you change that for the better mid way through the season. Ridiculous to argue otherwise.
Having fans in the ground is a real positive and can only make the game better. It’s not like going to a full house at Anfield really is it?
I think the ‘unfairness’ of the current Premier League is probably a fair reflection of the unfairness some people see in the constant changes to our lifestyle. It’s not unfair. It’s different.
Add to that we‘re having our best season for years and I’m certainly not complaining.
We were terrible in the first game against Palace but the handball on Lindelof was a joke. The media said nothing about it. Then it happened against a few other teams and the rules were changed immediately. This happens every season to one or two clubs as referees try to lay down new rules then suddenly forget about them.
Get your point but they are being forced to play, be in groups and mix with people. Seems only right they are near the top of the list. The Premier League could afford to have them all vaccinated now.
Just looking at the league I'm not sure how you can say there is a huge disadvantage to the smaller teams. The league is incredibly compact and none of the big clubs have made the kind of racing starts they did in previous years. So to say there is a disadvantage isn't really supported by fact. The 3 clubs that have postponed their games; City, Newcastle, and Fulham are a large, middle, and small club respectively, so no obvious patterns of unfairness there.
Re home advantage; could you point to a team you believe is doing especially well since 2000 fans were allowed in? Or one that is doing especially badly due to being in a stricter region? I can't see it myself.
It feels like you are making reasonably logical assumptions about unfairness, but even though there is some logic it's hard to point to a team that has clearly gained or clearly lost out
The media talked about it for bloody ages. I'm not a Man Utd supporter so i perhaps had less vested interest but to say the media said nothing just doesn't correlate with fact.
What, are you saying that if you abandon a single match due to a viral epidemic you then abandon every match?!
Or you force all teams to play every match on time regardless of medical advice or risk to players?
Neither of those argument stands up to any scrutiny whatsoever!
Looks like you can't read to me.
No that’s not what I’m saying.
Whatever about all the tricky to manage covid stuff how the feck do Liverpool have TWO 4 day rests over Xmas
Not a Premier League game, but why on earth are Villa forced to field youth players to play against Liverpool?
The only big big thing is how clubs who took money from the UK taxpayer and in some cases cut jobs were then allowed to spend heavily in the transfer market (Arsenal and Tottenham spring to mind)
If you cant pay your staff don't drive up expense.
If you cant pay your staff don't drive up expense.
There's no point complaining about it being an unfair season. The authorities couldn't have foreseen any of this. It is easy to criticize that some matches shouldn't have been called off or so and so. Ultimately, it is humans who are also experiencing Covid for the first time, who are making decisions. If we play, then Covid causes disruptions and lack of consistency between matches. If we don't 't, its an economic disaster and thousands could lose their jobs. Not every decision will be the correct one.
The authorities in fact should've been praised on how successfully the project Restart had worked. And naturally, no one expected another wave of such intensity. But what can be done now? If they play, they there's a hue and cry. If they don't, more of the same.
Maybe with all the problems listed down, a potential solution should also be listed. So that others can piss all over it as well.
The authorities in fact should've been praised on how successfully the project Restart had worked. And naturally, no one expected another wave of such intensity. But what can be done now? If they play, they there's a hue and cry. If they don't, more of the same.
Maybe with all the problems listed down, a potential solution should also be listed. So that others can piss all over it as well.
I agree.
Is it unfair? Probably.
but look at the bigger picture. Even if Liverpool were able to have a full attendance and OT had no fans, as long as it’s for Covid reasons I’d support it.
Shankley couldn’t be more wrong.
the PL are the football authorities are making it up as they go along, which is completely understandable.
What I would like to see is more cohesion between FAs and UEFA/ FIFA. All international football should have been stopped and there should not be so much pressure with the Euros in the summer to go ahead/ not be delayed.
lastly, the PL now need to get tough on players and teams who breach Covid restrictions, and endanger others and the fixture list.
players should be banned for at least 3 most he’s (after their isolation period), and be fined heavily, along with the clubs being fined.
Come again?
I meam i think we all agree that it's the last season that was so unfair that it needed to be voided, don't we?
I don't think you can reasonably apply a yardstick of total consistency and equality in this situation. It's going to take improvisation and adaptation to make this season possible at all. The alternative is no football.
1. Don't see a problem with tweaking the interpretation of rules. Would you rather they'd just continue with the same ridiculous hands rule we had early in the season? In any case, that's got nothing to do with Covid.
2. On the whole, I think the desirability of getting fans back into the stadiums trumps the wish to keep everything even. Also, what can be done to reduce the financial impact of the pandemic should be done. There is no other way to do that than opening up wherever the epidemiological situation allows it. In any case though, this is going to be a theoretical issue for some time ahead, I'm afraid.
3. They just can't do it that way, and they probably should never have issued that guideline. You have to consider the epidemiological risk. That will vary from situation to situation, and in some cases will be of a nature where no one in the squad should travel someplace else to play football. There's no other responsible way to handle that than consult with the medical experts and make an informed decision in each case. Ensuring a level playing field in sporting impact isn't the top priority in that regard.
Firstly, why would all the players and staff be a priority for early vaccination? Secondly, when are you going to make up for the lost time?
Funny that Villa had to field youth players to play against Liverpool, but their match against Everton can be postponed.
I don't think they view cup games in the same way as PL games. The latter are much easier to move, because they can be slotted in at any point between now and 23 May.
After the incidents of Hudson-Odoi (vs MU), Kante (vs Liverpool) and Pieters (vs Arsenal), do people still support the change of (interpretation of) laws mid-season?