Independent
Premier League managers will convene on Monday to discuss the Covid-19 crisis engulfing the competition, with Newcastle boss Eddie Howe saying the top flight’s integrity is on a knife edge.
Five of this weekend’s 10 scheduled matches have already been postponed due to positive Covid tests, and Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard revealed a meeting was being organised by the league early next week to tackle the club bosses’ “concerns and unanswered questions”, in particular around the criteria used by the Premier League board to grant approval to a postponement.
Magpies manager Howe is worried the incomplete fixture list makes the league “disjointed” and fears if more games are called off in the coming days, there could be questions around the competition’s integrity.
“I don’t think we want half the games played and half not played,” he said.
“The league really loses something if it becomes disjointed in terms of games played. When you start losing players to Covid then the worry is the competition becomes slightly unfair and I don’t think anyone wants to see that.
“A decision needs to be made to ensure integrity is maintained in the competition. I think it is on a knife edge.
“People want to see a fair league and not disparity in games and players missing.
“I’m desperate to continue the programme myself but the welfare of the players and supporters has to come first.”
Howe’s side are due to face reigning champions Manchester City on Sunday. The Blues’ boss Pep Guardiola cancelled his pre-match press conference on Friday after returning an inconclusive Covid test result, and is awaiting the result of a further test.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is not against calling a brief halt to the Premier League amid mounting Covid cases but said: “I just don’t see 100 per cent the benefit of it.
“Stopping the league means we stop now for one to two weeks, it means (missing) five to six games. So when do you want to play them?”
His Villa counterpart Gerrard revealed managers and top-flight captains would have the chance to discuss the criteria for postponement after a number of bosses called for clarity.
