West Brom manager Sam Allardyce has called for the Premier League to halt in order to get coronavirus cases under control – but not everyone is in agreement.
After Manchester City’s visit to Goodison Park to face Everton on Monday night was postponed for COVID-19 related reasons, you could be forgiven for thinking the situation in England’s top tier is reaching breaking point.
As reported by Sky Sports, Sam Allardyce, revealing “I’m very concerned”, called on the powers at be to suspend the Premier League in hope of combating the rising number of coronavirus cases at clubs.
While it’s unlikely that Allardyce stands alone in thinking that, two Manchester United legends, both of whom play prominent, if polarising, roles in the current game, do not see the logic in suspending the Premier League.
OGS on circuit break. “Our players have been really good following the protocols. That is part of the job. I can’t see the benefit having the circuit break. When are we going to play the games?”
— Simon Stone (@sistoney67) December 29, 2020
Football has proven through the last 6 months it can operate safely. It was right to be cautious and concerned through the first lockdown when the virus was new and unknown. It shouldn’t stop now in my opinion . This virus isn’t going anywhere in 2-4 weeks!! https://t.co/7hG9WtnvWP
— Gary Neville (@GNev2) December 30, 2020
We find ourselves entering the New Year with less Premier League games played by clubs than usual. If the backlog grows any further, we threaten compromising the European Championships in the summer.
While ensuring everyone’s health is paramount, as it always is, suspending the league just does not seem like a plausible option at this point in time.