I think it’s a very difficult issue personally. Because on one hand, it would be strange if competitions like World Cups, and continental cups, were called off while club football played on. But on the other, since 2020 football and sports in general has been at a very strange place due to the pandemic. But I can’t think of any major sports arrangement being called off, even the massive Olympics went on, such as it was, so I don’t see this happening with International Football either.
International play is a very different risk profile, not least because it takes players out of clubs with varying degrees of protocol and vaccination, then mixes them together. See the recent World Juniors in hockey.
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Oh, sure. I know it is. But it’s the same for everyone. While football is a very big sport, you have world cups going on in various other sports. also during the pandemic. And stuff like the Olympics, even without foreign spectators, are massive undertakings with an enormous amount of people involved. I didn’t say I like it, just that I don’t really think football is more special than other sports, despite clubs being very rich compared to other team sports.
I just think it is unlikely, particularly now this late in the epidemic, to postpone something as big as international tournaments in football. Because really, 2020 and 2021 (sounds odd to write 2021, year is just over !) was after all worse and things went ahead then.
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I’ll be the first to admit that international football holds little to no appeal for me personally so I am already biased against it. It just seems like now at least 3 teams are primed for outbreaks which will affect availability and quality for the games
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This shouldn’t change I don’t think so.
To be fair to spurs they gave Orient the TV money they lost.
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Hilarious reading arsenal fans bleating on twitter about us needing to play the kids or forfeit the game.
They’ve fallen so far the prospect of a league cup final appearance has them frothing at the lips as they plead desperately to take advantage of our misfortune. A misfortune that has befallen most PL clubs at some point in the past couple months.
Even seen some claiming it’s a delaying tactic to hopefully get Salah and Mane back from the AFCON in time to play. Like the league cup is going to be our priority and worth the fixture pile up a postponement would cause.
I can’t really be arsed with the competition myself anyway but if we were made to forfeit the first leg I’d hope the club would just refuse to field a team for the second leg.
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I wouldn’t expect us to show up for the second of we had to forfeit the first. What are they going to do? ban us, be really gutting.
I’d rather have missed the last few games to be fair, this is likely to be fine the following week, the league cup pushed for two legs when most of the teams didn’t want to and we’ve ended up in this situation.
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Screw it then. Let them sweat over the lack of exposure for sponsors and reduced TV money from the fixture.
About time the football authorities realised you cant play through a pandemic wave without consequences.
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Forfeit one game usually means a 3-0 loss.
No problem to turn this around at Anfield 
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I have zero interest in another absurd charade like that game of Villa versus the U-15s or whatever the hell it was.
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I think I’d rather us make a point, no point in wasting players energy.
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We and Arsenal have no game in midweek between our games against Brentford and Palace (January 16th - 23rd). I am sure that’s when the rescheduled game will take place.
Yeah that’s the obvious place but you never know with the Football authorities
Still think that it would be better to play this game on Thursday even if we would have to use academy goalkeepers.
We don’t know who else was tested positive of course.
A loss by two goals would be better than having to play a semi final second leg between the Brentford and Palace game.
JK obviously doesn’t agree with you…
This is a great chance of a trophy. Why put that at risk if we can avoid it?
I am pleased the club want the best chance of going to Wembley and rewarding the fans with a day out.
With the prospect of us not fielding a team and forfeiting the game…
Pound to a penny the Arse don’t report any positive tests themselves this week eh…!
Not sure how true this is but I have just read Milner offered to play in goal on Thursday night. 
When James Milner was talking to the media following the win against Crystal Palace on Saturday, Jurgen Klopp walked past and said: ‘He loves the position, whatever he says!’
Will be the same about his new role as goalkeeper.
If they’ve shut down the whole complex it’s not just goalkeepers trust me.
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