I'm surprised so many people are upset with this tbh. Obviously I feel for anyone who's out of pocket, but in terms of the football, doesn't it slightly benefit us this time?
I think the problem is that we would have taken far more supporters down for a Saturday afternoon game than a mid week game, folk that could have gone will probably now won't be able to make it.
We don't have 3 as Vimal doesn't count - "U21, U20 or U19 players must have been involved in 25% of their club's games during the current season or have been included on three of their club's last five match day team sheets."
Be nice to know if the efl ever check teams requests to call matches off. Does the team just say we've had 3 call ups and the efl go, OK then game off. It certainly worked that way for Ipswich last season. Even Portsmouth fans haven't a clue who their 3rd call up is, speculating it's someone in an age group team. The fact they don't know, shows its not a player who's played an integral part for them. Portsmouth have used this to kick it down the road when their injury situation should be better and we'll be resting players for the play offs (their theory).
I asked the EFL last season when Ipswich did it and they said that they look at the paperwork sent by the team and have to take it at face value. In other words no it's not checked for accuracy
Doubt it'll be a dead rubber for them. They're in a good position but have plenty of tough'looking fixtures to come (as we do, to be fair)...
We’d have had a full squad to pick from, barring injuries, so we’d be without Pines from our starting XI. Portsmouth would be without the 2 called up, plus their lengthier injury list. We’ll have half the amount of fans there and then have to cram 5 away games into April. So how is this beneficial to us? Portsmouth have pulled the same number on us that Ipswich pulled. I wonder whether BFC have kicked back at this? Or have we just rolled over?
Speculation yesterday on the Portsmouth forums (albeit I have to say they seem pretty uninformed about their own players) was that the third player was either a ROI full international or an England age-group call. ROI announced yesterday and England U21, U20 and U19 announced this morning. No Portsmouth player was in any of them. I may have missed something but I as far as I can tell the squads that cover all their players' nationalities have been announced now.
So are we all resigned to the fact that it would be better for us to play game in April as we may have players back ? What if we get players injured over Easter with the two pretty much back to back games ? pi$$ take
Big advantage to them given we don't have any call-ups and only one indeterminate injury to a likely starter. They benefit from having the two who were called up back, plus they are predicting that between two and four of their current injuries will be back. In all likelihood, their place will be much more intimidating under the lights and we will take fewer, particularly if finishing top two is out of the equation. Above all though is the defecating on supporters that has gone on if there isn't a third qualifying call-up.
https://x.com/mrandrewmoon/status/1768574812257923090?s=46&t=FnofJ7unbrTnQJRSSQzAFg This guy says it’s Myles Peart-Harris but guess what …. He’s not been called up https://www.englandfootball.com/art...baijan-and-luxembourg-games-in-march-20241503
So when the EFL take the postponing teams 3 player claim on face value, when it then transpires they are full of bs, do they take retrospective action? Of course not. Maybe we should try it, I bet they'd start taking action then.