Players
and managers feel the restart of English football is being hit by a "lack of
leadership" at the top of the game,
Sunday Times chief football
writer Jonathan Northcroft told the
Sunday Supplement.
Northcroft compared the successful return of Germany's Bundesliga top flight
on Saturday with the Premier League's still sketchy plans to resume, and
told the show preparations "need to be clearer and have more agreement" if
it is to follow suit.
A number of figures including Watford boss Nigel Pearson, Brighton forward
Glenn Murray and former England captain Wayne Rooney have spoken out against
a 'rushed' return to first-team games this week, but Northcroft said the
absence of a return date of any kind was leaving players and managers
frustrated.
"One of the problems I'm hearing is there's a sense there's not a clear
roadmap, from players and managers, being set out by the Premier League.
They had clear planning in Germany from the start, close contact with
government, training protocols established quite early, and we're still
discussing all of that.
"The planning has to be clearer and there has to be more agreement to get to
where Germany is. With all the health risks and uncertainty, players and
managers feel they're not even being told what the road ahead is. A couple I
spoke to this week said they're being asked to return to training but what
date that's working towards, when we can have contact training.
"It's important for people in the game to have, at least, that sense that
this is being planned for and looked after. The word I keep hearing is
leadership, a lack of leadership and direction. There'd be a lot more
confidence from people in the game if there was a sense that's there at the
top. It was there in Germany, but I don't think it's been there yet in
England."
'Having set return date not healthy'
With the rate of infection and dates for lifting various parts of the
national lockdown further still up in the air, Daily Mail football editor
Ian Ladyman told the Supplement a set return point for the Premier League
may actually prove counterproductive if it later had to be moved as a result
of new restrictions or rules being relaxed more slowly than expected.
He said: "I understand it's good to have an end point, a resumption date, in
a perfect world. But we're all having to make adjustments to our lives, none
of us really know what the end of every week will bring individually.
"Footballers have just got to accept that to a degree and take it step by
step, and if they're asked to return to work, if they're happy to do that
they should just go and train without worrying what's happening in four
weeks' time, just go and do their jobs.
"It's not going to be sprung on them at three days' notice, they'll get
enough notice. I'm not sure having that one date in their minds is that
important or healthy, because the chances are it'll change anyway."
Rooney: Football being rushed back
In his regular Sunday Times column, Rooney explained his feeling of English
football being "pushed" to return too quickly with Premier League players
set to return to training as soon Tuesday.
He wrote: "I'm desperate to train and play again but it feels like football
in England is being pushed to return too soon.
'Our government says people can return to work but only with social
distancing in the workplace and that does not work in football.
'So I don't get it: until the government gives the green light to have
physical contact, we can't train or prepare properly."
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