The Premier League is due to start of the 12th September. With no fixtures released until 20th August, or any clarity on when fans are returning, we are all left guessing. This makes it especially difficult to pick the starting squad for your Fantasy Premier League (FPL) team.
Opening fixtures are a key part of choosing your FPL team. They can set-up early form for players stringing a few favourable fixtures together, and no-one one wants their defenders playing against Liverpool and Man City over the first few games.
The Restart of the Premier League After Lockdown
The restart of the Premier league in mid lock-down was controversial to say the least. Fans of lower table teams wanted the league cancelled to avoid relegation there was talk of the league cancelled all together, which would also void the champions, Liverpool, from lifting their first title in 30 years.
The most notable difference in June’s restart was the lack of fans. With no atmosphere, it made a big difference to teams and games and this time it will be no different. Underdogs rely on atmospheres from fans to topple the bigger sides and get those last minute pushes in games they need. For example, if we look at Bournemouth, when the restart happened, they had 5 home games left to play including a game vs local(ish) rivals Southampton. Could the fans have helped in that game to get a vital 3 points which could have saved them?
Nobody really knew what to expect when the Premier League restarted. Some pundits were predicting a high number of goals, due to teams lacking fitness in the later stages of the game. Whereas some were expecting cagey affairs. In hindsight, it took a few games before goals really started flowing as there were a lot of low scoring games in the first few game weeks.
The uncertainty made it incredibly difficult for FPL managers to shape their teams. Was it worth playing a 5 defender formation and premium goal keeper with all the clean sheets? Or should we stick to our guns and hope for improvements from the premium midfielders and forwards?
What we can take form leagues around Europe
Since football in Europe was stopped in March several leagues around Europe have re-opened their doors to fans, albeit to a loss and massive change but there are some examples the premier league should and could look at.
If we head to Poland, fans have been allowed into those games for some time now due to Poland’s low level of infections. Fans have been allowed in with a reduced capacity of 25% which has affected atmospheres and players massively. Teams like Cracovia and Lechia Gdansk have beaten big boys such as league winners Legia Warsaw at home. Is this fan advantage or luck?
From a Premier League point of view, if we look at Leeds United who are famous for their atmosphere, could they topple Liverpool or Manchester City without 37,000 fans behind them?
Examples like this beg the question; if the new Premier League season is starting with no fans, is it worth having players in your fantasy team from lower league teams and especially newly promoted sides?
Could we limit clubs to a 25% capacity like in Poland?
Staying in Poland again and taking another look at the fan situation there, a limited capacity of 25% is not a massive difference for some clubs who do not gather many fans. This 25% limit however, would be much more noticeable in the Premier League for teams who regularly sell out. But some fans are better than no fans right?
Polish Clubs have prioritised season ticket holders and members for tickets and then released others to the general public. This will be different in the Premier League. Big teams, with a lot of season ticket holders, like Liverpool with 27,000, and Leicester with 23,000, will have a lot of fans missing out. Take Liverpool for example. 25% of Anfield is 13,348 meaning roughly 14,000 season ticket holders would miss out. It will be a difficult decision, and probably a lose-lose to decide who should be chosen, leaving many fans unhappy.
The fan situation in Germany
Moving over the border to Germany and the Bundesliga. The Germans seem to be making good progress. They have already made plans to allow fans back in for their opening games on September 18th. This is yet to be confirmed by The DFB (German FA) but is looking likely. Again, there are regulations set to be in place there. They have a rule of no away fans will to stop cross-country contamination. Additionally, they have put a no alcohol rule in place to discourage singing, chanting and reckless behaviour.
The absence of away fans in the Premier League would have an effect on player’s performances. It would be worth taking extra consideration to this when drafting your FPL team. With away fixtures, teams would be at more of a disadvantage than usual. Could a penalty taker facing the away end at Bramall Lane, have a better success rate with no fans putting them off? Would Leeds players perform as well against Man United without 3,000 fans making the trip to, arguably, their biggest Rivals in the Premier League?
The new season starting is always something to always look forward to, regardless of your club. Everyone enters with the hope they can pull of a shock like Leicester or maybe sneak a European spot from one of the big six. A lack of fans for more games is something we don’t want to see, even if you don’t personally attend matches.
The added noise from TV broadcasters is somewhat normal at home, but for the players it is not the same.
How it should affect your FPL selections
Some considerations you should make when choosing your FPL team for the new season are:
- The importance of home/away is somewhat diminished with the absence of fans
- Lower table teams are less likely to topple larger teams without their fans pushing them
- Less upsets will happen in general, as the underdogs don’t have the added backing of fans
Fans are known as the 12th man for a reason, and it just hasn’t been the same without them in the stadiums. Hopefully, fan attendance in introduced sooner rather than later and we can get back to normality as quickly as possible.
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