Time to brace for a flurry of absences as well as arrivals

The Independent’s football newsletter [View in browser]( [The Independent]( December 31, 2021 [The Independent]( Reading the Game Written by Karl Matchett Depleted schedules and disparaging comments A very Covid Christmas Big dinner with the family on the 25th, leftovers with wall-to-wall matches on Boxing Day. That’s the frequent plan for football-lovers on these shores at this time of year - except it was at least partly out of reach this time around, whether because of keep-your-distance fears and late [Covid tests hampering at-home get-togethers](, or because of a third of the Premier League matches being postponed. For those who follow an EFL side, it was even worse: two of the nine planned games in the Championship went ahead on the 26th and a further 15 were postponed across Leagues One and Two. For the final gameweek of the year, another 23 matches fell to cancellations across the top four divisions. Inclement weather had very little to do with anything. While it’s frustration in the short-term for clubs who have seen back-to-back games called off, the bigger issue may yet lie ahead with many teams needing to fit in two or three rearranged games across a potentially busy final four or five months. The league tables will have a skewed look about them for some time yet. Maybe the worst aspect of it all across the last few weeks was the volume of fixtures called off with just a couple of hours' notice - well after supporters would have left home on cross-country journeys in some cases. [The EFL are reportedly scrapping matchday testing]( in a bid to avoid that issue in the new year…though whether that is just closing eyes to today’s problem and making it worse tomorrow in the process is yet to be determined. Quality or quantity? Several managers have kept up the annual traditions of making disparaging comments over the fixture schedule at this time of year, while others have despaired at having to play weakened sides against a well-rested opponent. Does it affect what the fans see though? Is the game, the spectacle, the ‘product’ (shudder) worse for it? Well, Boxing Day brought us a lunatic average of 4.7 goals per game, 28 of them across six matches. Across the 28-29th fixtures it was half the tally, just 14 in six for a 2.3 average, well below the goals per game for 21/22 as a whole so far, which stands at 2.7. Incidentally, we’ve just hit the 500-goal mark for the top-flight season too. If the goals-per-game strike rate after the Boxing Day fixtures was maintained through to the end of the campaign, it would be a new record in the Premier League era - but we’ve already just dipped back below that level following the final, lower-scoring, fixtures of the year. Arrivals and absences Two potentially defining periods are coming up for top-flight teams, which partly overlap each other: [The Africa Cup of Nations](and the transfer window. We’ve already seen the first impact of the latter, with Ferran Torres concluding a move to Barcelona from Man City, though Pep Guardiola insists there’s no imminent arrival as an attacking replacement. Newcastle will surely look to add a few new faces - to what level of expenditure we still don’t know, largely as they still haven’t appointed a permanent director of football to actually get that job done in a cohesive manner for the long haul - while a host of recently appointed bosses may have done so with the expectation or promise of January activity. Ralf Rangnick and Antonio Conte are the obvious two in the top half, but what of Steven Gerrard, Dean Smith and Claudio Ranieri? Much can change for a team’s fortunes with the arrival of a player capable of a fast impact. Then there’s the AFCON, available to watch on Sky and BBC this time around. It won’t just be the likes of Liverpool and City’s squads hit by absences to Mohamed Salah, Riyad Mahrez and the like. Leicester for example, already beset by injuries and especially in defence, fielded a centre-back pairing of Wilfred Ndidi and Daniel Amartey in their win over Liverpool. Both are off to Cameroon, as are team-mates Nampalys Mendy and Kelechi Iheanacho. In addition, Aston Villa, Chelsea, QPR, Middlesbrough, Crystal Palace, Southampton, Watford, Bournemouth, Luton, Arsenal, Brighton, Swindon, Reading, Wolves, Plymouth, Everton, Brentford, West Ham, Nottingham Forest, Burnley, Man United, Fulham, Wycombe, Salford City, Forest Green Rovers and Peterborough all have at least one player called up for the tournament! Top stories [Thomas Tuchel will pick a Chelsea team by “trial and error”]( [Title isn’t over for Pep despite eight-point advantage]( Karl's Dispatches It has been an eventful 2021 in the football world for sure, from on-pitch excitement such as the Euros to all the off-field antics like the Super League. Being a part of the reporting team for it all is often rewarding, frequently exhausting and relentlessly exciting when trying to consider what comes next, where improvements should be made and engaging others in discussions over it all, either through articles, across social media or even (gasp!) in person at times. Next stop for me once back in London is Selhurst Park: Crystal Palace and a first game of 2022, before we do it all again from the transfer window to the Qatar World Cup. What a year potentially lies before us. Finally, a short note to all you readers to say thank you as ever for reading our football pages and Miguel’s newsletter throughout the last 12 months - and from myself and the entire Sports team at The Independent, have a happy and healthy new year. Quote of the day “I am captain of the club and a familiar face. I would rather it be me than someone coming through, or a player who has just signed for the club. I can take it on the chin…you can’t just read about the good times. You have to take the stick when it comes. I might not be the playing presence I was at 23 or 24, but as a captain and in training every day, I am giving my all, approaching it as if I was a 22-year-old.” Everton’s Seamus Coleman is happy to take the blame for the team’s dismal performances which have left them 15th in the table after one win in 11. Reading the game quiz To finish one year, we’ll look forward to the next one: the Premier League will kick off 2022 (assuming no postponement) with a meeting between Arsenal and Manchester City, the two most in-form sides by current consecutive win streaks. No senior player has ever transferred directly from Man City to Arsenal in the Premier League era - but can you name all eight who have made the reverse journey since 92/93? For a bonus point, which of the eight played the fewest matches for City? (Answers for both this week and last week's quizzes will be added into next week's newsletter) Essential reading [Miguel Delaney’s end of year football review of 2021: a year much of the sport would like to forget]( [Karl Matchett’s look back at European football during 2021 and where the continent is falling short on and off the pitch]( If you can spare a minute we’d love your [feedback]( on our newsletters. 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