Postponements were a hot topic last season, with plenty of discussion centred around fixture congestion forced by matches being called off due to several positive COVID-19 tests within squads. Fast forward to this term, and fixture congestion was already set to be a major stumbling block associated with the Qatar World Cup being held midway through the season, across November and December. This has now been exacerbated.
The sad passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II last Thursday meant that the decision was taken to postpone last weekend's Premier League matches. And now, along with Liverpool's trip to face Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion's derby with Crystal Palace (which was initially postponed due to now-cancelled rail strikes), Manchester United's encounter with rivals Leeds United has been postponed this weekend.
A whole weekend of fixtures will now have to be rearranged, with the three further matches, including United's face-off with Leeds, also needing to be moved. The major issue is that the next available midweek slot for these games to be played in isn't until mid-January.
The decisions taken to postpone matches have to be respected in a difficult, unprecedented time for the nation. But, from a football standpoint, it is a nightmare.
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The reality is that, aside from travelling to face FC Sheriff in the Europa League on Thursday, United won't play until they face Manchester City at the start of October given that an international break looms.
Having gathered momentum domestically, with four wins in succession, Erik ten Hag will be cursing the fact that, by the time they face City, his side won't have been in league action for almost a whole month. The fact that his side will also likely have to play an extra midweek match into the new year will be a source of frustration given its contribution to unwanted fatigue.
At least, in the present instant, heading into their meeting with Sheriff, Ten Hag's players will have had a whole week of rest following their disappointing defeat to Real Sociedad. Given that there is no match to take into consideration after their trip to Moldova, Ten Hag will likely be afforded the chance to name his strongest starting side against a team that cannot be underestimated - shown by their win over eventual winners Real Madrid in the Champions League group stages last season.
It is imperative that United get on the board in the Europa League if they are to top Group E and avoid a possible Round of 32 match against a side entering the competition from the Champions League group stages. At this stage, given their trophy drought, it is a competition that should be taken seriously in their bid for long-illusive silverware.
Furthermore, the pair of postponements could allow for those injured to recover, with United hopefully having a slightly larger squad when it comes to the rearranged fixtures. Anthony Martial still appears to be suffering from his Achilles issue, with Luke Shaw riddled with a foot problem and Marcus Rashford absent from the squad against La Real after hobbling off during the second half of the Arsenal victory. United could do with all three being fit to really bulk up their numbers.
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In terms of the actual postponements, the general consensus that the matches not going ahead this coming weekend are the most understandable is agreeable. Safety is paramount, and redeployment of police across the country given events building up to the Queen's funeral means that there won't be enough policing to ensure maximum safety at a fixture of the magnitude of United versus Leeds at a stadium of Old Trafford's size.
Brighton's meeting with Palace has understandable remained off due to the nature of the rivalry with the two sides necessitating more police than usual. Equally, given that Stamford Bridge is one of the larger stadiums, in London and was set to play host to Liverpool, that match has rightfully been called off too.
The fact that Tottenham Hotspur still face Leicester City at home on Saturday has raised curiosity, but it has been deemed to not be too high-risk, with enough time in advance of Monday's funeral. There have also been questions with regards to the fact that Brentford will be playing at home against fellow-London side Arsenal on Sunday, though their stadium holds marginally in excess of 17,000 people, thus less policing is required - the match has also been moved forward to midday.
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More than anything, the fact that matches didn't go ahead last weekend is arguably the most contentious element to the whole predicament, with the majority of other sports continuing despite the period of mourning.
United's meeting with Real Sociedad only hours after the news of Her Majesty's passing proved just how powerful allowing people to collectively display their solidarity can be, with an exceptionally-observed minute's silence held prior to the match. Similarly, as West Ham United faced FCSB in the Europa Conference League, supporters pulled together to sing the English national anthem in remembrance.
While the decision taken was understandable, it felt like a missed opportunity for Premier League matches not to be proceeded with last weekend, not giving supporters the opportunity to come together and pay their respects. Now some clubs have two matches to catch up on given forced postponements rather than those by choice.
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