Premier League stars not taking Covid seriously but matches must go on

For the health of the nation, football must not shut down.

But the record amount of Covid cases in the Premier League suggests some footballers are not taking the virus seriously enough.

I really hope they're not all having Christmas parties and going to nightclubs like they would in a normal season.

They should be making sacrifices and being more careful – because football was one of the biggest things that got us all through lockdown.

We don't want to see fans shut out of games again or the season called off, and I'm sure if players looked after themselves properly that wouldn't need to happen.

For some people football is all they have got to look forward to at the end of the week – it's a massive help to people's mental health and it shouldn't be under-estimated.

We don't want football to stop. It's a lifeline for a lot of people.

I think the clubs have got to get back to basics and be strict with the players about what they can and can't do and who they are allowed to mix with.

They can make sacrifices can't they? They're paid enough money. You're not going to get this virus if you're careful.

But now we have record cases, games being postponed, and Thomas Frank calling for a weekend shutdown of matches.

I'm sorry but how will that help? What are you going to do then, send the players all home? When are we going to have time to play all these fixtures if you do that?

And let's face it, what is one weekend going to achieve? Is Covid going to suddenly disappear? It's not going away any time soon, is it?

We will get through this season if the players can look after themselves properly – I am one hundred per cent sure of that.

I have sympathy for Brentford because for Thomas Frank to be without Ivan Toney and Ethan Pinnock because of Covid is like Manchester United being without five players.

But what are the rules? Why aren't the Premier League telling us how many players at each club have the virus, and who they are?

It makes a difference if Tottenham are without Harry Kane, Heung-min Son and Eric Dier or if they are just without a bunch of players who never play.

And I can't understand why their game with Leicester had to go ahead when BOTH teams didn't want it played?

Why is one game called off when a team has x amount of cases, and another game not called off when a team has y amount of cases. We need to know.

There needs to be more transparency or people are just going to suspect that clubs are trying to bend the rules and get games called off that they don't want to play…

Are all these teams being totally honest about their Covid cases? The players should be named.

There are knock-on effects as well. If you've had Covid it's going to take time for you to get back fit afterwards.

Antonio Conte is right when he says it could be weeks before his players who had the virus are all back up to speed – but he should have told us who they were!

Arsenal getting bitten for handing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang bumper contract

Arsenal have got what they deserved with Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang because they never should have given him that contract.

He's on far too much money for his age, he hasn't been the same player since he signed it, and he shouldn't come back into the team now in my opinion.

If anyone offers him £350,000-a-week elsewhere I'd drop him off there but Barcelona have got no money and I don't see how they could afford even half of his wages.

Arsenal for me are in this situation again because they let him run down his contract and then gave him a lorryload of money. It's like Mesut Ozil all over again.

Aubameyang is a great finisher with great pace. But he's 32. They must have realised he wasn't going to get any quicker…

I hope his sick mother is alright. And I know he had permission to go and see her. But if you're told when to be back and you don't turn up, that's poor.

That's twice now he's been axed for breaking the rules. That shouldn't happen to a 20-year-old let alone the captain. It's disrespectful.

Ask Tony Adams or Thierry henry how proud they were to captain Arsenal. It's an honour. But it doesn't seem to be for Aubameyang.

He can't come back into the team this weekend. No chance. They played too well without him. And if they can rid of him they should.

Sergio Aguero retirement sad – he's one of the Premier League's all-time greats

Sergio Aguero was an unbelievable player and it's sad to see him retire.

He will go down as one of the all-time Premier League greats because he could score any type of goal you can imagine.

I can't speak highly enough of him. He was a superstar at Manchester City. A special, special player.

He would be making a massive difference to Barcelona right now if he was able to play. It was a dream move for him and he must be gutted to see it end like this.

Aguero is right up there in the top three strikers ever to play in the Premier League for me.

People rightly talk about Alan Shearer and Thierry Henry – but he is right up there with them.

He could beat two or three players and score. Even Shearer couldn't score some of the goals Aguero did!

It's shame he's had to retire but he should be remembered as one of the Premier League's greats.

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