Covid outbreaks across the Premier League. Injuries. AFCON duties. Countless games postponed. False positives. Allegations of players being deliberately held back from AFCON. Allegations of clubs using postponements tactically. What a few weeks it has been.

And it will come as no surprise whatsoever to those of us inside the Burnley and Pendle area that it was little old Burnley who would be the catalyst for outrage. By daring to ask the Premier League to postpone two home games following a Covid outbreak at the club.

The “make them play!” and “kick them out of the league!” brigade hit social media hard, but perhaps the most ridiculous of the posts I saw came courtesy of Twitter.

A Man Utd fan-channel who seemed outraged that the Clarets had been cancelling games for six weeks. Apparently, we used to have a reputation for just getting on with it…

Perhaps too much to ask that people, you know, do their research.

Football loves a scapegoat, but Burnley shouldn't carry the can for the postponement problem. Nor should they be made to play when others have been able to postpone (and some postponements coming at, shall we say, very fortunate times in season).

Actually, no club should. The Premier League set a precedent as to how Covid outbreaks would be dealt with and once that precedent was set, all 20 teams MUST be allowed to benefit from it.

Infections have been staggered. Everton had to postpone their games around Christmas, but it would be some three weeks later before the pandemic hit the Clarets.

We can’t just change the rules because we now realise that the decision we made was a mistake. All teams must be allowed an equal playing field in order to protect the integrity of the competition.

I realise the hypocrisy of what I am about to say, but the postponement of the Watford and Leicester games has come at a very opportune time for this depleted side low on confidence.

By the time we play them again, Cornet will be back from AFCON and you would hope that a few January signings will have come through the door.

Perhaps that is what has enraged people - the perceived fortunate timing of a Covid outbreak the same week we lose Chris Wood. Or perhaps this may well prove to be the first bit of luck we have had this season. 

In the meantime, I look forward to the feast that will be seven games in seven days. Coming to Turf Moor, any time soon.

UTC.