How Project Restart exposed the Premier League’s fragility

With no fans, rule changes and games coming thick and fast, Jack Rathborn examines what the English top flight has lost in its new identity

Chelsea took on Man City at Stamford Bridge (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

The Premier League’s Project Restart was initially met with relief and gratitude from fans craving a distraction from a global pandemic. But the furious format and circumstances surrounding this peculiar time have now conspired to produce a product on the pitch many will consider alien to what they would usually associate with the English top flight.

The lack of fans in the stands and artificial noise blasting into living rooms up and down the country have provided a distraction from a series of mostly cumbersome games, where first-half goals have been scarce.

Crucially we now have two drinks breaks per game, one in each half, and two additional substitutes – nudging the total available to each manager up to five. These adjustments should not be underestimated, as both changes have further limited the element of surprise or necessity to take risks at key moments in games.

It is true that they also add a measure of tactical intrigue, which will prove fascinating to some, but they also limit the frenetic nature of what the Premier League has become known for.

Manchester City, for example, have coped admirably with the stress of two games in four days, given their ability to shuffle the pack in favour of numerous world class players tasked with proving their worth in what could be their only opportunity of the week. But there is a stark contrast between Pep Guardiola’s machine-like squad, no matter their inability to keep pace with Liverpool, and Monday night’s offering: Crystal Palace vs Burnley.

Ben Mee, right, celebrates scoring Burnley's winning goal (EPA)

The Premier League’s riches have enabled clubs all the way down the table to acquire genuine stars who would not look out of place at some Champions League sides on the continent – including both sides at Selhurst Park.

Yet the frenetic nature of Project Restart has seen teams unable to reach their previously furious pace.

Wilfried Zaha admirably lined up at Selhurst five days removed from limping off against Liverpool after 14 minutes with a calf strain, but was clearly unable to summon his usual magic. While Sean Dyche, perhaps with an element of politics surrounding his future at the club, made a statement by only naming seven substitutes – rather than the nine permitted.

Managers are therefore left with a dilemma as to how to approach this demanding end to the season, given the heightened risk of injury without the luxury of a deep squad.

While the constant supply of daily games has been a novelty, Project Restart has proven to be a reminder that sometimes less is more. The intrigue surrounding the build-up to a game is much less, as is the comfort of digesting what has unfolded on the pitch over the next few days, with the necessity to now swiftly turn attentions towards the next game. In effect this replicates the product on offer in the NBA or MLB, where the significance of a single game is watered down. Expectations from managers must therefore be lowered given so many players are now jaded.

While not deliberate, Project Restart has proven to be a fascinating experiment into how much football is too much football?

With the football calendar bulging like never before, the strain on condensed squads will mean many will simply not be able to sustain the quality and intensity previously associated with the Premier League, therefore making it a poorer spectacle. So while nobody expected this to be normal, Project Restart has exposed just how fragile the Premier League’s product truly is.