Bundesliga’s home woes will strike fear into Prem relegation battlers as no fans means no advantage

THE Bundesliga has shown us just how sides battling relegation are going to struggle without their fans.

We thought we knew the part that supporters can play.

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Getty Images - Getty

Getty Images - Getty

But the last few weeks in Germany have made it clear just HOW big a difference they can make.

Throughout my career, team talks before a home game were generally the same.

It was about getting a fast start, knowing the fans will be right behind you from the off.

In my experience of playing in front of hostile crowds at Stoke, it really did give you that extra lift which would kick you on.

There were so many times when we were hanging on in the last ten minutes and they would give us that burst of energy to get over the line.

We can get carried away about the idea of them as a 12th man — but it’s a real thing.

Teams at the bottom will suffer most. While Southampton have picked up more points on their travels, most rely heavily on home form.

Away from home, managers would emphasise how important it was to quieten down the crowd for the first 20 minutes. Don’t give anything away, soak it up, and then we can play.

Looking at Germany, the impact of your home backing is clear.

In the 36 games before lockdown, the home side scored 27 goals in the first half.

But in 35 games since returning, there have only been 17 goals for the host team.

Without the support, it is much harder to get that early goal which then enables you to sit back and play like the away team.

There were 14 home wins in those 36 games before football was suspended in Germany, but only eight from 35 matches post-lockdown.

Bearing this in mind, it’s teams at the bottom of the Premier League who will suffer most.

While Southampton have picked up more points on their travels, most rely heavily on their home form.

In Stoke’s first season in the Prem in 2008-09 we finished 12th, picking up just ten of our 45 points on the road.

We beat Tottenham, Arsenal and Manchester City at the Britannia — but it would have been completely different if it had been empty.

Without that support it just becomes 11 v 11, with the better side much more likely to come out on top.

For the best teams it doesn’t really matter if the stadium is packed or has nobody in it.

Yet for the likes of Norwich, Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Watford and West Ham fighting for survival, picking up points at home is going to be crucial.

And without the leveller that is their home support, I think we are going to see fewer home shocks than we might normally do.

It could be argued that these sides will, therefore, have more chance of picking up results away from home at the big sides.

But once again, without a full Anfield, for example, it just becomes 11 v 11 again.

With the concept of home advantage now completely irrelevant, life is going to be even tougher for those sides fighting tooth and nail to avoid the drop.