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It's way past time to wrap the prem up, but given the prevailing mood in the UK I can understand the reticence to do so. But Arteta testing positive for the CV should finally be the catalyst for sense to prevail. Prem league meeting tomorrow to decide on the weekends's fixtures.
Mikel Arteta has Covid-19.
Wow!!
Just award the trophy to Liverpool now and can the thing.
Looks like Villa v Chelsea is off, which is good for Villa as it gives us time to get our best defender (Super John McGinn) back from injury. If they stopped the season now we'd be relegated as we're in the bottom 3
Just award the trophy to Liverpool now and can the thing.
Absolutely not! They've not won owt yet!
Technically they can still be beaten. And seeing as its been thirty years since they won it anyway, what difference is another one going to make? I'm sure that the fans of Liverpoolshire will take that with their traditional good grace and happily make this sacrifice for the greater good.
Therefore, I think it's only reasonable to just call the whole thing off, we can all retire to the Winchester while all this blows over, then we'll start again later in the year with the next season and a clean slate 😀
I believe they've put forward another proposal
On a serious note though, Surely they've no option but to suspend all competitions now?
Arsenal, City, Chelski and Leicester have all got players self-isolating already. Theres bound to be loads more confirmed, given that.
And surely to go ahead with Champions League, Europa League and Euro 2020 would be absolute madness, especially as Euro 2020 is taking place in how many countries this time round?
I couldn't believe it that only yesterday that they were saying matches would carry on as planned. That just seemed like madness. I've got tickets for next weeks Europa League game at OT and had just taken it as read that it wouldn't be going ahead
I dont see how it is avoidable. Euro 2021 it is.
The season will now be canned .... Liverpool will be awards the title . But it will always be a "lesser" title - even though they were the best side by a mile and good friends with the VAR operators.
I wonder what will happen with Leeds and WBA - who are destined to go up. Will the current bottom two in the Premiership be relegated?
Just award the trophy to Liverpool now and can the thing.
Can't really be done Martin - Shall we just relegate Bournemouth, Villa, and Norwich as well? You can see how this wouldn't stand up.
Glad to see UEFA are staying strong - no urgent conference call to agree what needs to be done. No - they are having a full blown, face to face meeting on Tuesday - got to make sure they get their kickbacks and bachanders whilst the football world burns!
The BBC are reporting that all elite football is shut down until 4th April.
They included Women's Premier League in the list of elite football. Fake News!
They included Women’s Premier League in the list of elite football. Fake News!
Not even remotely amusing
I wonder what will happen with Leeds and WBA – who are destined to go up. Will the current bottom two in the Premiership be relegated?
Shall we just relegate Bournemouth, Villa, and Norwich as well? You can see how this wouldn’t stand up.
It really is a hard to know what will be done. As a lifelong Leeds supporter, I read through the EFL rules earlier this week and couldn't find any reference to what would happen in the event of a season being entirely cancelled. But at the end of the day, the present positions each team is on is all they have to go on. If they cancel it and don't award anything then it as equally unfair on the teams doing well such as Leeds and Liverpool as it would be beneficial to the teams not doing well.
If they cancel it and don’t award anything then it as equally unfair on the teams doing well such as Leeds and Liverpool
Can you imagine? We'd never, ever hear the end of it!
It would be absolutely ****ing hilarious!! 😂
Can you imagine? We’d never, ever hear the end of it!
It would be absolutely ****ing hilarious!!
There would be a very small part of me that might think it was broadly amusing, but not this year. I can imagine there are quite a few Man U fans that have recently found god and are praying twice daily for such an outcome.
MOT
Worth posting again...
So another season out of the Champions League for United? Unless City do end up thrown out?
Call off Euro 2020 to get the leagues done in the summer seems the best option to me. Money talks and the clubs will want this outcome.
I’d be very surprised if we are starting again in April. If the peak is meant to be in May/June then that means maybe they will be back playing in June/July with 9 games to play in the PL and Championship plus the playoffs. They’d have to delay the start of next season then you are also going to be late into the potential 2021 euros which would mean another late start in 2022 when there’s meant to be a winter World Cup.
Just can’t see it happening. My money is on the season being abandoned. I guess it’ll all depend on what happens in the U.K. over the next month or 2.
Think it's done myself. Way, way too complex to try and re-start in summer - players fitness, logistics, legal ramifications of contracts, integrity of the competition etc etc.
Some folk suggesting 22 teams in the prem next year to accommodate Leeds and West Brom situation - sounds like an idea that would have a lot of fan support, but no doubt brings its own legal issues.
I can imagine that with the huge amounts of money involved in promotion to the Premiership, Champions League places, TV rights etc that it's going to get messy, whatever happens. I would reckon a lot of expensive lawyers will be very busy through the summer
Whats going to be interesting is how clubs like Oldham, who are already in serious financial trouble are going to be able to weather this? Or not?
Good point Binners. Only the big clubs have owners who can bail them out with no gate receipts - I’m concerned for many of the Scottish teams out with the old firm.
Some folk suggesting 22 teams in the prem next year to accommodate Leeds and West Brom situation
But surely if they recognised Leeds and West Brom in the positions they are in now, the same would have to be the same for all other teams in promotion/relegation places as well as play-offs.
But I want them to complete the season and see Leeds promoted as Championship winners - I had already started to plan around seeing the victory parade!
I had already started to plan around seeing the victory parade!
Marching on Together in groups of less than 100, please.
Marching on Together in groups of less than 100, please.
LOL!
22 teams in the PL doesn’t really work though. What happens to the teams that would be in playoff contention? What happens the following season? 5 teams relegated?
They either have to figure out a way to play the remaining games for every league in the pyramid or it’s null and void.
Marching on Together in groups of less than 100, please.
Good work 😀
Albion would have won the Championship, V*lla would have come down.
Leeds? They would have ****ed it up like always.
down.
Leeds? They would have **** it up like always.
Like once really?
Leeds would have ‘done a Leeds’ anyway, as per, like Arsenal under Wenger always ‘did an Arsenal’
Anyway, stopping Leeds coming up and stopping Liverpool winning the premiership - all in one go - has got to be something that pretty much everyone is agreed would be the perfect end to a season.
Let’s face it. It would be so absolutely bloody hilarious! 😂
I don’t get the ‘done a Leeds’ especially as you say ‘as always’. Other than last season, when have Leeds ‘done a Leeds’?
Ignore Binners, most followers of Salford's biggest team have cloudy recollections of the past.
Salford?
The premier league will have to be played out behind closed doors IMO, the financial hit from ticket sales might be bad, but not as bad as having to reimburse sky and foreign distribution deals with the television money they have already spent, a lot of sponsorship deals might also have television time and success bonuses built in, calling the season now would destroy half the teams finances.
Interesting that most players are contracted for the season to end by June, if the league overuns then the extensions are negotiable, wonder how much good will they will be in those negotiations.
Good on Wolves by the way, announcing all the ground and shop staff etc that have been sent home will remain on full pay, I hope that the rest of the PL teams do likewise, not trying to avoid their responsibilities to their employees like some businesses are already doing..
I think the lower leagues rely much more on gate receipts, so their problem is different, they really need to be able to open the grounds.
Behind closed doors sounds reasonable on the face of it, but reality is it's not credible. Been done in a couple of the European leagues these past couple of weeks and the players have said it's a charade - feels like a training ground kick about.
You could have the odd one played like this in extremis, but ten games? No chance - would make the league a laughing stock.
With TV money you could play to empty stadia but not for the lower leagues.
I'd say abandon cups and internationals and play when the covid bell curve flattens out. July?
What did they do during the bubonic plague?
Whatever happens, the lawyers are going to be very very busy. Unpicking the money for TV rights, sponsorship deals, players contracts, relegation, promotion, champions league qualification etc
From a personal point of view I, like millions of others, are asking ‘why am I paying for a Sky Sports subscription when there’s no sport going to be played for (let’s get real here) the next 6 months, minimum
Good point. But insurance companies might use their act of God clause?
I'm pretty sure most footballers won't be too affected as their age group seem to be fit enough to survive.
Totally unpresedented times.
Behind closed doors sounds reasonable on the face of it, but reality is it’s not credible. Been done in a couple of the European leagues these past couple of weeks and the players have said it’s a charade – feels like a training ground kick about.
Oh I absolutely agree that playing behind closed doors would be crap, but I think they will be struggling to start the next season on time, never mind complete this one if they want to open the grounds. But there is no good solution, they just have to hope they select the least worse, and frankly every major league is likely to end up doing the same thing, they will all be laughing stocks.
As an Ipswich fan, trying to remember a Sunday morning I've woken up and not dreaded looking at our slide down the table
I can't see it restarting, the season will be declared null and void. It'll suck for Liverpool as they wont be able to match Leicester in Premier League titles but every cloud and all that
Let’s face it... there won’t be another ball kicked this season, behind closed doors or otherwise.
Anything other than declaring it null and void would instigate a complete legal shitstorm that would last for years and swallow countless millions
They'll give them the title - only Manchester City had any mathematical chance of catching them, and they've said they don't object.
That said, the title will always have an asterisk by it, and Liverpool won't even get to parade the cup or celebrate the moment. Someone from the Premier League will drive past Anfield at 4am, wind down the window and lob it at them.
I'm not sure how they could not give it to Liverpool. It's the other Euro positions and relegation matters that are much trickier
My dad has been a Manchester United supporter his whole life. Ironically born in Manchester the house he grew up in has now gone, today where it stood is the Etihad Stadium. As an apprentice electrician he was involved in installing the floodlights at Old Trafford often travelling to the job on the same bus as members of the Busby Babes team and even kicking a ball around with some of them in the car park. He'd have no problem handing the trophy to Liverpool, he's a big fan of Jurgen Klopp and as an 82 year old he knows the Liverpool rivalry is nothing, the real rivalry is with Leeds. So if Liverpool win the Premiership and Leeds stay in the Championship then the old school united supporters will not be too disappointed!😊
Thread re Klopp on Twitter is amusing. Female comic pretends what would happen if she were in a relationship with Klopp
https://twitter.com/lauralexx/status/1238601779773952005?s=20
it made me laugh anyway
Canny believe there's folk still arguing about football.
Who's arguing about football?
None of us are going to be arguing about football any time soon.
There will be a lot of arguing going on about football. Mainly about football finances. It'll not be being done by us plebs though, but by very very expensive lawyers in courtrooms around Europe.
In the meantime I might as well cancel my Sky Sports subscription.
Poor wording, my bad, wasn't really talking about on here, was listening to the radio this morning on the way into work about what they'll do with the league. who really gives a **** in the grand scheme.
Yeah, can't think why anyone would want a bit of distraction at the moment, we should all just be moping around sour faced thinking about nothing but death and diseases.
It’s coming..... 👀
<span style="font-size: 0.8rem;"> https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/mar/26/all-english-football-below-national-league-level-to-be-voided?CMP=share_btn_link</span>
and Ian Wright surrounded by LOADS of classic football shirts. Great watch
Not surprised to see Liverpool who claim to be the bastions of socialism joining Spurs and furloughing all their staff (spurs and Liverpool are the 2 most profitable teams in the league).
Good on all the rest of the premier League teams who have committed to pay their staff for the rest of the season or at least to the end of April
It's probably new thread worthy but "modern football" as we know it is finished, or at least till the latest TV deal runs out
If you were going to be outed in the press for not following social distancing rules, at least go for a Kyle Walker style reason rather than "visiting my holiday home......."
In for a penny, in for £2,200
Honestly, I couldn't be less arsed if I tried.
The perplexing thing is why does a student/escort go to the Sun for 5k when she gets a grand a night (she's not even that good looking either) and ruins the rest of her life
They'll only be one winner out of this story and it's not her
Marina Hyde was funny in yesterday’s Guardian. She said that at some point the tabloids would conclude that Coronavirus was all Raheem Sterling’s fault
Anyone know if Barrow are going up? : (
I didn’t think I’d ever be pant-wettigly excited by the thought of Villa v Sheffield, but I am!
Actually... not really, but I do have a slightly irrational hatred for Villa from when they spent season after season loitering around the bottom of the premiership like a fart in a lift, grinding out tedious nil nil draws. I hope Sheffield batter them
Then it gets interesting. City v Arsenal should be good. Us v Spurs too. No premier league squad has ever had this long off without playing, so there should be some right rum results.
Had a punt on Liverpool losing to Everton on Sunday. That would be such a Liverpool thing to do. They’ll still win the league, obviously, but they’ll take this opportunity to set their fans arses twitching 😂
😀
Looking forward to it starting up again but the fun doesn't really start until Leeds play in Europe on Sunday.
The season starts where it left off. With some truly atrocious refereeing. Seems like refs are refusing to make decisions unless VAR tells them too. That ball was a mile over the line from every angle, bundled over by his own defender.
Why that goal didn’t stand, I have absolutely no idea?
Can't blame the ref; the technology let them down (Hawkeye)
Slightly odd that VAR didn't get involved but goaline technology has its own workings, and the ref was quick to indicate he was relying on the tech by pointing at his watch which buzzes if it's over the line.
If he'd overruled on the basis of his / his lino's eyes and been wrong, he'd be murdered.
Aaaaaaaannnddd David Luiz is straight back into the groove! Mistake for a goal, gave away a penalty and then got sent off 😀
Woohoo. Are City the first club to win a top flight league match in June? And only 22 points down on Liverpool now. Could be a nailbiter. 🙂
David Luiz is ever dependable. Always a howler waiting to happen. Arsenal looked like a pub side tonight though
The conspiracy theorists aka Sheffield United fans (me) could say there's a slight possibility the powers that be don't really want little old Sheffield United in Europe at the expense of one of the big boys
Thats not how they rig the game, like life the established elite rigg the games finances and rules to favor them.
For the city match, I was thinking that having no crowds might suit city if there was anything in the league left to play for. I don't think any other premier league team is quite as affected as city are when they are dominant in the match but not getting the goal, opposition goalie having a great match, defenders just throwing themselves between the ball and the goal again and again, citys crowd get really nervous and you can see the effect it has on the team.
Bloody Hell Liverpool!
Never. In. Doubt.
Yeah, they probably would have won it anyway. I suppose it'll need an asterisk in the stats tables, though.
Day do doh don't dee doh
Let the orgy of self-mythologising commence
Any true football fans can't knock the achievements of this current Liverpool squad. If you do, then you just need to take another sip of your pint of bitter.
They've been class for a couple of seasons now and winning this league by this huge margin deserves a huge amount of credit.
World, European and Premiership all at the same time. Pretty impressive. Reading will knock them off their perch.
MO SALAH MO SALAH MO SALAH
RUNNING DOWN THE WING
Let the orgy of self-mythologising commence
You're such a misery guts about this. What's wrong with Liverpool celebrating winning the league for the first time in many many years ?
Had to laugh last night when Macmanaman and Hoddle were waxing about how Citeh were clear favourites for the champions league, right before Mendys comedy gold sunday league defending!
It's years of bitter rivalry. Utd fans hate Liverpool.
In the 70s and 80s Liverpool dominated the league and won lots of European Cups. In the Premier League era utd were the dominant force but were always chasing Liverpool's shadow until they'd won more League titles. Utd won 2 more chumps League but are still behind Liverpool
When Liverpool were at their peak they were. begrudgingly admired by most but Utd were often despised due to their attitude but mostly 'cos of Ferguson being a total arse. Add to that the boom in TV which added lots of glory hunting fans to Utd from exotic places such as Surrey, Malaysia, Kent etc. (They always had fans from Ireland and Scandinavia as have Liverpool). Not understanding the fan culture and the dynamic rivalries didn't help