Could they void the PL due to the Coronavirus? | No | Resuming June 17th

[groovyalbert]

I'd still think ppg is the best idea for a closure.

That way :
1. This season isn't just voided
2. Arsenal are rewarded for their abject season
3. Sheffield gets a nod for Europa at least
4. Same as us. CL or Europa (depends on city)
5. Liverpool gets the League, which is fair if we're using ppg
6. Norwich gets relegated

90% of the league gets what they deserved this season, 10% is tough luck.

Let's face it, apart from the "liverpool winning the league" it's the best outcome and the closes to fair for everyone involved. Teams can finally prepare for what's next.

Agree in principle, although it's hard to make any predictions without knowing the legal/contractual implications of completing a season without games being played.

On a side note, does anyone know if City's ban from European football had a specific end date specified, or whether it covers the following season - whenever that may be?

 

[Fox_Chrys]

Privilege is about being in a position which gives you an advantage over others - if your main concern in this time is when football will return, you are in a privileged position. I fail to see how you can argue otherwise. Using hypothetical anecdotes doesn't bring more credibility, because anybody can create a made-up scenario to suit their argument..

My mask isn't slipping at all, I don't care about Liverpool winning the PL.
My only point is that his words are tone-deaf, especially when he isn't actually providing any insight beyond his personal whims and wants. When it comes to the real issues, contract expirations, clubs going bust, exactly how football can be played BCD etc - he provided no insight because his only concerns are selfish ones & he's not an expert, therefore I fail to see the point in it right now.
Liverpool football legend wants football to return and lots of people will be happy when life has semblance of normality - in other news the earth continues to spin.

If we were in a situation where the daily death rate had dropped to a couple dozen and the amount of new daily cases had dropped significantly as well - yet the government were insisting on maintaining a lockdown with no plan for easement - then yes, I can see the argument for pushing for a return to normality.
We're far from that point.

My father is a doctor, he's not working with covid patients but still having to ration PPE in his ward - and hasn't been tested yet due to lack of kits. Likewise my mother is a social care worker, one of her residents has passed away from covid and 4 others have contracted it, 2 of which are on ventilators right now - her care home have no PPE and has literally had to beg and plead to be given 10 testing kits in the last 3 weeks.

If football restarts despite NHS & frontline workers are having to work in such conditions, plus the already limited supplies will be used for the benefit of professional athletes i'll be livid - as i'm sure anyone who's in the medical field or a frontline worker, or has loved ones in either job sector would be too.
There's a vast variety of perspectives on this matter that affect many people - hence why i'll say for the last time, it's an incredibly tone-deaf comment to make, right now.

I feel some perspective is needed here.

Many of us are powerless to effect what is going on around us, we can do common sense things such as social distancing, wearing masks, washing hands and so on. But deciding to allow behind closed doors sport, is not going to have any meaningful impact on deaths from the virus, for this reason telling people if they support football resuming are careless, or privileged is wrong.

Many people in various walks of life I expect would welcome it back, its a distraction from all the negative around us right now, if I check the news its virus this, virus that, its so depressing. It doesn't mean football is my main concern, it isn't, but if it makes me feel better for a while, then whats wrong with it? For this reason I agree with Carragher.

 

[stevoc]

I suppose the argument to that would be that we never saw this virus coming in relation to this season. We pretty much now know the chances are there'll be further outbreaks, so contingency plans, new rulings etc, can be set in place. As it stands, there's nothing except opinion as to how we should complete this season.

Yeah thats fair enough, but no one really knows whats going to happen with Covid19 going forward. Any new season started could also need to be curtailed at any point. Can they really decide league titles and relegations by basically simming matches?

I mean all this talk about the integrity of the sport but if they're seriously considering employing PPG to decide league titles next season or beyond then football would instantly lose all integrity as a competitive sport.

 

[Zexstream]

About the German Leagues starting again, probably not.

Germany faces the prospect of having to restore stricter lockdown measures as its number and rate of #coronavirus infections grew again

 

[Random Task]

I feel some perspective is needed here.

Many of us are powerless to effect what is going on around us, we can do common sense things such as social distancing, wearing masks, washing hands and so on. But deciding to allow behind closed doors sport, is not going to have any meaningful impact on deaths from the virus, for this reason telling people if they support football resuming are careless, or privileged is wrong.

Many people in various walks of life I expect would welcome it back, its a distraction from all the negative around us right now, if I check the news its virus this, virus that, its so depressing. It doesn't mean football is my main concern, it isn't, but if it makes me feel better for a while, then whats wrong with it? For this reason I agree with Carragher.

You talk of people doing sensible things like social distancing, wearing masks, washing hands, etc, then go on to suggest the idea of football starting up again behind closed doors because we, the fans, could use a distraction from all the negativity. A little selfish, no?

It would require roughly 300 people to stay within close proximity of one another to successfully run a game, particularly the players who will be in constant contact for 90 minutes or more, all it takes is for one person from that number to have contracted the virus and your "playing behind closed doors will have no impact on the death-rate" statement will be blown out of the water.

That it's 300 people per game, by the way. There would thousands of games taking place across Europe on a single matchday if BCD happens. It's just not worth the risk.

 

[stevoc]

Regarding the "the French have cancelled the league so the PL should follow suit" point, key is the fact that France banned all sporting events until September where the UK haven't. The argument is being made that cancelling the league has to be government-led, else the PL leaves itself open to potential liabilities for cancelling the league before it was actually necessary to do so. It is more difficult for them to act when the UK government's position is that it could potentially still go ahead.

You just know thats exactly why they're still ploughing on with trying to restart the league, its about money. It was the same with the UFC they were trying to organize events on private islands and Native american reservations before EPSN told them to pull the plug.

 

[villain]

I feel some perspective is needed here.

Many of us are powerless to effect what is going on around us, we can do common sense things such as social distancing, wearing masks, washing hands and so on. But deciding to allow behind closed doors sport, is not going to have any meaningful impact on deaths from the virus, for this reason telling people if they support football resuming are careless, or privileged is wrong.

Many people in various walks of life I expect would welcome it back, its a distraction from all the negative around us right now, if I check the news its virus this, virus that, its so depressing. It doesn't mean football is my main concern, it isn't, but if it makes me feel better for a while, then whats wrong with it? For this reason I agree with Carragher.

How can you say that? There's literally no way to prove that because this virus is unpredictable.

Every BCD match involves around 300 people per match. On any given match day you're talking about at least 4,000 people in the PL and Championship at risk - all it takes is for a few people to be asymptotic to spread it to their loved ones, the players, the general public via public transport. You can't say that no deaths will happen as a result of sports being played BCD.

Not to mention the fact that frontline workers don't have enough PPE or test kits while they actually are exposed with those who carry the disease, but now medical professionals will need to be present for every BCD match, and test kits will be given to professional athletes ahead of some NHS workers. It's ridiculous.

Also I didn't say if people support football resuming they're careless or privileged. I said if your main concern is during this time is when will football return - you're in a privileged position, considering a large chunk of the country are prioritising their life, loved ones' lives, their job, bills, kids etc - that's a privileged position to be in.
I want football to return, i'm incredibly bored - but it's not my biggest concern and I don't think it's worth the risk right now because we have no way of containing the virus, all we're doing is trying to slow down infection rate.

 

[villain]

Yeah thats fair enough, but no one really knows whats going to happen with Covid19 going forward. Any new season started could also need to be curtailed at any point. Can they really decide league titles and relegations by basically simming matches?

I mean all this talk about the integrity of the sport but if they're seriously considering employing PPG to decide league titles next season or beyond then football would instantly lose all integrity as a competitive sport.

This is a point which is being overlooked in any discussion about awarding titles, promotion & relegation.

Any decision made upon the completion of the season is going to set a precedent that will be used in the future, because while we have no way of controlling this virus - it's likely that we'll be hit with a second wave in the winter.
Do we then cancel the season and award champions, promotions & relegated teams based on 40% of games being played? No.
Do we suddenly make a completely different decision on how to end it, even though we're curtailing the season for the same reason as before? Also no.

Simply ending the season as is, is the best decision.
European places are the only unknown at that point, but that's because there's a hope that there will be European football next season, I think the penny will drop on that in the coming weeks too.

 

[RobinLFC]

and you are a guy who Keeps posting on a Man Utd forum about how Liverpool should be awarded a title no matter the situation. Get a grip on reality, mate.

Find me one such post or else say that you were once again talking bollocks - thanks in advance.

 

[RobinLFC]

You just know thats exactly why they're still ploughing on with trying to restart the league, its about money.

Can you blame them though? They're protecting their own interests, I don't see anything wrong with that. Belgian festivals knew for multiple weeks that they weren't going ahead this summer yet had to wait for the official government announcement before they could cancel for insurance reasons - their official statements were online only hours after the government decision. You aren't going to shoot yourself in the foot even more by taken a hasty decision on this matters.

Wouldn't surprise me if the PL is already hoping that the UK government would impose a ban on football until the end of August. That way they at least have some certainty and something to work with going forward. You can only kick the can down the road for so long.

 

[90 + 5min]

While we are talking about PL the new numbers in the country doesn’t help those who thinks football should and will return soon.

The sooner the FA decide to stop the season the sooner they can work on how to fix this mess after Corona and what is the best solution. Waiting will not help anyone and the more this drags on the harder is it going to be for clubs to plan for future.

 

[Pink Moon]

Well the virus isn't going away any time soon. If we use PPG to settle this season it sets the precedent. What if we then start the new season and it hits harder next year in october and the season has to be suspended again and can’t be completed.

Do we then just work out who would win the league and get relegated by simming 75% of the season next time.

No of all the solutions bandied about it’s arguably the worst. Footballs winners and losers should be decided on the pitch or not at all.

If it were to hit in October then I don't think anyone would have an issue with the null and void scenario given such a small percentage of the season would've been completed compared to such a large percentage this season.

 

[90 + 5min]

I feel some perspective is needed here.

Many of us are powerless to effect what is going on around us, we can do common sense things such as social distancing, wearing masks, washing hands and so on. But deciding to allow behind closed doors sport, is not going to have any meaningful impact on deaths from the virus, for this reason telling people if they support football resuming are careless, or privileged is wrong.

Many people in various walks of life I expect would welcome it back, its a distraction from all the negative around us right now, if I check the news its virus this, virus that, its so depressing. It doesn't mean football is my main concern, it isn't, but if it makes me feel better for a while, then whats wrong with it? For this reason I agree with Carragher.

Playing football and social distancing doesn’t really go together.

And where do we stop? Will transport communication be ok? Schools? Clubs? Bars? Stores?

Football players are no different to other people in terms of rules. Should The FA or politicians try to start something then regular people will ask why should we be treated differently to players? Soon they would need to open up society. Are England ready for that? In my opinion, No.

 

[pcaming]

I really don't understand how this is even a question, my country is in a much much better position, and haven't even begun discussions about easing restrictions (which are already much tighter than the UK). I don't really see how football can start until maybe July, at which point is it even worth it?

 

[ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg]

Find me one such post or else say that you were once again talking bollocks - thanks in advance.

having read through your posts once, I’m certainly not trawling through and reading anything you’ve written a second time

 

[christinaa]

Sigh - I'm talking to a guy here who thinks it's funny to say "Spurms" instead of "Spurs" yet you think your fan base would have a better grasp on the situation. Sure thing mate.

And you're a Liverpool fan who comes on a United forum and insults an established member just 'cause he says Spurms.
why don't you take over OUR forum!?
Get a life and go away.

 

[RobinLFC]

And you're a Liverpool fan who comes on a United forum and insults an established member just 'cause he says Spurms.
why don't you take over OUR forum!?
Get a life and go away.

Really feels like that's the only thing I can react to your posts with most of the times, don't know why.

 

[christinaa]

Someone mentioned Paolo Dybala testing positive to the Covid-19 for the 4th time and i verified this on Italian tv.

So do we still think that if a number of players are testing positive in that manner would it be fair for any team if they can't play ANY of their players because of this?!
Would the rest of the Season be played on a level playing field with teams shorn of any of their players?

And also the impetus of some teams (like United who were on a roll) is now gone.
For example: We were due to play Spurs who were missing many players then.

Imagine Liverpool having a number of players who cannot play because they tested positive for Covid-19?
Is that fair?

Stop the Season now.

 

[Member 101269]

I feel some perspective is needed here.

Many of us are powerless to effect what is going on around us, we can do common sense things such as social distancing, wearing masks, washing hands and so on. But deciding to allow behind closed doors sport, is not going to have any meaningful impact on deaths from the virus, for this reason telling people if they support football resuming are careless, or privileged is wrong.

Many people in various walks of life I expect would welcome it back, its a distraction from all the negative around us right now, if I check the news its virus this, virus that, its so depressing. It doesn't mean football is my main concern, it isn't, but if it makes me feel better for a while, then whats wrong with it? For this reason I agree with Carragher.

Sorry kid you're not kidding anyone with that story.. trying to hog the brownie with that... wow

What you're actually saying is this; you are happy that people will interact in a way that is completely divergent that every other activity the government has suggested. Since they are role models people will completely continue normal rules and ignore the close activity of their role models and the governments duality.

What is worse, you seam to be completely ignoring how rapidly this virus spreads, and all the evidence of a suppression strategy in support of a short-term "fix" . While ignoring issues of confidence should a new outbreak occur within those role models and to the broader populous.


At a personal level, i know its not easy, if you're finding news depressing, there are guide out there to help.

 

[TheReligion]

You were quoting an outdated article, and an article that added nothing (they are concerned about player safety? MY GOD) and then added "here we go..." as if you somewhat, I dunno, magically predicted as some sort of genius that not continuing the season is a possibility? Your post added literally nothing at all.

Your posts are adding plenty thankfully. A shining beacon of light in the dark depths of league cancelling Scouse despair.

 

[christinaa]

Really feels like that's the only thing I can react to your posts with most of the times, don't know why.

If you go on the Liverpool forum you can to your heart's content.
Saves you coming here Misstra Know it all, as Stevie Wonder said in his song.

 

[christinaa]

Your posts are adding plenty thankfully. A shining beacon of light in the dark depths of league cancelling Scouse despair.

 

[Devil81]

What happens if certain players refuse to play?

They are only human at the end of the day, how can they manage social distancing whilst playing football on a field?

As hard a decision as it is the simple truth is we can't be sending out footballers knowing they could pass on a virus during a football match. If this can be passed on via bodily fluids how on earth can you man-mark a player who's sweating his back out?

As hard a call as it is they either need to come up with a solution to deciding results or cancel the season. I've been pushing the idea of penalty shoot outs for weeks now, decide the remaining games via penalty shoot outs and no matches. Results wise you could still draw if your shoot out ends level after the five penalities.

 

[christinaa]

What happens if certain players refuse to play?

They are only human at the end of the day, how can they manage social distancing whilst playing football on a field?

As hard a decision as it is the simple truth is we can't be sending out footballers knowing they could pass on a virus during a football match. If this can be passed on via bodily fluids how on earth can you man-mark a player who's sweating his back out?

As hard a call as it is they either need to come up with a solution to deciding results or cancel the season. I've been pushing the idea of penalty shoot outs for weeks now, decide the remaining games via penalty shoot outs and no matches. Results wise you could still draw if your shoot out ends level after the five penalities.

I'm sorry but i disagree with this.
In that way We're reducing the Season to the prowess of excellent/shitty penalty takers and excellent/shitty goalkeepers.
Sorry but no.

 

[hp88]

Henry Winter talking some sense on Sky News at the moment.

 

[dwd]

Henry Winter talking some sense on Sky News at the moment.

What's he saying?

 

[hp88]

What's he saying?

Too some it up, Health / Lives > Football

 

[TheReligion]

What happens if certain players refuse to play?

They are only human at the end of the day, how can they manage social distancing whilst playing football on a field?

As hard a decision as it is the simple truth is we can't be sending out footballers knowing they could pass on a virus during a football match. If this can be passed on via bodily fluids how on earth can you man-mark a player who's sweating his back out?

As hard a call as it is they either need to come up with a solution to deciding results or cancel the season. I've been pushing the idea of penalty shoot outs for weeks now, decide the remaining games via penalty shoot outs and no matches. Results wise you could still draw if your shoot out ends level after the five penalities.

Ha ha are you actually suggesting we finish the season with a series of penalty shootouts?

 

[hp88]

What's he saying?

That's the live stream, just rewind it by 5 minutes.

 

[dwd]

That's the live stream, just rewind it by 5 minutes.

Cool, thanks.

 

[Ayush_reddevil]

My prediction is that we won't have any football any time soon . Maybe 4-6 months from now but doubt anything happens before that

 

[Dirty Schwein]

It would be hilarious if the season was void. Let's be real. You can't write this stuff! First slippy G, then Liverpool blowing a massive lead last year, and now this when it's all but done and dusted. Hilarious. Let the curse continue. I will take another year in Europa for this for sure.

The funniest bit is their manager was so vocal about the winter break. Had that break not happened, Liverpool would probably have mathematically won the title

 

[arnie_ni]

Well, rest assured they'd be beating a different drum if Utd was in Liverpool's position, instead of taking the holier than thou approach I've seen from some.

Were in a similarly bad position because we are going to miss out on the CL if anything other than finishing the season is decided. Liverpool fans dont seem to understand that

 

[Dumbstar]

The funniest bit is their manager was so vocal about the winter break. Had that break not happened, Liverpool would probably have mathematically won the title

Really? Not if you've read this thread from the beginning. It's all about nulling and voiding and human lives and legal landmine, or something.

 

[Amir]

Were in a similarly bad position because we are going to miss out on the CL if anything other than finishing the season is decided. Liverpool fans dont seem to understand that

All due respect, qualifying to the CL is nowhere near winning the league, after thirty years or three years.

 

[arnie_ni]

All due respect, qualifying to the CL is nowhere near winning the league, after thirty years or three years.

Similar does not mean equal.

No CL could set us back years, could lose players in the transfer market, big name players could leave etc.

 

[Dave Smith]

Anyone got a link to this but with the Coronavirus instead of Crystanbul?

 

[stevoc]

If it were to hit in October then I don't think anyone would have an issue with the null and void scenario given such a small percentage of the season would've been completed compared to such a large percentage this season.

I honestly don't see the difference, and i'm not saying that from a Uniteds fans point of view hoping Liverpool don't win the league. I genuinely hope this season can be completed if it can be done safely even if that means the scousers winning the league.

But as i said i don't see the difference once the league has been started whether its 7% or 77% completed if it has to be voided then it has to be voided, whats the difference?

If it can't be completed, it can't be completed, the amount of games that have been played should be irrelevant. The national FA's would still face all the same dilemma's they are facing now. Who gets promoted/relegated the following season, who qualifies for European competition, who wins the league. etc. etc.

 

[stevoc]

Can you blame them though? They're protecting their own interests, I don't see anything wrong with that. Belgian festivals knew for multiple weeks that they weren't going ahead this summer yet had to wait for the official government announcement before they could cancel for insurance reasons - their official statements were online only hours after the government decision. You aren't going to shoot yourself in the foot even more by taken a hasty decision on this matters.

Wouldn't surprise me if the PL is already hoping that the UK government would impose a ban on football until the end of August. That way they at least have some certainty and something to work with going forward. You can only kick the can down the road for so long.

No necessarily no, i imagine theres a domino effect of clubs>Premier League>sponsors>broadcasters, etc that don't want to or won't be able to take the financial hit if the season can't be completed.

 

[Klopper76]

Even if it is null and voided at this point, it doesn't eradicate the issue. What if Covid-19 is still a problem in August, September, October. What if it goes away then comes back mid way through another season? Do we null and void again?

Does make you wonder if we'll see Premier League football again in 2020. We probably will but it'll be completely different to any other season.