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

[Santoryo]

Correct but it’ll fall on deaf ears to those who fall into the category you’re referring to. They are incapable of logical thinking. Case in point literally the person who quoted you. There is not going to be a ‘perfectly viable solution’ to any of this. Its unprecedented and every idea thrown out is going to have holes. The problem is the minute you start heading down ‘what ifs’ then there is literally no point in even bothering with anything.

There are two options, you resume as soon as you’re practically able to (and the government allows you)and use every precaution necessary (this is what the powers that be are working on) It doesn’t mean you want people to die and don’t care about players families. This is called preparation and common sense. Non essential retail companies are having the same discussions and yet you do not see waves of people condemning McDonalds for being inhumane despite the fact the food they serve is an abomination to the bodies and internal organs of the general public. (Honestly the state of their cheeseburgers)

If a large majority of footballers don’t agree with this (I doubt this based on what players are saying) and believe it’s too risky you have option two, you end football until a vaccine, which as we know could take years.
And unless there’s a mass roll out of finance and resources across the whole of football, the likelyhood is that’ll be the end of the majority of football clubs and a mass of unemployed people.

That being said nobody should be forced to play and players should definitely be given the option.
But at the same time, understand that the vast majority of fit and healthy people (who don’t live with or interact with those that fall under the high risk category) are going to be expected to return to work at some point. That includes every non essential who cannot work from home, footballers aren’t going to get special dispensation.

Very well said and my point exactly.

I just feel like certain people have adopted this attitude of opposite anything that has to do with trying to restart things again at all cost. And there are also the bunch who just love and somehow feel vindicated to keep this fear mongering narrative indefinitely for some odd reasons. Obviously no plan or idea proposed right now is going to be full proof but at the same time, thinking logically and rationally the world will have to attempt to get things moving despite the virus still at large.

Then you also see some people go on these outrages about certain leagues trying to restart in the near future yet at the same time throw around timelines such as September or year end as viable dates to restart. They'll talk about not doing anything now and simply prepare for next season in August or start of next year yet they've somehow failed to account for the fact those times then and right now will likely carry similar situations with no vaccine yet, which then means people and players will still be subjected to similar level of risk then they will in the near future with the virus still being around.

Certain outrages about this whole restarting of the league in the near future from certain posters feel disingenuous to me. Feels more like it's about something else rather than them actually and genuinely fearing for the safety of players and their families.

 

[Blades1889]

Do not get me wrong, seeing SU get CL would be a great advert for football and I would love to see it if it did not directly affect my team (and even then it would sweeten the pill). However, if the league cannot play out I do not see how the Dutch model, PPG or as it stands affects you as you get the same outcome unless UEFA go hardcore and ban City without an appeal which I think would be ridiculous and would open them up to a massive law suit if City did win the appeal.

I’m probably just bitter at the fact that a virus has come along at the same time as the best team I’ve ever seen us assemble.

 

[711]

So what happens if say a player tests positive after a week?

More a case of when than if I'd have thought.

They don't know is the answer, hence the talk of government guidance and expert advice. You will have to wait and see, like the rest of us.

 

[BusbyMalone]

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

"Maintaining the integrity of the competition"

Feck off with this absolute horseshit. It's got nothing at all to do with "integrity"

 

[Sparky Rhiwabon]

Just wow, if true. Madness from Premier League and the only reason is money. They can now stop with this "football family" when they don't care about fans. I guess, if this happens, that is over with social distancing in England and people are now allowed to go wherever they want. Pubs, bars, nightcubs, restaurants, cinemas and so on. Because we can't have one rule for footballers and one for rest of society? I wonder what Boris Johnson and goverment will say.

They would need pubs to be open so that people can watch the games

 

[tenpoless]

If some of the players are tested positive and They are key players, it'll make huge impact in results.

Don't do this. Nobody gives a shit about football right now. But some people do care about money. That is the only reason. Feck off.

 

[Sylar]

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

"Maintaining the integrity of the competition"

Feck off with this absolute horseshit. It's got nothing at all to do with "integrity"

Of course it doesnt. Its just buzz words hoping people fall for it.
I dont know the details about it, but everything and anything theyve done so far has been about maximizing profits, and I assume this would play into it too

 

[90 + 5min]

Very well said and my point exactly.

I just feel like certain people have adopted this attitude of opposite anything that has to do with trying to restart things again at all cost. And there are also the bunch who just love and somehow feel vindicated to keep this fear mongering narrative indefinitely for some odd reasons. Obviously no plan or idea proposed right now is going to be full proof but at the same time, thinking logically and rationally the world will have to attempt to get things moving despite the virus still at large.

Then you also see some people go on these outrages about certain leagues trying to restart in the near future yet at the same time throw around timelines such as September or year end as viable dates to restart. They'll talk about not doing anything now and simply prepare for next season in August or start of next year yet they've somehow failed to account for the fact those times then and right now will likely carry similar situations with no vaccine yet, which then means people and players will still be subjected to similar level of risk then they will in the near future with the virus still being around.

Certain outrages about this whole restarting of the league in the near future from certain posters feel disingenuous to me. Feels more like it's about something else rather than them actually and genuinely fearing for the safety of players and their families.

I got few questions.

Do you think footballers should be treated differently to others?

If it is OK for players to play you can't say you have social distancing. Right? If so, should we open up whole society and live normal?

Do you think money is more important than risk of Lifes (in current situation)?

If answer is Yes, than I can understand you and the other poster.

 

[Kajus]

If some of the players are tested positive and They are key players, it'll make huge impact in results.

Don't do this. Nobody gives a shit about football right now. But some people do care about money. That is the only reason. Feck off.

I think quite a lot of people do actually. I mean, looking at this selfishly, this whole lockdown thing would be a lot easier on me if there was regular football to watch on the telly. Now the safety of those involved is a whole different matter and merits its own discussion, but if it were to happen, I'm certain loads of people would watch it, possibly more than before.

 

[Hound Dog]

Then you also see some people go on these outrages about certain leagues trying to restart in the near future yet at the same time throw around timelines such as September or year end as viable dates to restart. They'll talk about not doing anything now and simply prepare for next season in August or start of next year yet they've somehow failed to account for the fact those times then and right now will likely carry similar situations with no vaccine yet, which then means people and players will still be subjected to similar level of risk then they will in the near future with the virus still being around.

This and a million times this. If you dont play now you also cannot play next season. If you dont play next season, 90+ pct of clubs worldwide will cease to exist.

 

[Dancfc]

I got few questions.

Do you think footballers should be treated differently to others?

If it is OK for players to play you can't say you have social distancing. Right? If so, should we open up whole society and live normal?

Do you think money is more important than risk of Lifes (in current situation)?

If answer is Yes, than I can understand you and the other poster.

They're not being treated differently though. Outside of work they will have to stick to the rules like everyone else.

We have to coexist with the virus at some point and football is one of the jobs where strict distancing 100% of the time is impossible.

For all the safety talk given the controlled environment, all the precautions being taken plus no crowd the players will actually be safer than they were in any game in the 4 weeks leading upto football's suspension, if not longer.

 

[BusbyMalone]

Do they also think they can prevent large gatherings of scousers congregating around the stadium when they inevitably win the league? There's no way that people are going to be disciplined enough to not go out and celebrate after waiting an eternity to actually win a Premier League title.

 

[Dumbstar]

Do they also think they can prevent large gatherings of scousers congregating around the stadium when they inevitably win the league? There's no way that people are going to be disciplined enough to not go out and celebrate after waiting an eternity to actually win a Premier League title.

Wouldn't that happen, or be prevented from happening if policed, if/when we are given the title on PPG?

 

[90 + 5min]

They're not being treated differently though. Outside of work they will have to stick to the rules like everyone else.

We have to coexist with the virus at some point and football is one of the jobs where strict distancing 100% of the time is impossible.

For all the safety talk given the controlled environment, all the precautions being taken plus no crowd the players will actually be safer than they were in any game in the 4 weeks leading upto football's suspension, if not longer.

Very true. But we don't have to hurry up with anything. We all would love to watch football, and I will watch it even if Premier League started tommorow, but I don't think it is right. Not now. Close season, give Liverpool title and get to the drawing table. What to do next and how to do it. Now, it is just like wild west. Nobody knows anything. Clubs, players, fans.

They would be treated differently in my opinion. You close almost everything but keep football going. If you now don't open up country. Why wouldn't other places argue that football games are like their businesses? We are still talking about a contact sport and lot of businesses are not even that.

 

[Sparky Rhiwabon]

Wouldn't that happen, or be prevented from happening if policed, if/when we are given the title on PPG?

Good point. Better to void the thing.

 

[tenpoless]

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

"Maintaining the integrity of the competition"

Feck off with this absolute horseshit. It's got nothing at all to do with "integrity"

Football hypocrisy at it's finest. I don't mean to bring up the past. But They (the FA, the clubs) always seem to remember accidents in football, always respecting the lost ones and their families, always giving them tributes on and off the pitch. Which is a correct thing to do.

Now They have a chance to PREVENT another accident from happening. This should be a no brainer. And this time is not only about keeping the supporters safe. We have a Worldwide pandemic that affects everybody, everywhere and distancing will help slow the spread.

Why the feck is it so hard to understand that even if the players are tested negative, there will still be club staffs, security, referees, ball boys and other workers to help set up the match. Millionaires are the safest but think about the average workers and some muppets that invite their families and friends to watch football together because of this.

Those test kits are better used elsewhere than testing millionaire footballers every two weeks. Think about of the worst case, if one, only one player get infected and the test missed it, the spread will be quick.

That's the last thing We want right now. If anything the Government and the clubs should work together to make sure They will be the first people to help stop the spread and focus on the more important things rarher than being afraid to lose money. Almost every business get hit by this once in 100 years event.

 

[BusbyMalone]

Wouldn't that happen, or be prevented from happening if policed, if/when we are given the title on PPG?

Possibly, but I just think the emotion of actually watching a game of football and winning the title that way, trumps simply being handed the title without football being played. It would be particularly emotive for Liverpool fans due to the aforementioned long wait.

 

[madzo2007]

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

 

[ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg]

So could West Ham for example play all their remaining games at their home stadium? Even without a crowd, that’s a hell of an advantage o we for example Aston Villa - who may have to play all of their games away from from home?

whilst I think this solution is ill thought out - what happens to the Championship, L1 and L2? I can’t see them being able to replicate this plan.

 

[Judas]

I simply don’t see it happening, try and they might.

 

[Fortitude]

So, let's say they do start the season back up and Liverpool go on to win the title. The mass celebrations, involving thousands upon thousands of elated scousers, many of whom seeing their club win the league for the first time in their life, could cause how much spread of the virus and leave how many seriously ill or dead?

Even with marshaling, how many police and ambulance staff will be forced into contact with supporters who will be absolutely defiant when told to disperse? And inadvertently cause the spread of the virus to how many far flung places?

The logistics of getting the season underway lead me to believe it won't happen, but the contemplation of going ahead, despite the above being a dead certainty (pun wholly intended), genuinely beggars belief.

Liverpool are saying the PL title is more important than life itself. Reminds me of Platini celebrating that European Cup despite knowing what had happened.

 

[Mart1974]

Wouldn't that happen, or be prevented from happening if policed, if/when we are given the title on PPG?

Doubt it could be effectively policed. They couldn't stop you bricking team coaches and ambulances.

 

[montpelier]

Do they also think they can prevent large gatherings of scousers congregating around the stadium when they inevitably win the league? There's no way that people are going to be disciplined enough to not go out and celebrate after waiting an eternity to actually win a Premier League title.

Games at neutral grounds is what I'm reading.

All sounds really desperate but I suppose they are.

 

[Acquire Me]

Not going to happen. Should use time to plan what to do next season at this point.

 

[Sandikan]

Just stretches it further away from what a league is - everyone plays everyone home and away.

Everyone knows there won't be any more games this season - I wonder when they'll realise and stop holding these meetings and declaring the "Intention" to play out the season.

 

[SharpshooterTom]

If does go ahead, then there should be no football next season.

There's no way we're having a full 2020/21 season going on like this, no fans, all neutral venues.

 

[SharpshooterTom]

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

Oops.

 

[Sky1981]

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

keep the ball (money) rolling, but let the FA gets the responsibility.

 

[wr8_utd]

3 players/staff at FC Cologne in Germany have already tested positive. How long will this nonsense continue?

 

[Sandikan]

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

Oops.

Who could have predicted such a thing!!

 

[hasanejaz88]

3 players/staff at FC Cologne in Germany have already tested positive. How long will this nonsense continue?

What difference does 3 players/staff make? They are already in isolation and the club has continued training. Regular tests will make sure that they have a track of what the situation is.

Not saying the same will happen in England though, no way the season will be completed there.

 

[Fortitude]

What's bizarre in this thread is that the current champions' manager's mother just died from this very virus and you're talking along as normal like it didn't happen or has no bearing on how things proceed.

With the virus hitting so close to home, and very probably ending with numerous players/managers being affected perhaps in the worst way, like Pep, or seeing sick friends or family, or already voicing concerns they are humans, too (Rooney being a name that forces fans and governing bodies to take heed) there is no way football gets the green light from all involved until we're a million miles from where we are now.

BCD and even the PL itself giving the go ahead will mean absolutely nothing if the players and staff don't, too. Pep having his mother die from this, how long before he's sanctioning his players, and the club as a whole, back into the fold? And who is/are the people that will tell him different? A few cases of contraction would shut football down again, which is likely to be the case if other leagues get going prematurely.

There are also aged managers scattered across the leagues and probably multiple personnel in staff with comorbidities... the scandal if a go ahead is given and one of these people end up seriously ill, or worse, would set football back further than if things are done the right way, which logically is the long haul.

As much as people don't want to hear it, sports as a whole will be one of the last things we'll see returning to the fold. The toss up between determining a restart or a new season will be organic, and as time goes by, obvious, I should think.

All of this is still relevant. Sorry to self quote, not in here enough to know if someone else posted the same sentiments. The Cologne issue only highlighting the situation - what if they pass it on to someone at the club who is vulnerable and suffers, perhaps dearly, for it?

The issues aren't going to go away.

 

[Gasolin]

So what's the latest? Apparently, Dybala keeps testing positive in Italy... anyway, I don't think players can avoid not being infected. With or without symptoms. The decision we have to take is: are we going to stop everything now for 24 months or so, because that's the minimum time we need to even get a vaccine and test it?

And maybe the answer is "yes", but we need to have that thought and discussion.

 

[fck]

3 players/staff at FC Cologne in Germany have already tested positive. How long will this nonsense continue?

This isn't surprising for anyone but doesn't change anything really because it was clear from the start that some players or staff will test positive. Now if next week 10 new players of cologne will test positive then we will have a problem but a positive player here or there is expected and priced in.

 

[dwd]

So what happens if say a player tests positive after a week?

Lock him up in a cage at St. George's for a couple of weeks until he's recovered.

 

[wr8_utd]

What difference does 3 players/staff make? They are already in isolation and the club has continued training. Regular tests will make sure that they have a track of what the situation is.

Not saying the same will happen in England though, no way the season will be completed there.

At what point does it become unfair? If a team chasing a CL spot/fighting relegation, hypothetically, loses 5 key players to the virus, is it fair that they're going to be sitting out and missing games? This is just talking about the football fairness aspect of things without even getting into how wrong it is to put footballers at risk just to get the season completed.

 

[arnie_ni]

What difference does 3 players/staff make? They are already in isolation and the club has continued training. Regular tests will make sure that they have a track of what the situation is.

Not saying the same will happen in England though, no way the season will be completed there.

What happens if your 3 best players test positive and cant play for 14 days? Its unfair.

What happens if one of them is 80 year old ish roy Hodgson and he needs admitted to hospital? Its unfair let alone life threatening

 

[hasanejaz88]

At what point does it become unfair? If a team chasing a CL spot/fighting relegation, hypothetically, loses 5 key players to the virus, is it fair that they're going to be sitting out and missing games? This is just talking about the football fairness aspect of things without even getting into how wrong it is to put footballers at risk just to get the season completed.

What happens if your 3 best players test positive and cant play for 14 days? Its unfair.

What happens if one of them is 80 year old ish roy Hodgson and he needs admitted to hospital? Its unfair let alone life threatening

There are plenty of measures being taken place by the clubs, instructed by the DFB, to try and minimize the risk of players/staff spreading the disease to others, a list of the measures was leaked recently and it's pretty long and extensive.

Clubs, and players, know of the risk and if it were much greater than it is they would not have agreed to continue. Many clubs have already been training for weeks now in preparation of starting the season again. Whatever the situation, I trust the DFB more than any other major league to make the right choice in this situation after assessing all the risks. If the cases get out of hand then they will definitely stop this and make a decision on what to do with the season.

But again, I will say this shouldn't be a precedent for other countries. Thankfully, the virus has been much more manageable here due to the early preventive measures and existing healthcare than other major European countries so there is more leeway to try and bring back normality (people are quoting that cases are increasing but the average of around 1000 new cases a day is the same as before, with recoveries being much greater than therefore active cases dropping for the past 3 weeks now).

Regarding best players contracting the virus, it's the same situation as players getting injured or getting the flu. I don't think clubs would have an argument if one of their best players get injured but yes if the spread becomes higher and higher with more players effected then there will be an argument to call it off.

 

[Hound Dog]

So what's the latest? Apparently, Dybala keeps testing positive in Italy... anyway, I don't think players can avoid not being infected. With or without symptoms. The decision we have to take is: are we going to stop everything now for 24 months or so, because that's the minimum time we need to even get a vaccine and test it?

And maybe the answer is "yes", but we need to have that thought and discussion.

How many clubs do you think can survive 24 months without playing?

 

[Gasolin]

It looks like Lyon is not very happy about the end of the league in France and is ready to sue.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/new...lions--in-damages-after-season-ended-12694586

Could give some ideas for the other teams in the league.