Coronavirus could prevent Liverpool from winning the Premier League title

[No2]

The Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson believes the Premier League season must be played to a finish after the COVID-19 shutdown is over instead of using “artificial means” to decide the champions as well as relegation and Champions League spots.

With football in England suspended since March 13 due to the pandemic, Hodgson said teams might have to accept increased safety restrictions and having to play more games in a shorter period when play resumed.

 This is a lonely time for many people – football managers included

Pep Clotet

 

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“Everyone is in total agreement we need an end to this season,” the 72-year old told the club’s website. “We don’t want artificial means of deciding who wins the league, who gets into the Champions League, who gets relegated and promoted. Ideally our players would have three or four weeks minimum to prepare for the first match back, but I accept there may have to be a squeeze on that timeframe.

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“It might mean extra restrictions at our place of work ... It may also mean that we have to play our ... remaining matches in a shorter period of time than we normally would have done, and subsequently receive a shorter break between the seasons.”

The season was originally suspended until April 30 but that has since been extended indefinitely, with the resumption of play now contingent on medical advice and government support. Palace are 11th in the league and have nine games left to play.

Hodgson also paid tribute to the “magnificent” efforts of frontline workers during the crisis, but added that in his view, the NHS should not have to rely on charitable donations.

“I’ve always been a huge supporter of the NHS, they do and have always done a fantastic job,” Hodgson said. “We’re so lucky in this country to have a system like it, I’ve always felt that we do have a fantastic service and now it’s being demonstrated to everyone so clearly, that the resources we put in are well spent.

“I hope it might in future make us more aware that if you want this level of service, it needs a certain level of economic support – and I’m hopeful it will come from our taxes. We can’t rely on the NHS being funded by charities or people making donations … the work they’re doing is quite incredible and needs adequate resourcing.

“The praise they’re getting however enormous it is, will never be enough,” Hodgson concluded. “The job that doctors and nurses do is something you only fully appreciate at times like this, or when you are in need of help. To each and every one of them, thank you.”

[dockers_strike]

26 minutes ago, No2 said:

The Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson believes the Premier League season must be played to a finish after the COVID-19 shutdown is over instead of using “artificial means” to decide the champions as well as relegation and Champions League spots.

With football in England suspended since March 13 due to the pandemic, Hodgson said teams might have to accept increased safety restrictions and having to play more games in a shorter period when play resumed.

 This is a lonely time for many people – football managers included

Pep Clotet

 

Read more

“Everyone is in total agreement we need an end to this season,” the 72-year old told the club’s website. “We don’t want artificial means of deciding who wins the league, who gets into the Champions League, who gets relegated and promoted. Ideally our players would have three or four weeks minimum to prepare for the first match back, but I accept there may have to be a squeeze on that timeframe.

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“It might mean extra restrictions at our place of work ... It may also mean that we have to play our ... remaining matches in a shorter period of time than we normally would have done, and subsequently receive a shorter break between the seasons.”

The season was originally suspended until April 30 but that has since been extended indefinitely, with the resumption of play now contingent on medical advice and government support. Palace are 11th in the league and have nine games left to play.

Hodgson also paid tribute to the “magnificent” efforts of frontline workers during the crisis, but added that in his view, the NHS should not have to rely on charitable donations.

“I’ve always been a huge supporter of the NHS, they do and have always done a fantastic job,” Hodgson said. “We’re so lucky in this country to have a system like it, I’ve always felt that we do have a fantastic service and now it’s being demonstrated to everyone so clearly, that the resources we put in are well spent.

“I hope it might in future make us more aware that if you want this level of service, it needs a certain level of economic support – and I’m hopeful it will come from our taxes. We can’t rely on the NHS being funded by charities or people making donations … the work they’re doing is quite incredible and needs adequate resourcing.

“The praise they’re getting however enormous it is, will never be enough,” Hodgson concluded. “The job that doctors and nurses do is something you only fully appreciate at times like this, or when you are in need of help. To each and every one of them, thank you.”

Interesting. I saw he had an article in the Wail and the headline suggested he wanted the season declared over with Liverpool not being given the title. I didnt read it because of that but the above puts a different slant on it.

 

Newspapers and misleading headlines, eh? Who'd have thought it?

[deiseach]

The Bloos will have to revert back to Don Welsh being their favourite Liverpool manager.

[Mudface]

Fucking owl-faced cunt, I hope he...

 

Hang on, er, well said, Roy.

[Dr Nowt]

Fair play to him for that.

 

Slightly disappointed he hasn’t individually offered every NHS worker a smint, mind.

[Pete]

Owls about that then. Hodgson squawking sense for once. 

[A_S]

3 hours ago, Pete said:

Owls about that then. Hodgson squawking sense for once. 

I know, hoo-hoo'd have thunk it??

[sir roger]

7 hours ago, Mudface said:

Fucking owl-faced cunt, I hope he...

 

Hang on, er, well said, Roy.

I'd love to hear him say ' timeframe '

[Lee909]

Give that owl a mouse 

[TheHowieLama]

Reports here universities are preparing for no classes this calendar year and no sporting events either.

 

 

[Creator Supreme]

Vote on the BBC webshite of how to end the season, 6 choices, the winner with 39% of the vote? Declare the season null and void!

 

Twats everywhere!

[Mathewbet1]

Dundee United, Raith Rovers and Cove Rangers have been declared champions - and a taskforce is to look at expanding the top flight - after Dundee belatedly backed SPFL plans to end the season.

The Scottish Championship club have had a change of heart after casting an aborted 'no' vote on Friday.

The SPFL subsequently confirmed the league winners will be promoted and Partick Thistle and Stranraer demoted.

It also said it would explore league reconstruction for next term.

Hearts chairman Ann Budge and Les Gray of Hamilton Academical will lead a taskforce, and will be joined by "other football figures to provide input and support".

The clubs run by Budge and Gray currently occupy the bottom two places in the top flight.

• Dundee fail to confirm SPFL vote stance
• Scottish football's unanswered questions
• Leaked Whatsapps, missing votes & bullying claims

The SPFL now has the power to end the top-flight campaign should it deem it impossible to play the outstanding fixtures.

However, the league says it is "committed to consulting" with the Premiership clubs before doing so.

A total of 81% of Scotland's 42 senior clubs have backed the resolution, which means end-of-season payments can be made to the lower-league sides by the end of this week.

"It is no exaggeration to say that this was an existential matter for Scottish clubs, with many of them telling us they were at real risk of going under unless the situation was resolved very quickly, so I'm pleased that the game has moved decisively," said SPFL chairman Murdoch MacLennan.

"There was always going to be a highly-charged and passionate debate about how we secure the future of Scottish football. But what has been agreed today is not just the best way forward, it was the only realistic way forward.

"I now call on all 42 clubs to move forward in a constructive and positive way."

[dockers_strike]

This is not good.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-8221949/Premier-League-face-ultimatum-ending-season-early.html

The Premier League is coming under increasing pressure from its stakeholder clubs to make a decision on the 2019-20 season – with June 30 emerging as the D-day date for completion.

A group of clubs – including some very much in European contention next season – are growing increasingly worried about contracts that are tied to the official season’s end. They fear a delayed campaign that overruns into July could leave them in a minefield of legal struggles with players and commercial partners.

The next meeting of Premier League stakeholders is scheduled for Friday, April 17, and the clubs want the issues around this season’s deadline to be top of the agenda. All clubs are aware of the discussion, even if they are not all in favour of a set date for curtailment.

Previously, July 12 had been key to the Premier League calendar because completing the matches by then would avoid rebates to broadcast partners – but that date has been brought forward with a number of clubs receiving legal advice, particularly on the subject of player contracts.

FIFA have announced that they will bring in special measures to protect clubs and players whose contracts expire on July 30, the official end of the European season. 

Yet clubs have been advised that English contractual law would supersede any arbitrary or emergency arrangements introduced by the governing body, and players could not be legally held to FIFA’s rulings.

This raises the possibility of loaned players, or those out of contract – such as Pedro, Olivier Giroud and Willian at Chelsea, Jan Vertonghen at Tottenham and Adam Lallana at Liverpool – being able to walk away from their clubs on July 1, even if the campaign was underway but incomplete. 

If the odd game remained it might not be considered an insurmountable obstacle – but clubs fighting relegation or challenging for Europe could be rendered vulnerable if key squad members simply refused to play.

Clubs believe that is likely if players fear an injury could undermine their next move, leaving them without employment in what could be a flooded, depressed market. 

Equally, there are many sponsorship arrangements that come to an end on June 30, creating further confusion around how they should be honoured – particularly if a new deal has been struck. 

Liverpool’s kit agreement with New Balance expires this summer, for instance, with Nike taking over in June. Although Liverpool pledged to end what they hoped would be a title-winning season in New Balance shirts – and Nike agreed to that – repeated delays to the season’s conclusion could create confusion and the potential for legal challenges. 

‘We are entering chaos territory,’ said one chief executive.

There is an increasing likelihood that Germany’s Bundesliga will return behind closed doors after May 4 and if the Premier League came back the same way soon after it could be possible to complete by June 30. 

A proposed restart date of June 6, however, would make a completion date in that month highly ambitious.

Yet clubs also want clarification on what would constitute a squad in this rush to the season’s end – specifically if a player contracted coronavirus and the entire group had to enter quarantine. 

There remains the fear a club could suffer relegation, or miss out on a Champions League place, with its first-team withdrawn from action. 

In such circumstances clubs want to know whether games would be cancelled, rearranged, or if the performances of any nominated replacement group – the youth team, for instance – would be made to stand.

[LFC 6 Times]

Even if season is not finished we are going to be awarded the league.

[Leyton388]

I'm honestly past caring now. 

[Vector Sigma]

If they can't complete the fixtures apply a points per game average for the remaining games based on points accrued and games played thus far.

 

This is surely the fairest benchmark of all team's performances over the course of a season to date.

 

Job done.

 

 

[Stickman]

.

 

[TheHowieLama]

15 minutes ago, Barry McBumsniffer said:

If they can't complete the fixtures apply a points per game average for the remaining games based on points accrued and games played thus far.

 

This is surely the fairest benchmark of all team's performances over the course of a season to date.

 

Job done.

 

 

Get the two Captains for each match on a video chat and do Rock-Paper-Scissors. Good TV that.

[A_S]

Has anyone that matters considered the ramifications of cutting short the season? So that'd mean awarding the title and CL spots as they stand, but only promoting teams yet not relegate anyone. 

 

It'd still mean more games to play in at least the same amount of time, if not less. Then suppose come winter, a team gets laid low by a CV scare (even if there is a safe treatment by then) and the squad is quarantined for 2-3 weeks. Suddenly you've had to rearrange 5 or 6 fixtures in an already crammed schedule. 

 

Now you've got two severely compromised seasons, as anyone thinking the Olympics, Euros, Copa America and AFCON are all going to postpone again, you need your head checked. 

 

Finish this one completely, then assess what to do with the time left for 2021/22. 

[Vector Sigma]

28 minutes ago, TheHowieLama said:

Get the two Captains for each match on a video chat and do Rock-Paper-Scissors. Good TV that.

Beats Bournemouth v Villa.

 

FIFA tournament on PS4.  Bare knuckle fighting.  Or possibly some sort of WWE Royal Rumble.

 

All valid options at this juncture.

[Skrtel Milk]

Premier League clubs join forces to call for an end to season by June 30

Several Premier League clubs are keen to propose a formula that would allow the season to be curtailed instead of allowing it to drag on

 

Premier League clubs have joined forces together to call for the season to be finished by June 30.

Mirror Sport understands that at least nine clubs have had serious discussions among themselves and will come together to present their case at the next league summit on Friday.

 

 

They want the campaign curtailed if they cannot squeeze in the remaining games - most clubs have nine left while four have ten - rather than risk the “huge uncertainty and utter chaos” of allowing it to drag on for months beyond the summer.

 

Their proposal is to find a formula to finish the season as they know voiding the campaign is off the table and this way would allow Liverpool to be crowned champions and still settle the Champions League and relegation places.

The concerns surround the uncertainty of player contracts expiring on June 30 with many clubs also facing the end of big commercial sponsorship deals on that date.

 

FIFA have been discussing ways round the huge contract issue for players who become free agents but clubs fear it would not stand up to a legal challenge with June 30 written in stone.

 

They also believe that could seriously affect the whole integrity of the League if clubs suddenly lose key players with up to 80 top flight stars believed to be out of contract this summer.

 

The clubs do not want to be seen as making demands but insist it is time for a serious debate to start to allow them to plan with some degree of certainty for next season and this way could allow football to kick off again in August or September.

 

Premier League bosses have made it clear they want to play out the rest of the season and, while they have draft plans to restart with games behind closed doors in June, there is a fear it will just get pushed further back and add to the chaos.

 

Clubs are currently in limbo, cannot make any plans as they could all stand to lose up to £750m worth of TV revenue and still have no idea when football will restart.

 

They may get a further indication from the Government on Thursday as to how long the national lockdown will last but the reality is that even then they will have no guarantees about when players can even return to training let alone games.

 

The uncertainty is causing the biggest concern as the clubs want to start planning for next season in terms of ticket sales, new contracts, sponsorship deals and transfers.

 

They also think there may be little appetite for the last few games of a disrupted campaign with the nation locked in crisis.

They believe a deal could be brokered with TV companies to offset the cost of the current contract by showing more games next season or reaching a compromise with key broadcasters Sky and BT Sport.

 

It would allow them to make some concrete plans for the future rather than just play a waiting game and talk about unrealistic dates to return to action which could then be pushed further back.

 

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/premier-league-clubs-join-forces-21872081

[TheHowieLama]

4 minutes ago, Barry McBumsniffer said:

Beats Bournemouth v Villa.

 

FIFA tournament on PS4.  Bare knuckle fighting.  Or possibly some sort of WWE Royal Rumble.

 

All valid options at this juncture.

There is alot of time to fill - a pentathalon of sorts would probably be best.

[devilsadvocate]

1 hour ago, Skrtel Milk said:

Premier League clubs join forces to call for an end to season by June 30

Several Premier League clubs are keen to propose a formula that would allow the season to be curtailed instead of allowing it to drag on

 

Premier League clubs have joined forces together to call for the season to be finished by June 30.

Mirror Sport understands that at least nine clubs have had serious discussions among themselves and will come together to present their case at the next league summit on Friday.

 

 

They want the campaign curtailed if they cannot squeeze in the remaining games - most clubs have nine left while four have ten - rather than risk the “huge uncertainty and utter chaos” of allowing it to drag on for months beyond the summer.

 

Their proposal is to find a formula to finish the season as they know voiding the campaign is off the table and this way would allow Liverpool to be crowned champions and still settle the Champions League and relegation places.

The concerns surround the uncertainty of player contracts expiring on June 30 with many clubs also facing the end of big commercial sponsorship deals on that date.

 

FIFA have been discussing ways round the huge contract issue for players who become free agents but clubs fear it would not stand up to a legal challenge with June 30 written in stone.

 

They also believe that could seriously affect the whole integrity of the League if clubs suddenly lose key players with up to 80 top flight stars believed to be out of contract this summer.

 

The clubs do not want to be seen as making demands but insist it is time for a serious debate to start to allow them to plan with some degree of certainty for next season and this way could allow football to kick off again in August or September.

 

Premier League bosses have made it clear they want to play out the rest of the season and, while they have draft plans to restart with games behind closed doors in June, there is a fear it will just get pushed further back and add to the chaos.

 

Clubs are currently in limbo, cannot make any plans as they could all stand to lose up to £750m worth of TV revenue and still have no idea when football will restart.

 

They may get a further indication from the Government on Thursday as to how long the national lockdown will last but the reality is that even then they will have no guarantees about when players can even return to training let alone games.

 

The uncertainty is causing the biggest concern as the clubs want to start planning for next season in terms of ticket sales, new contracts, sponsorship deals and transfers.

 

They also think there may be little appetite for the last few games of a disrupted campaign with the nation locked in crisis.

They believe a deal could be brokered with TV companies to offset the cost of the current contract by showing more games next season or reaching a compromise with key broadcasters Sky and BT Sport.

 

It would allow them to make some concrete plans for the future rather than just play a waiting game and talk about unrealistic dates to return to action which could then be pushed further back.

 

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/premier-league-clubs-join-forces-21872081

Funny how you're not hearing any of this self serving shite coming out of Bundesliga/serie A/la Liga/Ligue 1 the noises from there are they are committed to restart and finish the leagues as it's safe to do so and if that runs into July then so be it. 

[A_S]

Another thing is that by ending a season prematurely on the basis of a set date for a new season, it increases the pressure on decision-making now, as well as heightens the risk of games restarting earlier than they may have otherwise. How is that not still risky? 

[TheHowieLama]

I don't think any league is considering pushing back the scheduled start to their following season - that has never been seriously discussed.

 

Lets face it - if there are still restrictions in place that prevent regular footy in the middle of August no one is going to give a shit about the 2019 season.