League Suspended.

[fox in the sox]

3 hours ago, Ricey said:

Clubs below the Championship won’t survive the whole of next season without fans. They will be planning for it of course, just in case, but I’d be surprised if clubs don’t find some way to have paying fans through the door.

 

The Deputy Chief Medical Officer said yesterday that the spread of the virus is significantly lower outdoors and the main issue with outdoor events is the public transport and pubs that people may visit before or after. Public transport and pubs will have to have their own restrictions and measures in place to deal with crowds, not just football fans.

 

They will find a way, rightly or wrongly, just like they are finding a way to finish the season.

It depends what they mean by 'outdoor events'. Not all of attending football is outdoors, the areas inside the turnstiles and the toilets are indoors.

[TrentFox]

This talk of “taking relegation off the table” is bizarre. To talk about trying to preserve the integrity of the competition whilst considering allowing the remaining games to potentially involve demotivated teams is just nonsense. What if Man U need to beat a struggling side to steal a CL place and that team now have nothing to play for as they cannot be relegated? No thanks. They have to try and keep as many variables the same as humanly possible.  It’s not just a procession for Liverpool’s sake. 

[FoyleFox]

Home advantage comes from the fans, a behind closed doors game can't be much different wherever it's played surely? 

 

It's an unprecedented situation and a perfect resolution isn't possible. All they can do is try to find the best and safest solution in the circumstances. 

[String fellow]

If/when the PL resumes, presumably in empty stadiums, how motivated will the players and managers be, especially if issues like relegation are abandoned? Imo, the season has already been completely ruined by CV-19, and restarting under any of the suggested scenarios will inevitably compromise its integrity. One manager who may be particularly unmotivated is Pep Guardiola - he's already said that playing in empty stadiums is pointless. Add to that Manchester City's European ban, the near impossibility of them catching Liverpool and the loss of his mother to the virus, and you end up with four reasons why he might be less than keen to continue the season.

[The_77]

9 minutes ago, FoyleFox said:

Home advantage comes from the fans, a behind closed doors game can't be much different wherever it's played surely? 

 

It's an unprecedented situation and a perfect resolution isn't possible. All they can do is try to find the best and safest solution in the circumstances. 

Certainly fans play a huge part. Players mean it when they say that home support provides a boost.
 

Being able to comfortably get into a pre-match routing after a night at home has to help players as does playing in a familiar setting.
 

A tiny bit of our home advantage might also be down to the visitors‘ locker room being brilliantly and intentionally atrocious at our ground, and that the visitors’ dugout is also not set-up with any heating for cold-weather games. 😜

[The_77]

13 minutes ago, String fellow said:

If/when the PL resumes, presumably in empty stadiums, how motivated will the players and managers be, especially if issues like relegation are abandoned? Imo, the season has already been completely ruined by CV-19, and restarting under any of the suggested scenarios will inevitably compromise its integrity. One manager who may be particularly unmotivated is Pep Guardiola - he's already said that playing in empty stadiums is pointless. Add to that Manchester City's European ban, the near impossibility of them catching Liverpool and the loss of his mother to the virus, and you end up with four reasons why he might be less than keen to continue the season.

Man City already plays in a virtually empty stadium for most home league games. They’ll be fine!

Edited 3 May 2020 by The_77

[Hales]

Looks like players are flying back - Fuchs filmed himself at the airport.

[stripeyfox]

7 hours ago, TrentFox said:

This talk of “taking relegation off the table” is bizarre. To talk about trying to preserve the integrity of the competition whilst considering allowing the remaining games to potentially involve demotivated teams is just nonsense. What if Man U need to beat a struggling side to steal a CL place and that team now have nothing to play for as they cannot be relegated? No thanks. They have to try and keep as many variables the same as humanly possible.  It’s not just a procession for Liverpool’s sake. 

 

7 hours ago, FoyleFox said:

Home advantage comes from the fans, a behind closed doors game can't be much different wherever it's played surely? 

 

It's an unprecedented situation and a perfect resolution isn't possible. All they can do is try to find the best and safest solution in the circumstances. 

Agree with all this.

 

If they are going to remove relegation it renders playing out the rest of the competition almost pointless anyway. Champions is already nailed on, and other than a handful of games to determine 4th/5th etc, most games would be dead rubbers. What would be the point?

 

Brighton in particular seem very vocal about it, yet as it stands they are very much in the relegation battle and there is every reasonable chance that they would go down anyway (even in a world where the competition didn't get suspended at all). 

 

The last thing anyone needs is individual clubs moaning about being relegated or missing out on promotion. With tens of thousands of people dead or dying and an economy on it's arse, there are much more important things to worry about.

 

And as for home advantage - yes it usually is, but not always. We've heard down the years of teams who are in bad form struggling at home and play better away from home where there isn't 30,000 people moaning every time a ball is misplaced. 

[Guest ttfn]

8 hours ago, TrentFox said:

This talk of “taking relegation off the table” is bizarre. To talk about trying to preserve the integrity of the competition whilst considering allowing the remaining games to potentially involve demotivated teams is just nonsense. What if Man U need to beat a struggling side to steal a CL place and that team now have nothing to play for as they cannot be relegated? No thanks. They have to try and keep as many variables the same as humanly possible.  It’s not just a procession for Liverpool’s sake. 

Completely agree - I’d rather they didn’t finish it if they’re going to take relegation off the table.

[Gazza M]

If Liverpool weren't so close I don't think there would be a seconds thought about carrying it on to be honest. Taking relegation off the table is a pharce and disrespectful to the clubs chasing promotion. 

 

The neutral venue is the way to go if we must get this season played out. Clubs are forgetting, yes they lose home games, but they lose any out and out away games too! And what would it matter. There would be no fans there to influence any way! 

 

Either get it played starting next month or Fuch it off and start again after the summer in my opinion. Just pure delaying tactics from those in threat like West Ham. 

[Guest MattP]

Agree with most, would rather curtail the season than remove relegation. Completely pointless to finish it like that.

[Foxin_Mad]

Just send all these whingeing teams down to the Championship then. West Ham, Brighton and co are crap and deserve to go down, get them gone. They are a disgrace...using the deaths of many thousands of people to cover the fact they have been shit from September to March.

 

If they go down it's because of 2/3rds of the pre Covid season they were shite, they have an underseved opportunity to turn this around now with every game on a neutral venue (dont West Ham and Brighton both have atrocious away records? So actually an advantage to them). Deal with it, it ain't gonna  be perfect.

 

The stupidity is that anyone who thinks we can not finish this season in the summer months, then thinks next season will start and be completed without delays or issues when winter and a second wave of infections is possible and likely. It aint happening! If this season is cancelled there is no football until next spring (earliest), no fans until a vaccine is produced.

 

What do those teams, think about that? We are not going to just wipe the slate and start in August.

Edited 4 May 2020 by Foxin_Mad

[Mike Oxlong]

Just thinking that if we’d got relegated in 14/15 due to the season ending in March there’d have been no Great Escape and no 5000/1 title. And almost as bad, Spurs would have won the Premier League  finished runners up in 15/16 

Edited 4 May 2020 by Mike Oxlong

[Arkie Bennett]

Will spitting and snotting be prohibited?

[Guest]

14 hours ago, davieG said:

Exactly so playing the games now at their proper venues will give the clubs the chance to set up secure and safe procedures.

 

As for fans turning up they'll have to sort it for next season so organise it now. Pay for some security, I'm sure those companies will love the chance to work and ban, publicly shame and fine any twats who wont take no for an answer.

I really don't understand this argument. People are being told that they are not allowed to congregate together for their own and everybody else's best health interest. If some football supporters are stupid enough to go and stand outside a ground then they should be arrested and fined. I don't understand why they would rather stand in a street a 100m from a match that they can't see when they could be sitting in front of a TV screen watching it live anyway.

 

 

14 hours ago, Line-X said:

Makes sense, Perth is one of the most isolated cities on the planet. @Jon the Hat - weren't you planning to imminently move there? 

 

Seems a ridiculous idea and ecologically disgusting. If JontheHat was moving there I think you'll find it'll become more isolated.

 

 

14 hours ago, Corky said:

But if players aren't keen to play at the moment, why would September/ October be any better?

 

If we're waiting on a vaccine, we won't be playing for a long time.

True. 

 

Players need to sort themselves out. They are getting ridiculous amounts of money, they'll only have to play in a situation which is at least as safe and probably more safe than they are in living at home doing whatever they are doing. Play or retire.

 

 

9 hours ago, String fellow said:

If/when the PL resumes, presumably in empty stadiums, how motivated will the players and managers be, especially if issues like relegation are abandoned? Imo, the season has already been completely ruined by CV-19, and restarting under any of the suggested scenarios will inevitably compromise its integrity. One manager who may be particularly unmotivated is Pep Guardiola - he's already said that playing in empty stadiums is pointless. Add to that Manchester City's European ban, the near impossibility of them catching Liverpool and the loss of his mother to the virus, and you end up with four reasons why he might be less than keen to continue the season.

If players and managers aren't motivated because there are no fans they ought to consider retiring and getting a job cleaning in a hospital.

 

1 hour ago, ttfn said:

Completely agree - I’d rather they didn’t finish it if they’re going to take relegation off the table.

 

Who isn't going to agree with you here. If there is no relegation then there is no competition. May as well close football down.

 

34 minutes ago, Arkie Bennett said:

Will spitting and snotting be prohibited?

It should never have been allowed to happen in the first place and players should have been booked for it. Disgusting and dangerous.

[TrentFox]

1 hour ago, Foxin_Mad said:

Just send all these whingeing teams down to the Championship then. West Ham, Brighton and co are crap and deserve to go down, get them gone. They are a disgrace...using the deaths of many thousands of people to cover the fact they have been shit from September to March.

 

If they go down it's because of 2/3rds of the pre Covid season they were shite, they have an underseved opportunity to turn this around now with every game on a neutral venue (dont West Ham and Brighton both have atrocious away records? So actually an advantage to them). Deal with it, it ain't gonna  be perfect.

 

The stupidity is that anyone who thinks we can not finish this season in the summer months, then thinks next season will start and be completed without delays or issues when winter and a second wave of infections is possible and likely. It aint happening! If this season is cancelled there is no football until next spring (earliest), no fans until a vaccine is produced.

 

What do those teams, think about that? We are not going to just wipe the slate and start in August.

Agree with your comments re the self-serving opportunism of some clubs. Everything that has come out of Karen Brady’s mouth since this crisis impacted football has just smacked of desperation.

[st albans fox]

1 hour ago, Arkie Bennett said:

Will spitting and snotting be prohibited?

a lot of players do this without even thinking about it - I can’t see how you change it. they may well do it less often (if there are no spitting signs up everywhere) but to many of them, it’s natural reflex. 
 

the mirror is reporting that the bottom six currently have no other support amongst the majority fourteen.  So restart carries ....... however, all it takes is for West Ham to agree to sell rice to Chelsea for a reduced price and the six become seven ......... or any number of behind the scenes undocumented nudges and winks.  Can you see all fourteen sticking together ???

[yorkie1999]

The problem as i see it is the clubs are basically setting a precedence for next season if they don't finish this one if a vaccine is not developed. If they are suggesting that now, they can't really turn round next year and say they'll play behind closed doors. The other thing is, there's simply no point in finishing the season without relegation and those 3 clubs who would be relegated are just stealing a living for next year, the government has said no-one should profit from the virus yet the bottom 3 will profit. 

[Ric Flair]

Just cancel the season if relegation is off the table, UEFA have already said that the European places next season are to be decided on sporting merit by the nations which is what the likes of France are doing.

[ThurmastonFox]

2 hours ago, Arkie Bennett said:

Will spitting and snotting be prohibited?

Hopefully 

[Guest Cujek]

5 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

Just cancel the season if relegation is off the table, UEFA have already said that the European places next season are to be decided on sporting merit by the nations which is what the likes of France are doing.

What would that mean for us? if things finish as they currently stand.

Edited 4 May 2020 by Cujek

[Super_horns]

2 hours ago, TrentFox said:

Agree with your comments re the self-serving opportunism of some clubs. Everything that has come out of Karen Brady’s mouth since this crisis impacted football has just smacked of desperation.

Maybe they are just so scared of going down as it would cripple them whereas us and Bournemouth would not be so badly hit.

 

Quite frankly in my view if we don't go this season we'd be down there next season even if Pearson was still here without a big investment in the squad which won't happen.

[foxfanazer]

1 minute ago, Super_horns said:

Maybe they are just so scared of going down as it would cripple them whereas us and Bournemouth would not be so badly hit.

 

Quite frankly in my view if we don't go this season we'd be down there next season even if Pearson was still here without a big investment in the squad which won't happen.

never underestimate the Nige! 

[urban.spaceman]

3 hours ago, Arkie Bennett said:

Will spitting and snotting be prohibited?

You can do whatever the hell you want in your own home.

[Super_horns]

16 minutes ago, foxfanazer said:

never underestimate the Nige! 

Well true but he has to stay first ..

 

And you know the Pozzo record on managers !

 

Just cannot see him being told who to buy or getting given random on loan youngsters to try and fit in..

Edited 4 May 2020 by Super_horns