Monday 4 May 2020

Plea for no relegation is growing

The Premier League is no nearer in getting a consensus of opinion that it was probably a month ago about 'Project Restart'. While some clubs are keen to get the season completed, it now emerges that there are calls for no relegation, according to a BBC Report, and a bigger Premier League in 2021 with three teams still being promoted, while Liverpool would still have every chance of picking up their first Premier League title.

It's going to take a long time to get back to this.
Frankly, if there is no relegation I don't see why the Premier League needs to play to a finish this season. The places for financial payments could be taken from the positions now. It would then be up to the Premier League if they would be willing to expand the league by accepting promoted sides, although this would affect the numbers of teams in the Championship and leagues One and Two - would they also promote and relegate sides from all the English football leagues?

Advertisement
Whatever happens in one league has to be carried out in the other leagues as well, to keep everyone on the same page. While the talk of playing out the season in neutral venues has raised the question of integrity and how it is not the same as the first 28 or 29 Premier League fixtures if it is played out this way, the league has to come to a consensus of agreement pretty quickly now.

Advertisement

I see a resumption this summer as idealistic but overall probably unlikely. All clubs in the Premier League are not going to have the same opinions on a resumption, and if the authorities thought it would be simple to get agreement, they are not looking at what is at stake for many of these clubs. Removing relegation may be financially a massive help to some clubs, but without a need to finish higher than any other club, there is no competition.
Advertisement
At least we will know in June whether the whole idea of 'Project Restart' is something that everyone has got behind, or if the the clubs can just start preparing for a hopeful 2021-22 season, which has to be the best way forward, in my opinion, to give clubs a more achievable goal. Clubs need time to plan for their futures without being left on tender hooks as they are being asked to do at present.

Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Aké admits you need self-motivation in self-isolation

2 comments:

  1. The focus is currently on completing this season, but soon attention will switch to next season. Covid19 restrictions will probably be with us until the end of the calendar year and so next season will need to be delayed or played initially behind closed doors. The same questions of integrity apply to next season if only some games are played with fans present. This may also leave some clubs with larger grounds facing a significant shortfall in revenue if they don’t receive gate receipts.

    ReplyDelete

tag: