Sunday 10 May 2020

Premier League could become the villain if clubs abandon 'Project Restart'

The strenuous attempts by the Premier League to force their plans for 'Project Restart' through may well meet with enough opposition to scupper the whole idea. Watford are the latest club to join Brighton, Norwich City and Aston Villa in being against neutral venues, while we have yet to hear what the club medics feel about the safety of players and staff. If things go against the Premier League in a vote, the only people that will come out looking like they have lost the plot is the Premier League.
All we want is fair play and safety. Are you listening Premier League?
I don't envy the executives positions who run the game, but without thinking for all they will back themselves into an impossible situation. The more that they insist on proposals they have come up with, the more likely they will find opposition if others have not had their proposals taken on board. Now the Premier League is insisting that if club's vote against neutral venues they will need to give millions of Premier League money back in another threat to teams in the bottom three, reports the Daily Mail.

The whole season risks being a fiasco now. Everyone knows Liverpool a the best team and they should be given the title. It is harder to say with any certainty about the teams who deserves the European places and the relegations spots, but a decision will probably have to be made if the Premier League won't abandon the season as null and void, and won't get 'Project Restart' further than the drawing books. I fear this could be the season that is only ended by the pen of a Premier League scribe who just draws a line under the league as it currently stands.

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Even then, what is going to happen next August. I am not even sure the league will find it easy to restart then, and the teams that have been promoted will always know they may be there by a bit of luck, if they don't get to play all their games in the Championship and get promoted by the pen.
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While it seems unlikely that League One and Two will play any more games, according to recent views like Gary Neville's, the same decision about drawing a line as the leagues stand will have to be done there as well. The only winners will be the lawyers who look for justice. At the top, the Premier League could harm its reputation for fair play for seasons to come, but they just haven't even considered that yet. It might be a nasty surprise that suddenly hits them, if teams vote against the restart in enough numbers.



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1 comment:

  1. Anonymous10 May 2020 at 12:27

    Liverpool should be given the title, and I can't see any clubs objecting to this. Leeds and West Brom could be promoted, resulting in two extra teams in the Premiership for the 2020/21 season ; this situation could be trialled, with the potential solution being scrapping the Championship play-offs for the following two seasons.
    I should confess that I am somewhat biased, as I think the play-offs are in any case ridiculous - as fourth/fifth/sixth placed Championship sides have absolutely no place in the elite division, and also are almost certain to be relegated the following season! Of course, I am also biased as a Bournemouth supporter, though at the same time don't believe relegation is the "disaster" it is painted in the media. (If you are good enough for the Premiership - you should be good enough to be re-promoted - like Burnley).

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