Can coronavirus stop Liverpool winning the league???

[Trader Pat]

I think an abandoned and void season is looking more likely as each day passes.

If some reports are to be believed their talking about playing the remaining fixtures behind closed doors at neutral venues. Problem is even if the Premier League sets a date for the start of May it would only take 1 player or 1 member of staff to get the virus and everything would have to be stopped again.

[firlandsfarm]

If some reports are to be believed their talking about playing the remaining fixtures behind closed doors at neutral venues.

Why neutral venues? The home team will have already lost any support advantage and neutral venue would lose then home pitch advantage as well!

[LeTiss]

If some reports are to be believed their talking about playing the remaining fixtures behind closed doors at neutral venues.

Why neutral venues? The home team will have already lost any support advantage and neutral venue would lose then home pitch advantage as well!

Yes, that makes absolutely no sense at all. What's playing at neutral venues got to do with containing coronavirus if the doors are closed?

[sniffer66]

For the sake of Liverpool fans everywhere they should just void the entire season.

[ShaunWhite]

At this rate they'll be resuming in March 2021 and we'll be seeing Liverpool crowned as the season 19/20/21 champions. That will be one for the pub quizzers a few decades from now.

But I think they should play out the rest of the season on FIFA20, and I'm sure the F1 teams could sync they're simulators. All that travelling and sweating is so last century anyway and with some creative thinking, all sport could go virtual.

[Crazyskier]

Most will be aware already, but William Hill and others have agreed / settled early on Liverpool as Premier League Winners for 2020. A nice touch I thought, given the uncertainty around games at present.

CS

[Dallas]

I think they still have plenty of time, now Euro 2020 has been put back a year next seasons start could be delayed till around Oct and all domestic cup competitions scraped or at least made optional for the bigger sides to relieve congesstion during 20/21 and that will allow domestic leagues to catch up on a late start.

They would then have as late as Aug/Sept to playout this seasons remaining fixtures which could be done at a rate of 2 a week so require less than 5 weeks.

Effectivly you have an earlirer and maybe even longer than normal summer break but without cup comps next year playing the remaining games from this season with little gap between next seasons start shouldn't be a problem from a fitness perspective

[wearthefoxhat]

I think they still have plenty of time, now Euro 2020 has been put back a year next seasons start could be delayed till around Oct and all domestic cup competitions scraped or at least made optional for the bigger sides to relieve congesstion during 20/21 and that will allow domestic leagues to catch up on a late start.

They would then have as late as Aug/Sept to playout this seasons remaining fixtures which could be done at a rate of 2 a week so require less than 5 weeks.

Effectivly you have an earlirer and maybe even longer than normal summer break but without cup comps next year playing the remaining games from this season with little gap between next seasons start shouldn't be a problem from a fitness perspective

Whenever "what will happen" with the football season, on either BBC/SKY is discussed, they never mention the 75%+ season completion rule as a likely outcome for the season. Even if they don't agree with it, it's important for everyone to be aware that there's a very strong possibility of it being enforced.

[Trader Pat]

If some reports are to be believed their talking about playing the remaining fixtures behind closed doors at neutral venues.

Why neutral venues? The home team will have already lost any support advantage and neutral venue would lose then home pitch advantage as well!

Yes, that makes absolutely no sense at all. What's playing at neutral venues got to do with containing coronavirus if the doors are closed?

The logic apparently is to play 2-3 games each day at the same venue to clear the backlog quickly and a neutral venue would stop 'home' fans gathering outside

[firlandsfarm]

The logic apparently is to play 2-3 games each day at the same venue to clear the backlog quickly and a neutral venue would stop 'home' fans gathering outside

OK, I agree playing multiple games would help (I did consider that but dismissed it for the reasons I mentioned plus some fans will see it as a 'football day out' and you could still end up with 6 sets of fans outside the stadium but with no separation! And ... the 'family' fans won't go just the party revelling 'lads'! Could be T R O U B L E unless BJ bans all travel.

[firlandsfarm]

... all domestic cup competitions scraped or at least made optional for the bigger sides ...

Nice plan but why scrap the cups, the PL teams can all field two teams and many have a 'cup team' already.

[Euler]

Our board has agreed to extend the 2019-20 professional football season indefinitely, with leagues and competitions now suspended until at least 30 April.

[Tuco]

The logic apparently is to play 2-3 games each day at the same venue to clear the backlog quickly and a neutral venue would stop 'home' fans gathering outside

The best way to stop fans gathering outside stadiums is a combination of water cannon, tear gas, on-the-spot punitive fines and/or jail.

[Euler]

Some players will be out of contract on 30 June, but Semmens believes players could be convinced to stay for longer should play continue beyond that point

This could be an interesting angle on the end of the season.

[goldfinch77]

Yes
Covid 19.......Liverpool 1