I guess this article’s topic will be a bit like Brexit – for many it will be a black and white answer whilst a few in the middle may not care less. But for those either side of the divide I am sure you can put your arguments forward on here on what is the best final outcome in your opinion. So, when the Premier League season starts again should it be a continuance of the current 2019/20 season, or should that season be declared null and void and a new season started? I guess the answer would be a lot easier to answer if we actually knew what date football would be allowed to start up again. One thing I think we can assume is that when games do commence they will be initially played behind closed doors with no crowds. A few days ago the Dutch decided to call their Eredivisie null and void with Ajax, (or indeed AZ Alkmaar), denied the title with just nine games to go with no teams relegated from their top league. Ajax abstained from the vote and their next response was to claim they are going to help other clubs suffering financially because of coronavirus.
When football does start again it will need around three to four weeks of preseason to get players fit again. If this is not done properly then I am sure there will be a plethora of injuries. With just nine or ten games to go of the 2019/20 season this is an unprecedented event and should this season be continued there would be some hurdles to overcome. With it seemingly very unlikely that any start would now be before the end of May another factor that will come into play is the amount of players who will come off contract to their clubs at what should have been the end of their season. What will happen here? There are many factors to take into account for voiding the current season, or indeed to continue it in what would be a very different environment. Would playing away, especially at the big clubs like Liverpool, be as big a task than playing them with a full stadium – something many of your rivals may not have had to before the closure? Would clubs with nearly fully fit squads to start a season of nine games be seen to have got an unfair advantage from the enforced break, compared to what their resources were when the season was stopped. For instance we would have been due to play Spurs without Kane and Son, a team on the decline and struggling, a fresh start would see them with their stars back and fully rejuvenated. Having injuries to players does involve luck and whether your own team plays others at full strength or not during a season is a variable that no one can plan for, but this factor is not one to be taken lightly. Another consideration is what happens should one or more teams have a K19 outbreak on resumption? Do we stop the league again?
On the other hand if the season was to be declared null and void is that fair on Liverpool, some 25 points clear with a first Premier League title in their grasp? If the season should be voided but current positions in the table be declared final then the title will go to Anfield. If not it would seem like an injustice to Leicester on the cusp of CL football again, and Sheffield United who were on the verge of European football despite the odds. At the other end of the table Villa have a game in hand which if they won they would move out of the bottom three and would it be fair that they, Bournemouth and Norwich be relegated? We were in a very dicey position as far as relegation was concerned but our form was looking up when the season was cancelled. I guess the games authorities have to look at all the legalities but in the end whatever decision they come up with it should be accepted without dispute. What happens to the FA Cup and the other Champions league spots are other things that will need to be sorted. Should football in England start in September or October the decisions made on this topic may be very different to ones made should the season not be able to start until early next year. If Football can’t resume until say next February it would perhaps be an easy decision just to commence again where we left off? Whatever decision is made and even if the Premier league of 2019/20 does get to be finished I personally would be most surprised if any teams were relegated. Teams from lower divisions may be promoted with extra teams relegated to balance the leagues the following season but I do doubt any will be relegated this season.
One fan I was chatting with recently expressed their view about the mental side of the game and that it is impossible to finish this season fairly as it won’t reflect the true outcome of what would have happened without this interruption. On the flip side I have seen comments already on this site that not finishing would affect the integrity of the game. Not sure exactly what is meant by that other than that not finishing a season that is already three quarters completed would perhaps erase everything from this current season?
For me, I am in the null and void camp. The Dutch league has made this decision and it appears their clubs have accepted it with grace. Some of you may not care less what with all that is happening in our World at the moment so stay safe everyone. Things will get better.