Yeah I think European competition is basically doomed next season. The very early qualifying games should be starting at the end of June (I think) and the idea of travel between countries to play football feels a long way off. And even looking at group stages in September, that seems pretty ambitious like you say, particularly as it will depend on multiple countries lifting travel restrictions. But you never know... things might improve unexpectedly so it would be good if they could at least be ready.think we will have to agree to disagree because I don't believe rule changes this far into the season should be changed at such a critical time. I also don't believe european comps should even be considered. on that topic by February or March next season if things are back to normality then finish this seasons KO's, but come late September I doubt group matches will be up and running
I can see it restarting, being called off again after a couple rounds of fixtures or so because of increased infections and then Liverpool having mathematically won it by then + everyone having completed 75% = they can end it on PPG and we’re fucked. Would be the Spursy way. Lol.
FWIW the Aussie Rules season starts again on June 11 with a 3 1/2 week training lead in.
Australia made the most of being an island and closed their borders before COVID-19 took hold. They have had <100 deaths in total (compared to ~50k deaths in UK - depending on how you count them), and got down to ZERO deaths and ZERO new infections earlier this week. So it is a very good time for Australia to start easing the lockdown and returning to normal life, including resuming sports.
By comparison, in the UK we still have ~500 recorded deaths every day (7 day average), still have open borders[1], and it is a stupid time to even think about easing the lockdown, let alone resuming sports.
[1] After the lockdown started on 23rd March 100,000 people entered the UK with no quarantining. Between 1st Jan and 23rd March (when COVID-19 was raging in China and then subsequently Italy and Spain) 18.1 Million people entered the UK with no quarantining. No surprise then that the UK are so badly hit and will have one of the highest mortality rates from this pandemic.
Points per game is so absurd though, it's comically inept and almost the exact opposite of what playing football is about. It's typical media-bollocks, like when they talk about "omens"and history being against Sheffield Wednesday beating Orient in the cup because they've never won at Brisbane Road on a Tuesday since 1987. The whole point of playing games is that anything can happen, and must be allowed to. If you can't play the game, don't invent in your head what might have happened based on the past, or anything else for that matter.
And if the actual authorities, the people who are responsible for the whole fucking game, decide to adopt it as a way of making important decisions, we may as well just choose between teams on the basis of an online game of Tetris. Original version, obviously.
There's certainly starting to be a few footballers speaking up
“If I feel that I'm not looking after my family, then I'm not going to play. I am not going to put my family at risk. What are they going to do, take money off me? I've been broke before so it doesn't bother me.” - Troy Deeney
Okay. Thanks Piers
(jokes! Was just passing on some info - not making a case for restarting the epl)
undecided if football coming back in June is the right thing to do morally but in a selfish way it would really cheer me and a lot of people up
The headline quote is bad though: "If it's not safe enough for fans to be inside a stadium why should it be safe for players to be in there?"
Science Troy, science is the answer you're looking for here.
More specifically if through the usage of scientific methods, such as high levels of testing, isolation / quarantine and rigorous cleaning of facilities being used, along with the use of PPE, the chances of catching C-19 are so low that is is considered not risky then that's why it could be safe enough for you.
Trying to implement these measures across playing and coaching staff, along with social distancing on match days for other required staff is difficult and costly but in theory possible.
Trying to implement these measures across a stadium full of people is impossible.
That being said if players don't want to play then they should be allowed to sit out games IMO.
undecided if football coming back in June is the right thing to do morally but in a selfish way it would really cheer me and a lot of people up
West Ham would also likely get relegated if they continue the season with relegation still going aheadWest Ham would get relegated under weighted ppg ?
West Ham would get relegated under weighted ppg ?
There's certainly starting to be a few footballers speaking up
“If I feel that I'm not looking after my family, then I'm not going to play. I am not going to put my family at risk. What are they going to do, take money off me? I've been broke before so it doesn't bother me.” - Troy Deeney
Shop workers, hospital workers, construction workers, delivery drivers have all been working throughout this why should footballers be exempt?
Hospital workers, shop workers, delivery drivers are KEY WORKERS, footballers are not.
I do agree that footballers should be returning, however each individual footballer will have different personal curcamstances and if he feels the risk is too much, then like any other proffession he can decide not to play/work and shouldnt be persecuted by fans for his choice.