The hot topic in football at the moment is whether or not the Premier League season will reach a conclusion. Three of our writers debated ways to finish off the campaign.
Mini-Tournament – Matt Lee
One way the Premier League could ensure the current season is completed is by holding a remote mini-tournament. How to finish the season is a hotly debated topic but the English game could follow a model suggested by America.
Earlier this month it was suggested by UFC boss Dana White that a Fight Island would allow for events with international fighters to continue despite the pandemic – now though, we could see the Premier League following in a similar style by holding a remote completion of the season.
According to the Independent, clubs could be isolated in camps held in the midlands and London over June and July in order to complete the current season. It would still require matches without crowds; however, it allows for a limited disruption to the integrity of next season’s competitions and also allows for the current campaign to be formally finished.
Financial obligations due to broadcasting contracts have left pressure on the Premier League to find a method of completing the season. But, under the proposed plans, all 92 remaining matches would be broadcast with a handful on every day throughout the summer.
For the plan to work, club staff and officials would be housed in hotels in isolation from their families – similar to an international tournament – albeit with full testing and quarantine conditions. This would limit the chance of coronavirus spreading among the players as just one case could scupper the entire model.
Whatever happens, the return of the Premier League would be regarded as a huge step towards normality and give a massive psychological boost to the country.
Null and void – Alex Brinton
While this is far from the most appealing approach it is definitely the most practical. The European games played behind closed doors before the season was postponed lacked a soul and passion. Feats that should have been celebrated, went unheralded. Josep Illic’s four goals for Atalanta that sent them through to the Champions League quarter finals, are a memory kept solely in record books.
The bottom 4 tiers of English football have all had their seasons null and voided unless the Premier League wants to appear to be even more out of touch with the rest of the game than it already is, they need to do the same. The effects of having a season null and voided can be felt even greater at a lower level. Many clubs are clinging on for dear life and their loss will have a massive impact on the communities surrounding them. No Premier League club will be lost because of this.
As we know at this time stopping the spread of COVID-19 is incredibly important and starting football again would only but the brakes on the progress that has been made. The interaction between players, coaches and officials would cause enough problems on its own. But I seriously doubt that the supporters will be able to stay away from the grounds. In Paris for the Champions League last 16 game against Borussia Dortmund, PSG fans gathered outside of the stadium to celebrate their progression to the quarter finals. Liverpool have waited a long time to get their hands on the Premier League trophy and their famously passionate fans will want to celebrate the moment in style, as they deserve. But under lockdown they either won’t be able to or they will break the rules to do so.
This solution is not ideal for anyone but it is the safest and that has to be the priorities.
Points-per-game – Pete Trifunovic
If the Premier League feel that there is no way to complete the rest of the 2019/20 season without breaching safety protocols given by the powers that be – they may look to settle the season via a ‘points-per-game’ approach.
This is something that UEFA hinted at, after suggesting, should member countries be unable to finish their domestic seasons, that they should put forward teams for next season’s European competitions on “sporting merit”. The governing body remained vague by what it exactly means when it says “sporting merit” but it would make sense for it to be deciding the final table with the games played so far.
If every team had played the same amount of games then this would be a simple task however that’s not the case.
Points-per-game (PPG) means just that, dividing each side’s points tally by the number of games they’ve played. In principle, the Premier League suits this model pretty well with only four sides moving positions.
The top five stay as they are, with Liverpool winning the league with a PPG score of 2.83 compared to Manchester City’s 2.04. Leicester City and Chelsea remain comfortably in third and fourth respectively, whilst Manchester United are the lucky side to benefit from their city neighbours’ European competition ban despite ending up in fifth place.
Sheffield United overtake Wolves into sixth place, but both still qualify for the Europa League.
However, there may be an uproar in North London with both Arsenal and Tottenham missing out on European football. If, there’s any consolation for the Gunners it’s that they would leapfrog rivals Spurs into eight-place.
At the other end of the table, Norwich City, Aston Villa and unluckiest of all, AFC Bournemouth, would be relegated. The Cherries have the same PPG score as Watford and West Ham but their inferior goal difference-per-game sees them miss out on safety.
How do you think the season should end? Let us know in the comments!