So What Should Actually Happen - Poll

I’d go further and say he’s said what he has because quite simply he’s been asked the question by the media. Granted he could have turned down the interviews but why should he? Or he could have lied I suppose.

But given what’s being asked of players, surely it’s only right and fair that at least captains come out and speak if asked?

 

Interesting factoid - one reason why the Bundesliga has been able to restart already is because it has no BAME players.

 

The point being made by them is correct in that health and safety is key. Absolutely

Do they mean what they’re saying though? I don’t think so, it just seems like another way pushing forward the way of ending the season. On top of that, as mentioned beforehand, the lengths that the FA are going to to ensure that players do not spread the virus, the chances of spreading are way more slim than say, “going to the shops”.

Of course there is reason for concern for anyone, think it’s fair to assume though that some will use that to their own advantage

Like I said before, keep using it because if it keeps us up, then fair play

 

Ok, so you think they are lying. Glad we could clarify that after several about turns.

 

The thing with going to the shops though, you have a choice. You don’t have to go. And you can choose when you do. Players won’t have the choice of when to train or when to play. Or even the choice of if they want to. Nobody is voting on your right to go to the supermarket.
I’ve asked twice now but you’ve not answered. Why have players and staff from clubs in the top 6 and who are still competing in Europe spoken of their health fears of a restart? If they don’t mean it, why are they speaking out? What are they gaining?

You also talk of the things the FA are putting in place that make the chances so slim - what are they? Because we’ve only seen reports so far, nothing concrete at all. The fact that Deeney has said the FA/PL didn’t have answers for basic questions is a massive red flag surely in that respect?

 

Celtic dominated the Scottish League its nothing more than they deserve.

 

Totally depends on the agenda those players/staff/clubs have in mind.

 

So everything is an agenda and nothing is just the truth?

Got it.

 

Did they win it? No. So it’s totally more than they deserve.

It’s a bit worrying for me that so many people are prepared to allow teams to be rewarded or punished for things they haven’t achieved or suffered.

Winning things on the balance of probability has NEVER been a part of football.

 

If that’s the way you see it, yeah. Bubble wrap and candy floss springs to mind.

Football is a business sector. It is what it is... Once something worth billions meets a sudden unexpected halt, the businesses within that sector are going to find every fault/flaw in the system that will ensure that their business continues as it was beforehand. If it’s to stay in the league, Watford for example will try everything it can to ensure that the plans put forward keep us in the league. If it’s to earn a place in Europe in due course, then the likes of Sheffield would like the league resumed.

Players and staff are unfortunate as they’re caught up in the middle of it all. That being said, it doesn’t mean that they wouldn’t go along with the best intentions of the club that pays their wages. Rightly or wrongly

 

Well in the case of Celtic & Liverpool, I see it as more inevitability than a possibility and in my opinion, they are both worthy Champions and are deserving of the reward.

 

Inevitable or not, it’s not impossible they could have been caught. Inconceivable but not impossible.

I’m not saying it would have happened - but what it empty stadiums became a leveller. What if Liverpool lost their first 4 games upon returning and then they lockdown again? Are we still handing them the title?

You can only be a worthy champion if you win something.

 

So, bans not withstanding, what do Chelsea and City have to gain by the league being voided or impeding a restart? They are in CL spots and still both in Europe. It’s massively in their favour to carry on. I can’t see an agenda they could possibly have that would trump a truthful fear for their health.

Just saying ‘I don’t know but they must have one’ doesn’t really help your angle on the debate.

 

Let’s face it, most of us want the season written off with no relegation, that’s the best outcome for us and for Watford. Surprise surprise if you go on to a Leeds or Liverpool forum the vast majority want football to commence. Coincidence? Obviously not. That doesn’t detract from the arguments for and against, they all have merits, but let’s face it all of us on here are going to be more swayed and place more importance on arguments against starting up. If failing to restart guaranteed us relegation, I’d be pretty confident opinions about players voicing concerns about restarting would be viewed a lot differently by most.

 

But let's have a bit of realism Liverpool won't lose 4 games on the bounce and even if they did they would still be 10 points ahead with 4 games to go, and that's if City win their game in hand. I just don't think you can say they are not worthy champions they have built a significant lead and been the best team by a long way for 30 games of the season. I have no issue with teams being crowned champions, promoted or relegated if there is a large gap and inevitability about it.

 

Rangers were in free fall and Celtic were battering everyone since the turn of the year that gap was only going to get larger. All I am saying is they were going to win the league anyway so I have no issue with them being crowned champions.

 

Can you prove that?

 

The Scottish League was over and the title race is over in England you can dance around it all you want but in my opinion Celtic, Liverpool and PSG are all worthy champions based on the 30 games that have been played.

 

Okay, realism.

Realism is that Celtic and/or Liverpool have not won the league going by the rules of the season when it started. That’s as real and unquestionable as it can get.

Your argument is based on probability and not actuality.

 

It wasn’t over by the rules of the competition.

Your opinion is your opinion, so of course it’s valid. But saying things like ‘worthy’ is only based on your opinion and not reality. As is saying a title race was ‘over’.

 

I know what you're saying @Burnsy, but there is a difference between 'probability' and 'virtual certainty'.

No, it's not what the rules say and clearly it would be vastly different if the position was the same as it was after this number of games last season. There will always be a sliver of doubt about Liverpool if the season is voided and they are made champions. But given the points gap, I think you are overstating the case to say it is 'worrying' that people might assent to their being 'crowned'. The points gap is an unusually large one.

Would the other PL clubs have to consent to the award of the title to the Scousers?

 

I personally don’t think it has to be so binary when it comes to Liverpool, they would’ve won the league so nothing wrong with applying a bit of common sense and giving them the title. It’s not in ‘the rules’ etc, but so what.

 

If clubs okay it, then I suppose it would be more palatable. But personally I’d be dead against it in any scenario, save for one where they can actually win it mathematically.

I won’t hark on about it - I have done since this began after all. But the one thing I really didn’t want to see happen was teams rewarded/punished for things they haven’t achieved. Sets a worrying precedent for me and I think people lose the battle when talking about ‘integrity’ when such decisions are made.

 

When City won the PL with 2 injury time goals against QPR, should the ref have just blown on 90 minutes?

 

I agree with you in principle but, if the EPL were voided (it won't be) I wouldn't object to Liverpool being given the title. It won't mean much anyway as it will always have an asterisk against it

Certainly relegations and promotions shouldn't happen unless the season is completed imho.

I note Hearts are going ahead with legal action against the SPL. I hope they are successful.

 

No of course not, because it only takes a second to score a goal and the probability of them scoring those two goals given the circumstances was still fairly high, after all they won the league and therefore were not a bad side, playing a crap side. It was dramatic, but was it really a a shock? Would you have bet your house against it happening?

How many times have we seen a team lose the league from Liverpool’s position? Would you bet your house on them losing the league from here? Shouldn’t your question really have been if City were 25-0 up against QPR with two minutes to go would it have been acceptable to blow the whistle two minutes early?

 

All those teams have better players than anyone else. Why not give them the title without bothering to play the season? They would probably have won it anyway.

 

I know what your saying , but I was virtually certain Watford were out of the FA cup beaten by wolves , almost ready to turn off the TV.

Liverpool have also bottled it more than anybody I can think off, yes it’s virtually certain but if anybody could bottle it, it would be Liverpool

 

That is completely different though. Realistically how hard is it to score two goals in a football match? How often does it happen? It probably happens at least once on every round of football matches, we’re talking about a single one off event.

Liverpool losing the league from here would require a long serious of extremely unlikely events to happen, were not talking about putting the ball in the net in one match, were talking about Man City winning every single one of their games and Liverpool losing all but one or two of theirs. Pump those results into an accumulator and see what the odds are, vs the odds of a team coming back in a one off match, they wouldn’t even be comparable.

 

Liverpool have better players than Citeh? Arguable...

(I realise that is not the point of your post).

 

Would I bet my house on it? No. But that’s not my argument. I genuinely can’t really believe so many people are happy to reward/punish teams on merit alone.

It can’t be one rule for one team, and another for someone else. In the SPL, their focus should have been on giving Hearts every chance to change their circumstances from just 4 points adrift - yet it seems to have been on making sure they crown Celtic. And because all teams are treated equally it means Hearts go down.

Now we have people saying Liverpool deserve to be crowned winners. So do we relegate the bottom 3? How is that even remotely fair? So then we start talking about treating teams differently to avoid that.

If they are that desperate to make Liverpool champions, give them some sort of created ‘interim/fair play’ title. But they shouldn’t even go that far. They cannot go in the same breath as other past winners who have done more to win it. That’s just the way football has always been. It’s not won until it’s won.