Current Season Void Or Continue

[UnderSeige]

"Football shouldn't even be spoken about until the numbers have dropped massively. People's lives are at risk." Danny Rose
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52630497

[UnderSeige]

The resumption of the 2019-20 Premier League season could cost clubs as much as £340million in TV revenue refunds, even if matches are played behind-closed-doors. Evening Standard.
https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/footba ... 37766.html

[tiger76]

"EXCLUSIVE: Premier League matches set to be played at their usual stadiums as police decide clubs CAN host games if they cover the cost of keeping fans out - putting football a step closer to returning"

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sport ... diums.html

What excuse will teams like Brighton,Villa,Watford & West Ham come up with next.now the neutral venues idea has been abolished.

[Firthy]

Why don't they just postpone the rest of the season until it's safer and furlough all players until then. That way clubs could afford to wait a bit longer without a hefty wage bill.

[MACCA]

Why don't they just postpone the rest of the season until it's safer and furlough all players until then. That way clubs could afford to wait a bit longer without a hefty wage bill.

The furlough cap is 2.5k per month, I doubt anyone in football will be voting for that, that'd be like Turkey's voting for Christmas.

Nearly if not all full time footballers, management and staff will be on more than that.

[tiger76]

The furlough cap is 2.5k per month, I doubt anyone in football will be voting for that, that'd be like Turkey's voting for Christmas.

Nearly if not all full time footballers, management and staff will be on more than that.

There might be a handful of League 2 clubs,who'd qualify for that scheme,but yes the vast majority will earn more than that,and i'm fairly sure some clubs have already placed their lower earning staff on furlough anyway,to avoid making them redundant.

[Firthy]

The furlough cap is 2.5k per month, I doubt anyone in football will be voting for that, that'd be like Turkey's voting for Christmas.

Nearly if not all full time footballers, management and staff will be on more than that.

I did post it tongue in cheek. No way footballers would agree to it, they're happy to take their pay cheques and still complain it's not safe to restart. I bet if the options were to furlough or restart football I know which they'd choose.

[Spijed]

What excuse will teams like Brighton,Villa,Watford & West Ham come up with next.now the neutral venues idea has been abolished.

Now complaining about the EFL:

"Premier League clubs could oppose promotion if 'Project Restart' goes ahead but Championship is curtailed"

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/20 ... tart-goes/

[tiger76]

Now complaining about the EFL:

"Premier League clubs could oppose promotion if 'Project Restart' goes ahead but Championship is curtailed"

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/20 ... tart-goes/

Well i am their excuses are wearing thin,i can't see why the PL would restart.but not the Championship,either both play to a finish,or none of them do.

[dsr]

"EXCLUSIVE: Premier League matches set to be played at their usual stadiums as police decide clubs CAN host games if they cover the cost of keeping fans out - putting football a step closer to returning"

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sport ... diums.html

That's a blow for Brighton. They'll have to rely on the "players don't want to play" argument now, and that's a dodgy argument because it might still be true in September.

[UnderSeige]

"Tackling will be banned, pitches disinfected and players restricted to groups of five when the Premier League starts a first phase of team training. Corner-flags, balls, cones, goalposts and even playing surfaces will be disinfected after each session".

"The BBC understands the PFA has heard from a number of players, especially those who have underlying health conditions like asthma or who are from black and minority ethnic (Bame) backgrounds, that they have real concerns about returning to playing... On Wednesday, there will be a meeting between players, the Premier League, medical staff and the PFA, who will give their concerns and opinions as will the players". BBC

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52635005

The 'BAME issue' might be tricky from both an ethics and political perspective.

[UnderSeige]

Talksport ten minutes ago.
"Khan opposes football resuming in London. June is ‘too early’ to resume Premier League in London, says Mayor Sadiq Khan".
"Premier League stars ‘to tell clubs they will not return to training next week’ amid coronavirus pandemic". Talksport

https://talksport.com/football/704311/p ... t-slammed/

[claretandy]

The clubs wanging on about "sporting integrity" with regards to neutral venues, are exactly the same clubs saying scrap relegation.

[UnderSeige]

Now complaining about the EFL:

"Premier League clubs could oppose promotion if 'Project Restart' goes ahead but Championship is curtailed"

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/20 ... tart-goes/

The bottom six just want 'no relegation'. If it is to go ahead, they need to get in line. Also the Championship should restart simultaneously to give them no excuse.

The situation needs to be 'legally watertight'. We don't want the situation in which the the season finishes and then who is promoted and relegated (or large sums of compensation) is decided in the courts before the next season can begin.

[UnderSeige]

"Premier League's restart plan 'needs Commons debate' to allay safety fears"
"The shadow sports minister, Alison McGovern, has called for public scrutiny of the Premier League’s Project Restart plan to help give confidence to athletes and the public alike". Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... w-minister

[UnderSeige]

"The Football Association has told the Premier League that this season must be completed on sporting merit and that declaring it null and void is not an option".

https://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/sport ... ing-merit/

Here here

[Blackrod]

At least they’ve put ‘Danny Rose’ and ‘angry’ in the same article. Not sure Sadiq Khan makes any worthwhile comments.

[Blackrod]

I’m wondering what Brighton and Brady’s next round of bitching will be. Maybe the FA will decide on points averaging if they can’t agree on venues or a start date.

[UnderSeige]

At least they’ve put ‘Danny Rose’ and ‘angry’ in the same article. Not sure Sadiq Khan makes any worthwhile comments.

ESPN on YouTube Discussion of Danny Rose Comments.
Pundits think that most Premier League players are up for the restart. Raheem Sterling, Sergio Aguero, and Norwich City's Todd Cantwell are among those expressing doubts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0hw5_p_G_E

Not sure whether Sadiq Khan could put a 'spoke in the wheels' for London matches. He did manage to cut Tube Services at the start of the pandemic. This resulted in overcrowding in the carriages and people being bunched together.

He has also done some good things such as the introduction of face coverings on public transport - now adopted by the government.

[UnderSeige]

Juventus forward still testing positive for coronavirus six weeks after first contracting it. Paulo Dybala and girlfriend first tested positive on March 21. Two other players at Juventus also tested positive.

For a time he was struggling for breath. "I had stronger symptoms, I got tired very quickly, when I wanted to train, I was short of breath after five minutes. There we noticed that something was not right and through the tests the club did we were told that we were positive. From there we had more symptoms, such as cough, tired body and when we slept I felt very cold".

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football ... s-21943172

This is the first example I have seen of a young physically fit football player getting the virus and going onto a deeper level of symptoms.

[UnderSeige]

Example from March of virus spreading through a club (Valencia) - luckily all cases asymptomatic

https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/foo ... 5536.html

[corporal jones]

given that the govt has extended furlough till October they clearly think the virus is here for a while-on that basis forget this season and probably most of the next as the excuses being put forward for not resuming will still be here in August.

[Chester Perry]

given that the govt has extended furlough till October they clearly think the virus is here for a while-on that basis forget this season and probably most of the next as the excuses being put forward for not resuming will still be here in August.

I think you may find that the Furlough scheme has been tapered through until the end of October, and that has been designed out of the recognition that not all environments will be ready for back to work at the same point in time. It does not necessarily mean that football behind closed doors and stringent testing/workplace protocols cannot start until October

[Winstonswhite]

Juventus forward still testing positive for coronavirus six weeks after first contracting it. Paulo Dybala and girlfriend first tested positive on March 21. Two other players at Juventus also tested positive.

For a time he was struggling for breath. "I had stronger symptoms, I got tired very quickly, when I wanted to train, I was short of breath after five minutes. There we noticed that something was not right and through the tests the club did we were told that we were positive. From there we had more symptoms, such as cough, tired body and when we slept I felt very cold".

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football ... s-21943172

This is the first example I have seen of a young physically fit football player getting the virus and going onto a deeper level of symptoms.

Not trying to be facetious, but those “deeper level” symptoms you mention of a “physically fit player” sound exactly how I feel after a night out these days. You just get on with it.

[dsr]

"Tackling will be banned, pitches disinfected and players restricted to groups of five when the Premier League starts a first phase of team training. Corner-flags, balls, cones, goalposts and even playing surfaces will be disinfected after each session".

"The BBC understands the PFA has heard from a number of players, especially those who have underlying health conditions like asthma or who are from black and minority ethnic (Bame) backgrounds, that they have real concerns about returning to playing... On Wednesday, there will be a meeting between players, the Premier League, medical staff and the PFA, who will give their concerns and opinions as will the players". BBC

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52635005

The 'BAME issue' might be tricky from both an ethics and political perspective.

Especially as it's impossible to tell whether there is a skin colour issue with young men. So far in the UK 71 men under 35 have died, and most of those were already seriously ill, and some of the rest may have worked in the NHS or other healthcare where they were exposed to large blasts of virus. The number of previously fit and healthy adult males dying is too low to assess whether there is a colour bias.

[UnderSeige]

Not trying to be facetious, but those “deeper level” symptoms you mention of a “physically fit player” sound exactly how I feel after a night out these days. You just get on with it.

Symptoms lasted for nearly six weeks. This is a bit more than a hangover. Hopefully the player and his girlfriend will now fully recover.

[UnderSeige]

Especially as it's impossible to tell whether there is a skin colour issue with young men. So far in the UK 71 men under 35 have died, and most of those were already seriously ill, and some of the rest may have worked in the NHS or other healthcare where they were exposed to large blasts of virus. The number of previously fit and healthy adult males dying is too low to assess whether there is a colour bias.

"As the cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continue to increase across the world, evidence is continuing to emerge that the pandemic could be disproportionately affecting people from black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) communities". The Lancet
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanr ... 9/fulltext

https://www.nursingtimes.net/news/resea ... 7-05-2020/

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/ ... f-covid-19

https://www.cebm.net/covid-19/bame-covi ... ce-review/

https://www.hsj.co.uk/workforce/reveale ... 71.article

https://www.itv.com/news/2020-05-07/bam ... ronavirus/

[UnderSeige]

Northern Ireland Player Tests Positive

https://www.itv.com/news/utv/2020-03-08 ... ing-match/

[Spijed]

"As the cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continue to increase across the world, evidence is continuing to emerge that the pandemic could be disproportionately affecting people from black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) communities". The Lancet
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanr ... 9/fulltext

https://www.nursingtimes.net/news/resea ... 7-05-2020/

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/ ... f-covid-19

https://www.cebm.net/covid-19/bame-covi ... ce-review/

https://www.hsj.co.uk/workforce/reveale ... 71.article

https://www.itv.com/news/2020-05-07/bam ... ronavirus/

That's at odds with the low numbers of people dying in South Korea and Japan.

And as yet there is no medical evidence to suggest they are more at risk than other groups

[UnderSeige]

Especially as it's impossible to tell whether there is a skin colour issue with young men. So far in the UK 71 men under 35 have died, and most of those were already seriously ill, and some of the rest may have worked in the NHS or other healthcare where they were exposed to large blasts of virus. The number of previously fit and healthy adult males dying is too low to assess whether there is a colour bias.

Some more specific ones for you dsr.

I would say though that I haven't yet heard of any sports players from anywhere in the world who has actually died from coronavirus. Lets hope that this continues.

There are now examples though of numerous sporting stars from all over the world who have contracted the disease. In previous posts I have provided links of examples which show the virus spreading through a club (Valencia) and also an example of a top flight Italian striker developing secondary symptoms.

The virus will infect any human being on the planet. However, some groups are more vulnerable than others.

Europsort
"A British government study said black people are nearly twice as likely to die from COVID-19 than whites and Barnes said young black players were apprehensive."There are players who have voiced genuine concerns," the Professional Footballers Association's Barnes told the Times".
https://www.eurosport.co.uk/football/pr ... ory.shtml

"Coronavirus-Virus: Nigerian footballer don becomes first player to get disease" BBC
https://www.bbc.com/pidgin/sport-51677486


A list of players from the BAME grouping
Marouane Fellaini.
Callum Hudson-Odoi, Chelsea
Blaise Matuidi, Juventus
Omar Colley, Sampdoria
Ezequiel Garay, Valencia
Eliaquim Mangala, Valencia
Haji Mnoga, Portsmouth
Full list from April 23 (including all groupings)
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/footbal ... r-COVID-19


From other sports:
https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/20 ... d-positive

[dsr]

Some more specific ones for you dsr.

I would say though that I haven't yet heard of any sports players from anywhere in the world who has actually died from coronavirus. Lets hope that this continues.

There are now examples though of numerous sporting stars from all over the world who have contracted the disease. In previous posts I have provided links of examples which show the virus spreading through a club (Valencia) and also an example of a top flight Italian striker developing secondary symptoms.

The virus will infect any human being on the planet. However, some groups are more vulnerable than others.

Europsort
"A British government study said black people are nearly twice as likely to die from COVID-19 than whites and Barnes said young black players were apprehensive."There are players who have voiced genuine concerns," the Professional Footballers Association's Barnes told the Times".
https://www.eurosport.co.uk/football/pr ... ory.shtml

"Coronavirus-Virus: Nigerian footballer don becomes first player to get disease" BBC
https://www.bbc.com/pidgin/sport-51677486


A list of players from the BAME grouping
Marouane Fellaini.
Callum Hudson-Odoi, Chelsea
Blaise Matuidi, Juventus
Omar Colley, Sampdoria
Ezequiel Garay, Valencia
Eliaquim Mangala, Valencia
Haji Mnoga, Portsmouth
Full list from April 23 (including all groupings)
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/footbal ... r-COVID-19


From other sports:
https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/20 ... d-positive

Specifically, without reading all your links, has it been proved that young black males are more likely than young white males to suffer from this disease? There is little doubt that there is a difference between the black population and the white population overall. But the data is so skewed towards the older age groups - has an attempt been made to see if it applies at the younger end as well? The chances are it does, but it should be looked at. It doesn't necessarily follow.

[UnderSeige]

That's at odds with the low numbers of people dying in South Korea and Japan.

And as yet there is no medical evidence to suggest they are more at risk than other groups

Hi dsr.
Reasons for low numbers of cases in South Korea.
Testing, testing and testing.
Contact tracing
Mask wearing.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/video ... explainer

Japan, like China, is a bit of a mystery and we will no doubt get a clearer picture at a later date.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/20 ... s-outlier/

Medical evidence: British government study in my last post.

Please provide links to your findings. Is there a link that says BAME groups are not more susceptible to the virus?

[dsr]

Hi dsr.
Reasons for low numbers of cases in South Korea.
Testing, testing and testing.
Contact tracing
Mask wearing.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/video ... explainer

Japan, like China, is a bit of a mystery and we will no doubt get a clearer picture at a later date.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/20 ... s-outlier/

Medical evidence: British government study in my last post.

Please provide links to your findings. Is there a link that says BAME groups are not more susceptible to the virus?

I haven't got any findings. I don't know whether young black men are more susceptible to coronavirus than young white men. I know there are plenty of studies that say black people overall are more susceptible than white people overall, but I don't know if that extends to young males. It probably does but it might not. Has anyone done the detailed analysis, bearing in mind it's a much smaller sample size to go at?

[UnderSeige]

Specifically, without reading all your links, has it been proved that young black males are more likely than young white males to suffer from this disease? There is little doubt that there is a difference between the black population and the white population overall. But the data is so skewed towards the older age groups - has an attempt been made to see if it applies at the younger end as well? The chances are it does, but it should be looked at. It doesn't necessarily follow.

I see where your coming from. Perhaps as time goes by more specific studies will take place.

The thing that is clear is that 'young fit Professional sports people' from the BAME group from all over the world are succumbing to the virus. Also, many of the BAME group health workers, who have succumbed to the virus are in the younger age groups.

As you say, taken with extensive studies that show that BAME groups are more susceptible, it is more than likely that younger BAME group members are susceptible.

I apologise in advance if I don't answer any more queries. I am signing off for week or two.

[Spijed]

Norwich are threatening legal action if the Championship don't play their season out:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52645339

[Spijed]

Championship are due to kick off again on 6th June.

[tiger76]

Leagues 1 and 2 almost certain to be calling time on the season,after that who knows.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52644313

[dsr]

Norwich are threatening legal action if the Championship don't play their season out:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52645339

I'd be interested to see who they're going to sue. Do they sue the Premier League for relegating them exactly in accordance with PL rules, because their case is that the PL should not have operated according to its rules? Or do they sue the League, of which they aren't a member, with the case that although it isn't anything to do with them, they think the league shouldn't have promoted its best teams?

[tiger76]

I'd be interested to see who they're going to sue. Do they sue the Premier League for relegating them exactly in accordance with PL rules, because their case is that the PL should not have operated according to its rules? Or do they sue the League, of which they aren't a member, with the case that although it isn't anything to do with them, they think the league shouldn't have promoted its best teams?

Excellent point,Norwich are pi^^ing in the wind,if they think they've got a case good luck,as long as the PL completes it's fixtures then there's no reason why the teams in the bottom 3 shouldn't be relegated.

[Spijed]

Relief for Borussia Dortmund as the Bundesliga gets ready to return

A player testing positive for coronavirus will not be a "catastrophe" for the Bundesliga, says Borussia Dortmund's managing director.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52650159

[NewClaret]

Well i am their excuses are wearing thin,i can't see why the PL would restart.but not the Championship,either both play to a finish,or none of them do.

I think you could get to a point where Leagues 1 and 2 don’t as, without the ticket revenue, they may not be able to afford the measures/policing.

The Championship & Prem should conclude, ideally concurrently to extend live sport on TV.

[Winstonswhite]

In the link above it stated League one and below can’t afford the additional testing. The premier league are paying 4 million.

[Spijed]

"EXCLUSIVE: Premier League matches set to be played at their usual stadiums as police decide clubs CAN host games if they cover the cost of keeping fans out - putting football a step closer to returning"

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sport ... diums.html

Some police aren't happy with using existing grounds:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52650957

[Spijed]

EFL: Championship clubs aim for 25 May training date after conference meeting

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52651502

[Paul Waine]

The Times, Matt Lawton, Chief Sports Correspondent, Wednesday May 13 2020, 8.00pm

June 12 restart for Premier League at risk as managers ask for more time

The Premier League’s Project Restart plans were facing major delays last night amid serious concerns from managers and players.

Top-flight football in England has been suspended since March 13 and under the Premier League’s proposals players would return to training on Monday with matches resuming from June 12. However, a number of issues were raised yesterday during two separate video conferences at which all 20 managers and a player from each club were presented with the safety protocols for training to resume. This casts significant doubt about the feasibility of those start dates. The Times can reveal:

• Managers feel government pressure is forcing them to return to competitive action with insufficient time to properly prepare their players;

• Managers raised the question about liability should anyone become seriously ill with coronavirus, with clubs unsure whether they will receive legal clearance to sign up to the protocols by Monday

;

• Players believe that they need at least four weeks of full contact training, but as yet have only been presented with non-contact protocols;

• Players don’t want to sign forms declaring they are happy with the protocols until they have seen the second protocols that involve returning to full contact training;

• Clubs have been told their testing pools must be limited to 40 people because of a limited number of tests, forcing managers to limit their backroom teams; and

• Players felt many questions are still unanswered, not least around safety.

Clubs will be asked to sign off the protocols for first stage of training — which involves players working in small groups while maintaining social distancing — at the next Premier League shareholders’ meeting on Monday. This means that the scheduled return to training has been put back to Tuesday at the earliest.

Premier League officials are understood to be receptive of the concerns and made a point of not focusing on specific timetables detailed in the original Project Restart documents. The managers, players and officials who The Times contacted last night insisted that there remains a collective desire to complete the 2019-20 campaign.

Yesterday’s meeting was led by Mark Gillett, the Premier League’s medical officer, and Professor James Calder, a consultant orthopaedic surgeon and the independent chair of the Chief Medical Officer’s consultancy group. led the meetings. Deputy chief medical officer Jonathan Van-Tam also present.

The Premier League managers were invited to give their views at the end of the meeting and many questions were focused on the limited time they had to prepare their players for action after such a long lay-off. It is understood that Jürgen Klopp, the Liverpool manager, spoke particularly well, asking if they could recruit youth team players if they suffered multiple injuries and, possibly, Covid-19 infections.

The route back to competitive matches is far from straightforward. “We have stage one, which is small groups with no contact, and we have to see how that goes; if we have any problems with infection,” one manager said. “We will wait for permission from the Premier League to go to stage two, which is full contact training. But the worry is how long that period will be before we are expected to start playing.”

Another manager said: “Why have to ask why we are being rushed? It could be that we only get a week to ten days of proper training, and I don’t think that will be long enough given what is at stake. Everyone wants to get back playing but it has to be right.”

In Germany no pre-season matches have been permitted ahead of their return this weekend and some managers have had reports from colleagues in the Bundesliga that players have struggled physically in the training matches.

“I still think the biggest hurdle is convincing the players it is safe to return to full contact training,” a manager said. “Until we get to that stage where we are asking them to do that, we can’t be sure how they will react. But they too will want to be in the right condition to play matches again, and for me June 12 is already starting to look a bit ambitious.”

While the meetings were focused on the first phase of training, players remain concerned about the safety of loved ones. Watford’s Troy Deeney asked how he could keep his family safe after engaging in full contact training or playing. He was told, The Times understands, that it would be safer than going to the supermarket because of testing. Deeney replied that he has a choice when it comes to going to a supermarket.

West Ham United’s Mark Noble had a question around the ethics of trying to resume this season when PPE remains in short supply for some NHS workers.

Last night one senior Premier League club official reiterated the view of a manager who said the subject of “liability” had been raised in the managers’ meeting.

“We’re expected to sign off these protocols on Monday but before that can happen 20 boards of 20 clubs need to consult with their lawyers to make sure we are covered if the unthinkable happens,” he said. “We might be winning on neutral grounds but there are some big hurdles to overcome here. The language has changed. It’s no longer we can make it safe. It’s we’ll make it as safe as it can be.”

Players asked if it will be safe, and they were told that their training grounds would be among the safest places in the country. That said, players and staff in that 40-person pool will be tested only twice a week.

“That’s another challenge for the managers,” one club official said. “Once you have 25 players in that group the numbers start to get tight.”
Another question players felt was not answered was whether there is a heightened risk for people from the Black, Asian, and minority ethnic community. According to the Office for National Statistics black men and women are nearly twice as likely to die with coronavirus than white people in England and Wales.

Representatives of the bottom six clubs were said to be more vocal. Players from the top six clubs were less vocal. Jordan Henderson said he appreciated and understood everyone’s concerns but said Liverpool were “ready to go back”.

The EFL also met yesterday and Championship have decided that clubs will return to full group training on May 25 with an aim for matches to begin at least three weeks afterwards.

[dsr]

Isn't it time they got more specific with this BAME stuff? It seems less than useful to divide the world into two camps, "White European" and "the rest, they all look the same to me". I know that's not the intention behind describing "everyone else" as BAME, but it's the result.

Son of Tottenham is BAME. Does the apparent high proportion of Indian doctors dying in the UK mean that he should be worried? "BAME" has to be split into its constituent parts to have any relevance for people who bear that label.

(I saw a reference to a Nigerian man in Nigeria as "BAME" earlier today. I suppose he's B, but he certainly isn't ME.)

[tybfc]

Isn't it time they got more specific with this BAME stuff? It seems less than useful to divide the world into two camps, "White European" and "the rest, they all look the same to me". I know that's not the intention behind describing "everyone else" as BAME, but it's the result.

Son of Tottenham is BAME. Does the apparent high proportion of Indian doctors dying in the UK mean that he should be worried? "BAME" has to be split into its constituent parts to have any relevance for people who bear that label.

(I saw a reference to a Nigerian man in Nigeria as "BAME" earlier today. I suppose he's B, but he certainly isn't ME.)

Laziness

[Chester Perry]

Is it the way the media are shaping the argument (they have an interest in the restart) or is it really just the relegation threatened teams that are looking to delay it for as long as possible or prevent it entirely. In the last few days I have read about players/managers from Watford, West Ham, Brighton are against the current restart schedule.

There are also stories suggesting a number of Man City players in particular are not comfortable, though they are not given the same prominence they once were (think Aquero "I am scared" from a couple of weeks back) the same type of self-interest argument could be laid at City's door re a Liverpool title to blemish that Pep record or even UEFA club competition next season starting before CAS rules on their appeal.

[AshevilleNCClaret]

I think the bottom teams are trying to have it both ways "Void this season/no relegation BUT gives us that TV money" and that is not going to work.

Frankly, I think the games are played in some fashion, and that a significant # of players are just going to not play.

[Chester Perry]

I think the bottom teams are trying to have it both ways "Void this season/no relegation BUT gives us that TV money" and that is not going to work.

Frankly, I think the games are played in some fashion, and that a significant # of players are just going to not play.

I think that is a large part of the story but not the whole story, hence the question.