Premier League 2019/20: Resume season or declare null and void? Reaction to game's direction in midst of coronavirus outbreak
With Premier League and Sky Bet EFL football suspended until at least April due to the coronavirus outbreak, a debate has been sparked over how the game should resume.
Some have called for the season to be declared null and void, while others believe the campaign should be played out until the end with the rest of the calendar rescheduling to reflect the unprecedented halt to the season.
UEFA have postponed Euro 2020 until the summer of 2021 to try and provide time for European domestic competitions to be completed, while the Premier League is set to meet on Thursday and the EFL on Wednesday to discuss potential next steps.
As it stands, football stood-down until April 3, but with the Government issuing new instructions every day, there is no clear end to the country's near lockdown as yet.
We get the thoughts of key figures about whether the game should continue where it left off or, after 29 league games, it should be cancelled.
Virgil van Dijk - Liverpool and Netherlands defender
Van Dijk told several national newspapers: "If we won it in an empty stadium and the fans weren't there, I'd be gutted for them.
"Obviously, if there are no fans at Anfield, then it will be a bit of a blow - no one wants to play games without the fans.
"Until a decision is made on how we go on from here, then we just have to deal with it. But when it happens, we are still bringing the title to our fans, definitely."
Writing in his new The Times column, Rooney said, first on the late postponement: "Why did we wait until Friday? Why did it take Mikel Arteta to get ill for the game in England to do the right thing?
"For players, staff and their families it has been a worrying week - one in which you felt a lack of leadership from the Government and from the FA and Premier League.
"After the emergency meeting, at last the right decision was made - until then it almost felt like footballers in England were being treated like guinea pigs.
"I know how I feel. If any of my family get infected through me because I've had to play when it's not safe, and they get seriously ill, I'd have to think hard about ever playing again. I would never forgive the authorities."
On when to resume, Rooney added: "We're happy to play until September if the season extends to then, if that's how it has to be. That's our job. As long as we know we're safe to play and it's a safe environment for spectators, we'll play.
"The next World Cup is in November and December 2022, so you could actually use this situation as an opportunity and say we're going to finish the 2019-20 season later this year, then prepare for 2022 by having the next two seasons starting in winter."
Alan Shearer - Former Newcastle and England forward
Shearer told The Sun: "If you cannot complete the fixtures then you cannot go handing out titles or consider relegating anybody.
"People have spoken of bringing Leeds and West Brom up from the Championship — but there would be uproar from other clubs.
"Sitting seven and six points above third with nine games to go, there is no guarantee they would finish in the top two.
"If there's no alternative than to cancel all remaining league fixtures, then the only logical decision should be to void the entire campaign.
"While it would be harsh on some clubs that are chasing promotion, or league titles, it can't really be helped.
"Every angle and scenario has to be looked at in order to reach a conclusion, even if that means a long delay before playing into next season.
"If, and it is a huge if, the season cannot be completed then there is no way you can have a winner or loser.
"As harsh and as horrible as that would be for some clubs, none more so than Liverpool, it is the only outcome."
Karren Brady - West Ham vice-chairman
"There is no dodging the possibility that all levels in the EFL as well as the Premier League will have to be cancelled and this season declared null and void because if the players can't play the games can't go ahead," she wrote in her column in The Sun.
"The Premier League hopes that an interlude of three weeks from now will enable it to restart but that may well be dreamland.
"Perhaps scrubbing the European Championship could provide more time to complete the season into the summer but that is also a giant 'if'.
"What if the league cannot be finished?
"As games in both the Premier League and in the EFL are affected, the only fair and reasonable thing to do is declare the whole season null and void.
"Who knows who would have gone down or come up if the games have not actually been played in full?
"A huge blow to Liverpool who might be robbed of their first title in 30 years."
Angus Kinnear - Leeds chief executive
Arguably one of the clubs with the most to lose in this situation is Leeds United. The Sky Bet Championship leaders are seven points clear of third place Fulham and on the verge of finally returning to the Premier League after a 16 year absence
"From our perspective, we think it is vital that the season is completed," Leeds chief executive Angus Kinnear told Sky Sports News.
"I think there is a growing sense across the football family that that is the right thing to do.
"It is difficult to speculate on timelines and now is the time for patience and cool heads. I think for the integrity of the football pyramid and the financial security of the clubs, finishing the league is the right thing to do.
"You have already seen La Liga and Serie A come out and say they want the leagues completed. I think that is probably the right decision."
Kinnear added: "If it is the choice between not finishing the league and playing behind closed doors, we would like to play behind-closed-doors but ultimately we really think we owe it to our fans, and fans across the country, to complete the league.
"That would be the ideal but it needs to be in a situation where it is safe to do so. From a fan perspective I think it would be the right decision to try and play the games with supporters there.
"Obviously from a financial perspective, it is going to make a huge difference to the clubs, particularly lower down the pyramid to receive that income which is their lifeblood."
Leeds United managing director Angus Kinnear says it is "vital" for the EFL and Premier League seasons to be completed in order to maintain "the integrity of the football pyramid"
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) March 16, 2020
Gordon Taylor - PFA chief executive
"I think it would be unfair to void the season or even present the trophies now, not least of course on Liverpool," Taylor told Sky Sports News.
"But all clubs who are doing well, they would be accused of, 'oh well you don't know if you would have won it or not'.
"It would devalue it and I think those clubs that have done well and are at the top deserve to be there.
"And those clubs who are at the bottom deserve to be given the chance to get out of trouble, because that's how the game's always worked and that's how the competition was at the beginning.
"So I think we should do all we can. I think it would seem really weird if we started a new season. It would be unfinished business behind us and I don't think that would look good."
"It would be unfinished business behind us and I don't think that would look good."
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) March 16, 2020
PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor says ending the season early due to the coronavirus outbreak would be "unfair".
Peter Ridsdale - Preston chairman
"I've never heard anything so nonsensical in my life," Ridsdale told Sky Sports when asked about talk of stopping relegation for a year.
"Who says that Leeds and West Brom are the two teams to go up? I'm not suggesting they won't eventually, but the only way to determine that is after the 46 games.
"I also think it's disappointing that the primary voices that we've heard over the last few days in the Premier League suggesting no relegation, happen to be teams that currently are sitting precariously above the bottom three.
"Therefore that does appear to be self-interest. The only thing that's right and proper is that at some point in time, we complete the season."
"I think the season has to play out, regardless of how long we have to wait," Fowler told Sky Sports News.
"I think they (the Premier League) should wait as long as it takes and then play all the games.
"If any season is going to be interrupted it should be next season because then everyone starts on a level playing field and knows what the implications are."
Phil Thompson: Former Liverpool player and Sky Sports pundit
"There’s still ramifications even if you do that," Thompson told Sky Sports in response to talk of ending the season early.
"What do you do with the teams in the Champions League positions? Because Leicester City are quite healthily in third, they’d be extremely worried if you went to the teams that finished in the top four last season.
"There are still going to be problems. It won’t just ended with it being null and void. It’s an extremely serious and unprecedented situation.
"But it’s not like Liverpool are two points clear, they’re 25 points clear and we’re three-quarters of the way through the season. It would be extremely hard to say Liverpool aren’t champions."
Barry Hearn - Matchroom Sport boss and former Leyton Orient owner
“I don’t understand issue in football so much – the coronavirus is a disaster for the country and it will affect millions of people, so our problems in sport are minuscule in comparison to the overall bigger picture," Hearn told talkSPORT.
“But I hear people saying we should declare the season void… no!
“What we do is just extend the season as and when we can play and we finish this season completely before we start the next one.
“For the integrity of the sport we have to conclude the fixture list. If that means delaying, abandoning or changing the following season, so be it.
“Next season is next season, whether it starts in October, whether it starts in February in 2021, we will deal with that problem then.
“Firstly, we get this season out of the way. It seems a certainly the Euros will be cancelled, in which case it frees up more hours.
“All the other suggestions are either motivated by selfish desires, or are people who don’t understand the deepness of sport and the support of people that go to watch their sport.
“Whether playing behind closed doors is a possibility, or whether it’s, ‘OK the summer is here, the virus is dropping off, we can now play and we may have to play two or three games a week to catch up’ – so be it!
“We work within the restrictions that are placed on us, what we will not do under any circumstance is panic and make a reaction now that disappoints fan around the world and takes away the whole purpose of sport.”
Steven Gerrard - Rangers boss and former Liverpool captain
"Players' welfare is paramount right now," he told Rangers TV when asked how he can plan for a long delay.
"We are doing everything we can from a medical point of view, putting all the right precautions in place.
"I am in regular contact with the board and the club on a daily basis to see what happens.
"But I think we have to trust the authorities to try and find the right solutions.
"I'm not one who thinks we should be merging seasons and this type of stuff because that has different types of problems for the players, playing too much football in a short space of time.
"I think we have got to be patient. Football is secondary right now.
"What we have to do is just do everything we can at the training ground and the club to protect the players so they don't contract the virus, because then it has a lot more complications."
When asked how football solves the problem, Gerrard said: "To be honest I don't have the answers but what I would say is football is about supporters. The reason I joined Rangers was to coach in front of the wonderful support we have got.
"I know all the players feel the same way. I don't think the right thing to do is all of a sudden play all the games behind closed doors. I don't think that's fair at all.
"So we have to wait, we have to be patient, and let's hope at some point there is a solution found."
The 39-year-old added: "It's very much a time where football has to become secondary. People's lives are at risk, people's businesses are at risk.
"There are many more important things, much more important, than football right now. But of course it's having a huge impact not just for us at Rangers, but every club around the world.
"But for me it's very much a time where we all need to stick together, think about our own families first and foremost, and certainly put football second.
"We have to be patient. This is a virus that is spreading very, very quickly around the world. I think we have a duty of care first and foremost for our own families and then our own people at Rangers and our supporters, and obviously wider society as well.
"It's very much just do everything you can to take precautionary measures to help the virus not spreading any quicker than it is."
OTHERS
Delay the leagues and postpone the Euros until next year !
— Gary Neville (@GNev2) March 12, 2020
Nothing can be ruled out at this stage . It’s unprecedented! https://t.co/Mg0A4kJAKW
— Gary Neville (@GNev2) March 13, 2020
Have a look at Klopp’s comments compared to Karren Brady’s 🤦♂️ Whats fair is to finish the season for teams in every league when the ⚽️ is allowed to start again. The ⚽️ authorities found a way to put a World Cup in the middle of a season so I’m sure they can sort next season out. https://t.co/Oe1risTTwc
— Jamie Carragher (@Carra23) March 14, 2020
👑 “The only way to go forward is to crown Liverpool champions.”
— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) March 16, 2020
⬆️ “The current top two of every EFL league go up & no one gets relegated.”
📊 “22 teams in the next Premier League season, 5 get relegated.”
Here’s how @MrJamieOHara1 wants the 19/20 season to end.
Thoughts? 💭 pic.twitter.com/8hrX1d2E54
MOST READ FOOTBALL
FOOTBALL TIPS
