Where do we go from here: a Premier League review, sponsored by Corona*virus

Where do we go from here: a Premier League review, sponsored by Corona*virus. 

After coming so close last season; Liverpool might not be crowned Champions.

Jurgen Klopp: his name has become a connotation for passion in the game; but even he can't believe Liverpool's misfortune, especially after coming so close last season.

Not in any other sport can so much joy come out of another team’s misfortune than in English football. But then again, it isn’t called the beautiful game for nothing.

One thing that’s safe to say is this: No one has the answers, at least not yet. Not your mate down the pub who has the latest coming out of London Colney, or that cousin who knows someone on the board of FIFA, no, he’s none the wise either.

All anyone can do is speculate.

There are of course options. The Premier League is exploring uncharted territories under these globally unprecedented times.

The most likely options are a toss-up between, ‘playing games behind closed doors’, ‘calling it off entirely’ and ‘handing the title to Liverpool and enforcing relegation standings. None seem like any fun for anybody, accept maybe Liverpool, with the latter.

Aleksander Ceferin, UEFA President.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin says, “If we don’t succeed in restarting; the season will probably be lost,” telling Italian newspaper La Repubblica, “There is a Plan A, B and C.”

“The three options are to start again in mid-May, in June or at the end of June. the Slovenian said, adding.

“There is also the possibility of starting at the beginning of the next [season]”

One for the footballing gods you’d imagine…

No sign of him yet...

While we know the ball won’t leave the ground over April, it seems everything else is up in the air for the beautiful English game until at least June.

The three main areas where issue arise are: 1. Do we give Liverpool, who are 25 points clear, the title—accepting they’ve won a premier league without completing a season; 2. Who goes up and who must go down; 3. Where does that leave qualification for European competitions.

The Title: This time last month, to the day in fact, Liverpool were undefeated in the Premier League; City boss Pep Guardiola had all but conceded the league and Liverpool faced a team in the bottom half of the table. How could things go so horribly wrong?

Liverpool, as you may know, lost in a capitulating 0-3 defeat away at Vicarage Road to Watford. Since then, a narrow victory at home to Bournemouth in the Premier League would leave them a staggering 25 points clear and only two wins shy of the title.

Can we accept, with only nine games remaining in the campaign for Liverpool; clear of City by 25 points; and only a mere 6-points separating them from being crowned Premier League champions for the first time, that the English crown should be handed to them?

One thing’s for sure: if you walked into a bank asking to draw out £88 pounds knowing you only £82 in your account. The lovely lady behind the counter with a northern accent, hailing out of somewhere near Salford or Trafford, politely declines with a smile on her face, saying “I’m afraid we can’t offer you any credit either, Mr Klopp.”

Liverpool have had an almost spotless season, crush worthy opposition and ruled the game this season.

As for the relegation battle: It was eagerly anticipated. By Christmas, unless you were mistaken for having your head buried in the sand (to quote one Nigel Pearson), the title race by now, spoken for. It looked like at least six teams would have to have the chance to have their final say.

This might be the hardest decision the Premier League will ever have to make if the season doesn’t see any more games.

Sky pay Championship sides between £100,000 and £140,000 for a home game, as well as an additional £10,000 for an away game.

By comparison, the Premier League guarantees that each club receives £12.3 million for being involved in ten games per season. On top of that, every club (20) receives £1.1 million per game—regardless of whether it’s either described by Geoff and the boys from 3pm—televised live—or, assuming it’s been postponed […]

So it becomes obvious how much it matter, at least financially if not for sheer pride of place.

As it stands both Norwich and Aston Villa are in the relegation zone, sitting 19^th and 20^th respectably, after recently being promoted. Bournemouth sit 18^th, 2 points off Brighton in 15^th place—West Ham and Watford between the two sides, each with 27 points.

Eyebrows will certainly be raised whatever the hypothetical A, B, or C. The 19/20 season has greater resembled a Joseph Heller novel than the greatest league in the world, the only difference being there isn’t a tangible villain in all this. Gone are the days where Sepp Blatter ruled the game.

Sepp Blatter, formally everyone's favorite footballing villaine.

The fact is, as things stand it’s a catch-22 for football: there will be three teams denied the opportunity to maintain the growth of their clubs, in the form of survival; there will be three teams dined the opportunity of growth, in the form of promotion.

This doesn’t stop short at affecting only 11-men and a manager; everything from the grassroots up will be affected by the decisions made in the coming months—remember when City getting banned from Europe was big news…

The economics that separate the Premier League from the Championship aren’t just merely a matter of life and death, but something much more than that.

Though, all that can be said for those teams in contention for a place amongst Europe’s elite—at least—is that they live to fight another day.

Only 11 points lie between Southampton, sitting in 15^th place, and Manchester United who are in 5^th. Unfortunately for those making the decisions, that’s a small gap with so much to play for. A huge disparity.

Arsenal are just one club, with rumours surrounding Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s future at the club, that a decision to draw a line under this season would affect catastrophically. North-London rivals Tottenham too, with the recent appointment of Jose Mourinho, would have big question marks over there season sitting 8^th as it stands.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, although he's been scoring, hasn't had a golden campaign yet for the Gunners.

 

For fans of the beautiful game, now without football for the third consecutive week, it seems there only fix is getting odd meme throw around on twitter. This season has now become a question of speculation: Joy coming only by way of misfortune.

Tottenham's only saving grace coming by way of Kane; at least he might be fit for the restarting of the season, if it happens.