Intresting twitter thread from Rory Smith
It's starting to feel like the PL is going to talk itself into abandoning the season at some point. My impression is whether you think that's right breaks down to some extent on club lines, but also which bits of a very convoluted conversation have resonated most. Some thoughts:
The logic that we must protect next season seems to be based on the idea that it can, in some way, be "normal." But it won't be normal, because most estimates seem to be we won't get fans in stadiums until some time next year. Starting in Aug/Sept with fans is not on the cards.
It might also be vulnerable to another wave and another lockdown, which is why (as well as the economic demands/sporting integrity stuff) to me finishing this one may as well be the priority. Completing this one is probably easier than completing the next one.)
The contracts thing: it is a small percentage of players who are out of contract this summer (though it's higher the lower down you go). There's no perfect solution to this, but it feels like "Pedro has been left in limbo" and "clubs will go to the wall" are not equal concerns.
I spoke to a non-PL player who's out of contract this summer yesterday. He wants to leave his current club, but he said he'd obviously sign an extension for a couple of months if that's what was needed. "It's either that or don't have a job," as he put it.
That would, probably, come with a caveat - something to protect him in case of injury - and it may be that Fifa has to open a pre-registration window over the summer (so you can sign a contract for the start of next season even as you carry on playing this one).
Most players and clubs would, I think, follow that same logic. A few wouldn't, likely for valid reasons, but again: there is no perfect solution. You can't base rules around exceptions. You're talking a tiny proportion of cases against the wellbeing of the game as a whole.
Fifa could help a bit here, too: the transfer window is really a registration window. So shift it: say the registration window opens at a certain point, so even if players don't play for their old club, at least they're not playing for their new one.
Happy to be corrected but not sure how that would contravene national contract law. You'd still have some players unable to play, or clubs unwilling to pay them, but you'd be talking very small numbers indeed. I genuinely don't think any of this needs to be a dealbreaker.
One final thought: any time anyone mentions finishing the season without fans or in July or whatever, lots of people immediately declare it should be voided. That's fine; it is a valid opinion. But not sure voiding is on the cards, either.
Belgium (which will ratify next week) and Scotland (in the lower leagues) have frozen, not voided. They're declaring champions (and probably promoting and relegating). I *think* that's because they think Uefa wants a result to the season, even if it's not completed.
So if the choice is between completing the season - whenever that might be, with a time limit of, say, late August - or freezing it (Liverpool champions, Leeds promoted, Leicester in the CL, bottom three down), does that change your mind? Because that may be the choice.
It is somewhat out of step with the EFL prepare for the season to be completed sooner rather than latter (obviously behind closed doors) Yet the agenda in England will be set top down what the Premier League decides to do will be pivotal and as ever the EFL will be compelled to fall in line.
An extended period of behind closed doors operation could be the death knell for a number of league 1 & 2 clubs and voiding the season might be the better option with a restart at some point in the future when normality can resume. Plainly the clubs at both ends of their respective divisions have a huge vested interest but I for one cannot say our promotion is so important to justify the extinction of a number of other supporters clubs.
