How much will Coronavirus (COVID-19) impact Aston Villa's season?

[Percy McCarthy]

I think Karen Brady speaks the most sense on this.

Never thought I’d read that on H&V, never mind write it.

[Legion]

Are you feeling unwell, Steve? Perhaps the onset of a fever?

[Billy Walker]

True. There’s a sense of fairness in this as well behind the technicalities. Could we really argue if we went down based on this season’s overall performance? Do we deserve a place in the pl more than the top 2 in the championship? Much as I don’t like it, I’d say no and no.

Yes we do deserve a place more that the EFL current top two.  We got promoted fairly and squarely by completing a full season in the Championship last year and we now sit in the Premier League, a game in hand, and thirty points still to play for. 

[simboy]

The way out of it is to promote Dirty Leeds and the Tesco's and make it a 22 team Premiership. Promote top two in Division one to the Championship etc. Use the money that would have been paid as parachute payments to support the clubs in the Championship and other leagues [average receipts for home games paid out per missed home game], the rest distributed amongst the clubs equally. Start again in August, 5 down three up. Accept doesn't help the local businesses relying on the revenue from footfall around the games but it's a start 

And in another parallel universe ....

Some version of that seems the fairest thing to me as well.

Throwing parachute money at Leeds and stripes would be countered with arguments about how much much money (eg) Swansea made from promotion.

There will be a lot of clubs go to the wall because the league is suspended or cancelled.

[phantom limb]

I just want us to stay up, because I feel that the squad isn’t a total write off recruitment wise. I’m not fussed if it’s on a technicality as nobody can say with any certainty how the rest of the season would pan out. Just look at what we did last season going on that winning run, it was incredible and nobody would have predicted it.

Some of the new players have had a crash course on how big a step up in competition this is, and I feel if we can add to the squad while retaining our best players we could actually start to become competitive again. We need to collectively learn from the numerous mistakes we’ve made this season, in recruitment, formation, game management, and go back to basics.

Whether Dean stays on or not, I don’t know. Ultimately it would be up to the owners but while he certainly can be blamed for some stuff I don’t think it’s entirely his fault how we’ve struggled. He will have learned a lot as well I would imagine. Also it would depend on who else is available, generally our recruitment of managers for the last decade has been abysmal.

[Brassneck]

I don't see how you can relegate from some divisions but not others. Relegated clubs will just point to divisions with no relegation and you are into the minefield.

And you can't say we'd definitely lose to Chelsea, Watford have won 1 in 7, a 3-0 battering of the best side in the country.

It's such a legal minefield i'm really glad I don't have to try to work out what to do if this carries on for months.

Yes I agree.

So to tweak it, I would just allow 2 up from each EFL division.

Relegation numbers changed accordingly the following season in order to bring each division back to the numbers it had this season

EFL rules prescribe that all disputes are dealt with pursuant to S5 of the Arbitration Act 1996:

https://www.efl.com/-more/governance/efl-rules--regulations/section-9--arbitration/

So in my scenario, the only issue would be if the play off contenders in the Championship decided that they wanted to challenge a/the decision to do away with the play offs for this season only.

Works for me. And to compensate those in the play off positions maybe they could all start the season with +6 points?

Or, as Brassneck said, the teams in the championship play off places could be given the parachute payments that would’ve otherwise been paid to the teams relegated from the PL. Seemed like a good idea to me.

I doubt very much they’d be happy with that. They’ll have missed out on the chance to cement a place in the pl or at worst a year of Sky money and the staggered parachute payments post relegation. No comparison.

There's a difference between a (25%) chance of cementing a place in the PL and actually earning one.  Of course they will moan but what are the alternatives?  You can't give them extra points next season because every other team in the division will kick off.  Parachute payments are huge for the first 2 years - 3 lots divided by 4 teams is not to be sniffed at.

Nobody is claiming they are going to be happy but out of everything, the play offs are going to be the first thing to be abandoned because we won't have the time to play them.

[TheMalandro]

I doubt the Premier league (or the teams in it) will favour adding more teams, even for just one season.

[cdbearsfan]

If they don't void it, the fairest middle ground would be to have a promotion/relegation play-off.

Norwich v Leeds
Us v The Carrier Bags

Would make last year's play off semi finals look like friendlies.

Why put us in there? They've no way of knowing that we couldn't have beaten Sheffield United in our game in hand. You can't punish us for making the League Cup Final.

[ChicagoLion]

I had accepted we were going down, I did not see us getting many points out of the games left against teams either on form, or with something to play for, or both.
That would not however justify relegating us as there is still 10 games to go.

[Lastfootstamper]

I doubt the Premier league (or the teams in it) will favour adding more teams, even for just one season.

You never know what UEFA might yet decide, they could end up not playing next season's competitions and free up loads of midweek dates. We're arguing about whether or not we'd deserve to be relegated, but should this situation be replicated continent-wide, there'll be some almighty rows about who qualifies for what if national competitions don't get completed.

Or bin the domestic cups.

[frank black]

There’s no way that they are going to promote or relegate anyone unless it’s mathematically 100%. They will either cram games in if at all possible (unlikely) or void the season. Really bad news for some and really good news for others, but I can not see any other solution that won’t be dragged through the courts. (And even this will be challenged)

[gpbarr]

Will be dragged through the courts regardless - either by those relegated or those not promoted. Which is why they will finish the season even if that means delaying the start of next season.

[Legion]

Declare it null and void due to Force Majeure. We then retain our Premier League status and Liverpool are not declared winners. Job's a good-'un.

[sid1964]

I think that the premier league will follow whatever rules are devised by EUfa / FIFA as these are the governing bodies of football.

[Villafirst]

Overall, Villa haven't actually spent that much time in the bottom 3. We might have won the Sheffield United game so would be currently out of it.
I agree with adding the 2 top teams in the Championship and having a 22 team League next season. Apparently that is currently being discussed by the PL as a favourable option. Liverpool also to be declared champions.