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

[olaftab]

Marouane Fellaini
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51995470

[PaulWinch again]

That Southampton boss is delusional. The business he works in is gong to change big time along with everything else when we eventually see some light on this.

He needs to concentrate on looking after himself and his family and should shut the fuck up about football resuming.
 

They're completely obsessed with finishing the season - it really shows that the avarice of football outstrips most everything else.

Suerly if they significantly compromise next season to finish this one, they will have less money overall?

There's a lot of huge assumptions about money and greed being made and really it's just complete speculation at this stage.

If they start pushing to restart well before it's safe to do so, or whilst some clubs are still effected by unwell players then there will be a point to be made about greed.  But all this gnashing of teeth because most clubs (and commentators on the game) think the right thing to do is finish the season it way over the top.  Whilst I want the season to be voided for selfish reasons I am honest enough to accept that finishing it would be better for the integrity iof the game.

I think the integrity of the game is an incredibly fluid thing at the moment. The most important thing, by an absolute mile, is that they don’t try to start playing before this crisis is over. I couldn’t really care a less about whether that’s finishing this season or starting the next at the moment.

[Nastylee]

This strap line of integrity of the game really means we need to ensure we don't miss out on sponsorship and other cash. If there was any real integrity we wouldn't still be debating this.

[Brassneck]

This strap line of integrity of the game really means we need to ensure we don't miss out on sponsorship and other cash. If there was any real integrity we wouldn't still be debating this.

Integrity is a cop out.

First and foremost is peoples lives and a safe environment for us all to live in.  Until we are on top of that, nothing else matters - At least not in sport.

Clubs and the FA would ideally like this season finished before the new one starts so as to minimize losses.  That isn't going to happen and they're flogging a dead horse.

To ensure survival of many clubs, the ability to get in as much money will take precedent ahead of any desire to maintain integrity.  It has to.  If this means that 100% of next season's TV money is available as opposed to 25% of this season's then so be it.

Only if next season cannot be completed will they finish off this season.

[Dominic22]

They also keep talking about player contracts at the end of June and extending in-order to complete the season. 

The first thing most clubs up and down the pyramid do on July 1st is not to renew any contracts so there are clubs going to be left with very few professional players.  Most league 1 and 2 clubs don't have players on 3-year deals they are one year deals at best. It will just be a free for all as soon as it goes past June and there is no way football will start close to that point. 

Then we have the loan players, great if the club wants to keep them but what about those in all clubs that have been a disaster, all the clubs will want them off the wage bill and will never agree to another extension.

[Legion]

The missing apostrophe and erroneous spaces were bugging me.

[chrisw1]

This strap line of integrity of the game really means we need to ensure we don't miss out on sponsorship and other cash. If there was any real integrity we wouldn't still be debating this.

I'm sorry but this is bollocks.  Most people say the season should be finished at some point to be fair to all clubs.  They're (generally) not saying exactly when or how this happens or suggesting anybody is put at risk.  I just don't get how you (and others) extrapolate that as being about greed.  It could end up losing money if next season is compromised as some are suggesting.

I appreciate some people feel the need to create a dragon so they can slay it, but this level of bitterness seems daft to me.  The reality is most of us hiding behind the greed and safety issue just want the season voided for our own selfish reasons, but get to do a bit of virtue signalling against the big nasty machine whilst we're at it.

[Lastfootstamper]

Then why can't the top nobs that be within the game say that, that we're suspending immediately and indefinitely, and that we'll be looking to complete the season once everyone is safe, whenever that might be? Not hard, is it? I'll even let them steal my sentence, if they like.

[Nastylee]

This strap line of integrity of the game really means we need to ensure we don't miss out on sponsorship and other cash. If there was any real integrity we wouldn't still be debating this.

I'm sorry but this is bollocks.  Most people say the season should be finished at some point to be fair to all clubs.  They're (generally) not saying exactly when or how this happens or suggesting anybody is put at risk.  I just don't get how you (and others) extrapolate that as being about greed.  It could end up losing money if next season is compromised as some are suggesting.

I appreciate some people feel the need to create a dragon so they can slay it, but this level of bitterness seems daft to me.  The reality is most of us hiding behind the greed and safety issue just want the season voided for our own selfish reasons, but get to do a bit of virtue signalling against the big nasty machine whilst we're at it.

I'm sorry but this is more bollocky than my original post.

I keep hearing 'must protect the integrity of the league'. The PL has stripped it bare over the last 20 years at the expense of the people.

[SoccerHQ]

When I read that Southampton CEO interview didn't he mention the government is willing sport to be played as soon as realistically possible? Guess that's why premier league simply aren't cancelling and keep suggesting possible dates if the government are briefing them to wait a few months.

Obviously nothing is going to be played even a week or two after the peak finally starts to decrease as that would be idiotic just like the May utterances from elsewhere.

Seems if forecasts are correct they will be two month window to get this season done albeit behind closed doors. A second wave of Covid 19 in winter would knock the 20-21 season out so they don't want to cancel on season and then the other quickly gets finished with just a couple of games played.

Eventually though in some form sport will get going again in next six months so I can see why they're keeping options open even if it's not tasteful.

[SoccerHQ]

BTW going back was there much talk of scrapping the season after Hillsborough occurred? Would've thought bar playing FA cup final as a tribute there wasn't much point continuing after that bleak day but on the season went. No idea what the mood was about that.

[Richard E]

BTW going back was there much talk of scrapping the season after Hillsborough occurred? Would've thought bar playing FA cup final as a tribute there wasn't much point continuing after that bleak day but on the season went. No idea what the mood was about that.

There was talk of scrapping the FA Cup but not the league.

[colin69]

I watched the MOTD FA Cup special today. Derby v Sheffield Wednesday what a great game. Muddy pitches, lots of goals, defensive errors, mullets, players with ear rings. Happy days (apart from having to watch Trevor Francis). Made me realise how much Sky and the PL have ruined football. I long for the Big Match with Elton Welsby.
I cannot see football starting again for a very long time and who actually really cares at the moment?

[SoccerHQ]

I saw yesterday's one when Watford under SGT won at Arsenal (would've certainly been a few VAR decisions in that game).

What an outstanding talent John Barnes was.

[TopDeck113]

The "play to a finish but behind closed doors" bandwagon keeps moving, at least amongst the fans of Liverpool (and based on the abuse I received on another forum, Leeds).

Leaving aside the fact that even behind closed doors would involve at least a few hundred people getting together to put  on a game, police it and broadcast it, can anyone honestly believe that when Liverpool eventually win their first title in 30 years several hundred thousand Scousers are going to mark the occasion by sharing Thumbs Up emojis from their social isolation?