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

[Hillbilly]

Oddly I find myself having sympathy for the players with all this talk of isolating them for a couple of months. Yes they’re well-paid but it smacks of serfdom.

[Chipsticks]

I fully agree with the stance that this season needs to be scrapped.

One thing nobody's talked about is that validity of results has already been massively skewed by the VAR 'experiment'. I genuinely think it makes sense to write this season off and work on getting everything in good nick for the start of the next season (which may be later than August).

[chrisw1]

From the Guardain

"Premier League clubs have invested in coronavirus testing machines that can turn around results in two and a half hours as they gear up towards finding a way to complete the season. The league is overseeing the initiative and it is understood that some clubs in the Championship have also purchased the machines, which cost £36,000 and are readily available.

The machines can test only one person every two and a half hours, meaning that clubs could realistically test seven employees each day with them. That, along with the cost, is probably why there is little demand for them from the NHS – whose test results take longer to return."

What a load of old shit, on many levels - not you aev, the story.
We have already established that as many as 300 people are involved in putting on a match. If each club does half that would leave over 100 tests per team, with 7 or 8 a day, it would take an age to test everyone. And it has to be done multiple times.
It also stinks to high heaven if these are available and football is the only set of fuckers who are able to afford them, when there are care homes who would kill for one of them.
And finally, if these magic machines are available, and are expensive, I seem to recall the fuckers in government saying ‘whatever it takes’....so,why arent these being rolled out to areas where they would literally be lifesavers?

So much cuntishness in this story it needs to be in the c*** thread.

£36k for 7 tests per day when we've just reached 100k nationally per day with thousands of test at home kits already sent out?  Whatever it takes doen't mean pissing money up the wall.  There are approximately 21,000 care homes in the uk.  Do you really think that machines that can do 7 tests per day is the best way of spending £756m in the fight against this virus?

[David_Nab]

Prem league meeting over , seems they still want to finish the season and have noted Lyon threatening legal action in France

[aev]

Prem league meeting over , seems they still want to finish the season and have noted Lyon threatening legal action in France

If I was a club that was potentially disadvantaged by playing behind doors, I would also be investigating legal options.

You'd think whatever happnes, lawyers will be invovled somewhere.

[chrisw1]

I am surprised the likes of Norwich, Villa, Bournemouth & West Ham aren't starting to show signs of desent in these meetings.  I guess they want / need the money more than PL safety.

[aev]

I am surprised the likes of Norwich, Villa, Bournemouth & West Ham aren't starting to show signs of desent in these meetings.  I guess they want / need the money more than PL safety.

I reckon there has to be behind closed doors surely?

[Lsvilla]

I am surprised the likes of Norwich, Villa, Bournemouth & West Ham aren't starting to show signs of desent in these meetings.  I guess they want / need the money more than PL safety.

I reckon there has to be behind closed doors surely?

Dissent you mean ? Yes I would think so too. Present a United front whilst the can is kicked down the road a bit sure but behind the scenes I imagine (and hope) they’re playing merry hell at being potentially disadvantaged so much with so much at stake.

[LostInMunich]

One thing I find odd is the framing of this as a 'greedy PL' issue, rather than a 'greedy players/PFA' issue.

The main expense for most of the PL clubs is player salaries. If they could cut those salaries, they'd be under less pressure to deliver on the remaining fixtures.

[David_Nab]

Neutral venues away from urban areas ...no team gets home advantage apparently is fair when we have had 2/3rds of a season ..so in our case our game in hand against Shef United we now play with no advantage at all ...integrity my ass

[Somniloquism]

If training is resumed before social distancing rules are relaxed, BBC Sport understands players will be tested for coronavirus twice a week and would be screened for symptoms every day. All tests would be carried out by health professionals at a drive-through NHS testing facility that each club would have access to. Training grounds will be optimised for social distancing and high hygiene levels.

In addition:

Players must arrive at training grounds in kit and wear masks at all times.
They must not shower or eat on the premises. If clubs want to provide players with food, it must be delivered as a takeaway to players' cars.
Only essential medical treatment would be allowed, with all medical staff in full PPE.
All meetings and reviews must take place virtually and off-site.

So essentially a team sports training will consist of players running round in masks and keeping their distances and they would have to go and queue at an NHS Site for testing.

[Legion]

It's nonsensical.

[nick harper]

The bottom 6 or 7 must be discussing the implications but keeping their powder dry at the moment to see if the whole thing falls flat for any number of the reasons already discussed.

Imagine being relegated following a home game at an empty Emirates. I can’t believe any club in the same position would find that acceptable.

[Des Little]

To be fair to them, the EPL are finding new and original ways of talking utter shit after every meeting. It’s laughable, it really is.

[Villafirst]

The Premier League have to present their case to the Government. Hopefully it gets thrown out.