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

[Steve67]

The government are not going to bail out football as it is way too expensive for them, therefore the EFL are desperate to get it going again or the clubs are going to have to hand money back to the broadcasters.  Hence the risks and ignorance and stupid suggestions.  That's also why the likes of Steve Parish is shitting a brick because they probably don't have the money. That's why Simon Jordan said he'd like it to implode so it resets itself. 

[Dick Edwards]

I like to think I'm looking at Project Restart as a football fan, not just as a Villa fan. For what it's worth, I think playing behind closed doors might actually suit Villa. Smith has said in the past that the players perform in training but don't always transfer that form to the matches.
But even if we won all of our remaining games I still would have the same negative opinion of Project Restart. Finishing the season would be preferable, but not at any cost, and that's exactly what the authorities appear to be pushing for. It's so flawed. There are so many questions that require answers.

[walsall villain]

I like to think I'm looking at Project Restart as a football fan, not just as a Villa fan. For what it's worth, I think playing behind closed doors might actually suit Villa. Smith has said in the past that the players perform in training but don't always transfer that form to the matches.
But even if we won all of our remaining games I still would have the same negative opinion of Project Restart. Finishing the season would be preferable, but not at any cost, and that's exactly what the authorities appear to be pushing for. It's so flawed. There are so many questions that require answers.

I take no notice of any manager claiming ‘we perform well in training’. Lambert was one for saying it. Our not very good strikers might look good against our weak defence (or vice versa).

[Richard E]

All managers say it, don’t they?

[walsall villain]

All managers say it, don’t they?

Yep. They also like to praise the intensity in training, fans would expect that anyway. You can throw ‘great spirit amongst this group’ in there also.

[Steve67]

Dean has also said that his teams generally get better as the season draws on. 

[Richard E]

Dean has also said that his teams generally get better as the season draws on. 

Do they normally leave it this late?

[Steve67]

Dean has also said that his teams generally get better as the season draws on. 

Do they normally leave it this late?

I'm yet to see any evidence of improvement at all Richard!

[pauliewalnuts]

Interesting quote from Chris Wilder today who said that if any of their players said they'd rather not take the risk, they'd let them not play.

Even if you can get past all the other arguments around playing out the league not being a true reflection of everyone playing 38 games, that's a huge problem to get around

One team might play at Anfield six months ago against a
Liverpool team at full strength, another team might play them with five or six of their best players refusing to play.

There just is not a workable, acceptable (in terms of resources allocation) and fair way to play this out.

All this wriggling around on the hook is undignified, totally money driven and just shows that they care even less about the fans than we thought they did

[olaftab]

Dean has also said that his teams generally get better as the season draws on. 

Do they normally leave it this late?

Yes often on their best form late May and early June.

[Toronto Villa]

Interesting quote from Chris Wilder today who said that if any of their players said they'd rather not take the risk, they'd let them not play.

Even if you can get past all the other arguments around playing out the league not being a true reflection of everyone playing 38 games, that's a huge problem to get around

One team might play at Anfield six months ago against a
Liverpool team at full strength, another team might play them with five or six of their best players refusing to play.

There just is not a workable, acceptable (in terms of resources allocation) and fair way to play this out.

All this wriggling around on the hook is undignified, totally money driven and just shows that they care even less about the fans than we thought they did

In all likelihood, Liverpool will play their strongest possible side to wrap up the title then all of a sudden the entire first team won't want to play anymore. Every team after that will play against their youth XI.

[aev]

Dean has also said that his teams generally get better as the season draws on. 

We're fkd then as the season is effectively starting again.

[OzVilla]

Interesting quote from Chris Wilder today who said that if any of their players said they'd rather not take the risk, they'd let them not play.

Even if you can get past all the other arguments around playing out the league not being a true reflection of everyone playing 38 games, that's a huge problem to get around

One team might play at Anfield six months ago against a
Liverpool team at full strength, another team might play them with five or six of their best players refusing to play.

There just is not a workable, acceptable (in terms of resources allocation) and fair way to play this out.

All this wriggling around on the hook is undignified, totally money driven and just shows that they care even less about the fans than we thought they did

In all likelihood, Liverpool will play their strongest possible side to wrap up the title then all of a sudden the entire first team won't want to play anymore. Every team after that will play against their youth XI.

Agreed, just even more integrity contradictions but as it’s Liverpool no one will bat an eyelid.

[aev]

From Reuters via SKY...

"Premier League clubs opposed to the idea of playing their remaining matches at neutral venues once the competition restarts must realise people’s lives are at stake and football concerns should take a back seat, British police have said.

Mark Roberts, the national lead for football policing, told Sky he was concerned about some of the comments he had heard regarding the conditions for restarting the league, which was suspended in mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Brighton & Hove Albion chief executive Paul Barber said his team were opposed to surrendering home advantage and Christian Purslow, his counterpart at Aston Villa, said relegation would be a 200 million pounds catastrophe.

“The things that are starting to concern me a little as we get closer to a potential restart are comments we’re hearing on the margins by people involved in football,” Deputy Chief Constable Roberts said.

“... Comments such as ‘we might get relegated’, ‘we don’t want to play at neutral venues,’ ‘when we played them away there were fans in the stadium’, ‘we play at home without fans that’s a disadvantage’, ‘we want to get the trophy’.

“I get this in a football context that these are all a big deal. But in the context where 30,000 people have died (in the UK) and the total is still going up, then it’s not such a big deal.

“We want to work with football... get the season back going for the commercial reasons, for the morale reasons ... but we have to remind ourselves that cannot be at the risk of putting a single further life in jeopardy,” Roberts said."

[OzVilla]

Well by his own caveat at the end there, if it’s that dangerous maybe they shouldn’t be playing at all.

People WILL be infected if football returns, players and fans who will inevitably congregate to watch games. That’s almost unavoidable if it goes ahead.

Im getting a bit fed up seeing everyone having a pop when I honestly think the stance of those clubs opposing neutral venues is perfectly understandable and goes to the heart of the integrity of the competition.