Lads, it's the Premier League thread - EPL 2019/20

england's jack grealish, please

Premier League exploring possibility of finishing season with ‘World Cup-style’ camps in June and up to five matches a day

Stoked for the madness!

liverpool winning the premier league? not essential

Five-a-side and rush goalies the only possible solution

we haven't the fuckin squad

The English Premier League's head has come off and its body hasn't realised yet

was gonna do a "finishing the season behind closed doors is shit and wrong y/n?" poll but we might as well have it out here

y btw

They're in a tough bind because like, obviously normally they would need to kill some of their workers in order to continue to make some money, but their workers are like actually worth a lot of money? So if they die it's bad??

Not like Glenn Murray or whatever but my god imagine if it was Pogba

Pogba is the virus iirc

where is he

where is he

a ravaged, tormented souness raves as he staggers around his ruined mansion

RIP MSK Zilina, first club to fold "due to coronavirus outbreak"

Let's hope Newcastle's next!

still hoping for Leeds, i'd take Bielsa when Nuno gets bribed away by one of the wrong'uns

not only is Bielsa a brilliant maverick manager he is also a committed socialist, it's horrible that he rocked up at that ugly oversized skip on Elland Rd.

Otm. Bielsa's one of the good ones; I wouldn't ever wish him on bloody Leeds.

a combination of Leeds friends and Bielsa has softened me over the last couple of years. I kinda love the idea that he'd rather play his way than take a lazy promotion tho.

As part of #WolvesAtHome, a number of club legends have been calling up and checking in with our older fans.

Steve Bull is one of them and it's fair to say he's a natural...

📞 @wwfcfoundation pic.twitter.com/8m33RlUOkh

— Wolves (@Wolves) April 1, 2020

Steve Bull apologising for not being Kenny Hibbitt

#dcfc
Nice to see Tom Huddlestone training whilst in self isolation pic.twitter.com/88rHjSQ6VY

— Shinniesta (@PrimeShinnie) March 28, 2020

not only is Bielsa a brilliant maverick manager he is also a committed socialist

I didn't know that! His brother and sister are both politicians and neither is particularly on the left iirc.

Steve Bull was brilliant on a recent episode of Quickly Kevin: https://play.acast.com/s/quicklykevin/a113b5e6-ae34-45bc-8aa1-94e017c1a209
(The whole podcast is great if you haven't heard it - 90s football, extended interviews with the likes of Tony Dorigo, John Moncur, Darren Huckerby, in-depth readings of the Steve Bruce novels, which are just astonishing. Will depend on your capacity for extended Josh Widdicombe.)

Unfortunately my capacity for podcasts and Josh Widdicombe is pretty low, but we've all got time on our hands at the moment.

Quite. He's actually pretty good company. Ymmv!

This doesn't really belong here but holy shit at the Maradona documentary. Amazing film. It's on All4 for the next 20 days: https://www.channel4.com/programmes/diego-maradona

Discussed it on another thread. Brilliant film.

The idea of listening to Widdecombe talk about football revolts me, he'll only go on about The Snot and their filthy ways and I'd rather just go on pretending they don't exist.

Belgium becomes the first European league (I think) to make a decision: rest of the season cancelled, and effectively the most recent standings declared final. So Club Brugge are champions, and Gent go into the CL as runners-up. Relegation still to be decided.

— Rory Smith (@RorySmith) April 2, 2020

seems a tad hasty

They've basically finished the first part of the season anyway. They're just cutting out the clausura bit aiui. That's not going to be as easy to sell in leagues where everyone hasn't already played each other twice.

Well, everyone's played each other twice (at least) in Scotland, so give the title to Celtic.

What are the odds on next season actually happening?

bragging rights

The final score is in! @DiogoJota18 secures the win for @Wolves ending the game in a total score of 3-5 🔥 Gg to @Ekonsa15 and @AVFCOfficial 💪 But overall a very entertaining game for the charity of @AcornsHospice ❤️#wolvesesports #fifa20 pic.twitter.com/4ba7hIh01b

— Wolves eSports (@WolvesEsports) April 4, 2020

Kyle Walker lmaooo pic.twitter.com/Yue2LaUiEl

— Dean Van Nguyen (@deanvannguyen) April 5, 2020

Smolov a model of probity in comparison.

there's.....a lot......happening here pic.twitter.com/ZPhU3IEbmz

— Steadman™ (@AsteadWesley) April 5, 2020

Looks like a thoughtful young chap.

Belarusian premier league (ice hockey as well) is still calmly going on! It probably doesn't help when President Lukashenko is saying things like vodka, saunas and honest agrarian graft will defeat the rona.

From @TheAthleticUK:

FIFA is to confirm an indefinite extension to the season.

It means each country’s football association can choose when the campaigns ends.

They'll also alter the dates of the transfer window & allow contract extensions for players out of contract in June. pic.twitter.com/DhtgokoVZT

— Ollie Bayliss (@Ollie_Bayliss) April 6, 2020

pep guardiola's mother has died of covid-19 in spain

aw jeez :(

:(

#LFC backtrack and apologise:

Peter Moore: "We believe we came to the wrong conclusion last week to announce that we intended to apply to the Coronavirus Retention Scheme and furlough staff due to the suspension of Premier League football and are truly sorry for that."

— Melissa Reddy (@MelissaReddy_) April 6, 2020

you take your eyes off the football news and fun breaks out

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/richard-keys-newcastle-united-takeover-18125632

"Are we to look away and forget everything? Now is there an argument that it is nobody's business how Saudi Arabia does it's business domestically?

"I get and understand that, we should never try and impose western morals and principles on countries elsewhere in the world. It is for them to decide how to run their country. I wouldn't argue with that.

"But if you are the host country who are inviting in, I think you've got a right to say these are the rules."

^^ good stuff

So the Dutch PM yesterday ruled out any big events till at least Sept 1st. This includes footy matches. Where the Dutch FA cowardly didn't dare make a decision, and w/ UEFA ($$$) pushing countries to finish their national leagues regardless (they'd settle for 5 a side probably, as long as it gets done), this now means the Dutch league is definitely dead. There'll be no "champion", and who will get what EU cup place will be up for debate, but at least it's clear. The clubs had already agreed weeks ago it was best to just forget this year (AZ too, who are second to Ajax only on goal diff and beat them twice this season).

Is the PL waiting for Bozza et al to come up with a same measure? To show UEFA "lookit frères our hands are tied"?

Desperate to play behind closed doors I think. Which is thoroughly unsatisfactory imo.

Let all the chief execs have a game of Wembley singles if they're that arsed

Desperate to play behind closed doors I think. Which is thoroughly unsatisfactory imo.

Whatever ends up happening will be unsatisfactory. I can't really see any good solution.

yeah i think the tournament style finish, behind closed doors, is as cloae as you'll get to a fair outcome

The green light has been given for the @Bundesliga_EN to restart May 9- behind closed Doors. The health department needs to agree and the league has to present them their plan but as of now things are looking up and up for May 9th return of German ⚽️.

— Taylor Twellman (@TaylorTwellman) April 20, 2020

Is it wrong to cough a couple of times as you're being marked for a set piece?

red card for simulating expectorating