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

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

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/la-liga-outline-detailed-proposals-in-bid-to-return-to-action-1.4236430

The protocol calls for clubs to be given a month of training where possible, with two weeks of group and full-team sessions following two weeks of individual training.

Some clubs are concerned about the plausibility of that plan and returning to competition without sufficient training. That process begins with a four-part protocol written by doctors from three first division clubs and reviewed by medical departments at a further four clubs across the top two divisions. The protocol was distributed to every La Liga side and discussions with medical staff began on Wednesday. It has been shared with other European leagues.

The preliminary stage (phase one) of the protocol for the resumption of training involves at least three tests being carried out on every player before a return to activity, beginning with polymerase chain reaction and serology tests. The league hopes to carry out a first round of tests on April 28th to gain a picture of where they are and establish which players have built up an immunity to the virus. The final test of the first phase must be conducted two days before a return to activity.

Once sessions begin, up to two weeks after that first test, players will be subjected to daily serology antibody tests which the league has acquired. Any player found to be positive will be isolated.

Phase two is individual training sessions to be carried out at the clubs’ training grounds in a controlled environment that has to be disinfected before sessions. “Clean area” notices will be placed at entry points, the number of staff allowed in will be limited and training times staggered to prevent players coinciding with each other. Strict rules are laid out for the preparation of food – only one cook will be allowed – for laundry staff and for security. Employees will be categorised as high or low protection, with footballers in the former group.

Players will arrive at training always in the same car and in kit, taking away the following day’s kit in a sealed, biodegradable bag. Dressingrooms are not to be used and there will be a maximum of six players on any pitch and no more than 12 on site. No more than two players will be allowed in the gym and no interaction with coaching staff will be allowed. Staff must wear gloves and face masks, as must players until on the pitch.

From phase three, squads will be in isolation at the training ground, residency or a closed hotel space occupied only by the team. They will not be allowed home and will be in individual rooms. There will be no communal areas. Sessions will be conducted in three eight-player groups with no more than 20 staff on site. Those groups will be split across three dressingrooms, ensuring no more than three players are together. After sessions, they will return to their rooms.

Multiple dressingrooms, disinfected after every use, will also be used for the phase four, the final stage. At that point, teams will be able to train together for the first time with a view to a return to competition. In an ideal scenario the whole process will take a month, although there is a recognition of the fluidity of the situation. Details of matchday protocol are yet to be finalised but will stipulate that games are behind closed doors and, following the intervention of the federation and players’ union, not closer than 72 hours apart.

When Baltimore was rioting because of cops a couple of years ago, a baseball game or two got aired without crowds and you could choose one feed that didn't even have announcers, just whatever ambient sounds the field mics could pick up. Great way to watch a game and hopefully a football league or two try it.

Yes! The swearing!

players will be subjected to daily serology antibody tests which the league has acquired.

lol fuck the doctors we need to keep Vardy alive!

i watched Wolves play in the Europa "behind closed doors" and it was shit tbh and it must be fucking shit to play in those conditions

This all seems to be predicated on the idea that the 2020-21 season will be going ahead, which would seem to be a fool's prediction right now.

Think the assumption is that the 2020/21 season will have to be an odd one too (for example half the games and no crowd)

i would still prefer to wipe next season and finish this one properly at some point if possible next year or whenever, but clearly that's a terrible financial imposition

Furlough the fuckers up to a maximum of £2500/month, it's not like their skills are of any use whatsoever right now. De Bruyne? Firmino? Glenn Murray? Compared to a shelf-stacker in Asda they're a complete waste of space.

Employees will be categorised as high or low protection, with footballers in the former group.

There it is

Furlough the fuckers up to a maximum of £2500/month, it's not like their skills are of any use whatsoever right now. De Bruyne? Firmino? Glenn Murray? Compared to a shelf-stacker in Asda they're a complete waste of space.

― does anyone know of any choir-organ repairers? mine broke (Matt #2), Friday, April 24, 2020 3:17 PM (one hour ago) bookmarkflaglink

can't tell if this is a joke post or not

thanks, was gonna say

Not sure myself!

i would still prefer to wipe next season and finish this one properly at some point if possible next year or whenever, but clearly that's a terrible financial imposition

That's more or less what I said the day they cancelled postponed this season: there seems very little chance of playing this year full-stop, so why not just freeze everything for a year and restart this season in March 2021 at the point we left off?

Player contracts, TV contracts.

Danny Rose has described talk of a Premier League return amid the coronavirus pandemic as ‘b*******’, insisting he doesn’t ‘give a f***’ if it helps lift the nation’s morale if lives are still at risk.

I think ILX's fave lb could do a better job than Whitty.

I still listen to a few football podcasts and, in terms of ads, it's wall-to-wall Jose/Paddy Power. So my idle question for which I can't be arsed to DMOR and for which I have no personal insight whatever: what's COVID done to online gambling? Presumably, there's fuck all to gamble *on* but gamblers will find other things to gamble on?

Albanian football and South African horse-racing never stopped during the lockdown and people were punting on eFootball, don't ask me i haven't a clue!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvrGNgY9_i4

Marbles man, betting on marbles!

actually I think it was the Moldovan league that kept going

Belarus, it was

that's the one! their pres reckons hard agrarian slog in the fields and a litre of vodka a day keeps the rona away

Man, that marbles thing has sent me spiralling into the past. I want to a) see a domino topple and b) bet on it.

I've been having a dabble on the Hong Kong racing, it appears to be less shady (and therefore easier to make money on) than the UK stuff