EFL clarify the rest of the season

[MackworthRamIsGod]

30 minutes ago, Black ('n' White) Sheep said:

Health workers and retail workers have been expected to carry on as normal, risking their's and their family's health on a lot less money and in a higher risk environment... Get footballers back out on the pitch.

Yes but the people you speak of are deemed as essential workers.

Circa 200 NHS staff have died as a result of the coronavirus. If 1 footballer was to contract Covid-19 whilst training/playing, be admitted to hospital, pass on that virus to a nurse or doctor who then dies, it would leave a slight sour taste whilst cheering your team wouldnt it?

I want football back, but when it's safe, not because very rich people could lose a lot of money.

[angieram]

12 hours ago, Carnero said:

I believe footballers get priority delivery slots.

Anyone who follows players and players' wives on Instagram (and I am one of those sad people!) will know some of the ridiculous things that players are having home-delivered during lockdown. You're right, they aren't tripping around supermarkets looking for the last bag of flour or eggs! 

Also, I have noticed that the golfing players are all back on their courses now, playing with someone from outside their immediate household.

I do think that this idea that a whole nation can keep itself "safe" by staying home is a rather false one. Because in order to do that, we depend on other people taking risks on our behalf. Most key workers will be envying the amount of testing, reassurance and support these players will be getting in order to complete the season. 

[EtoileSportiveDeDerby]

10 hours ago, EtoileSportiveDeDerby said:

I must say I am a bit mystified by all the convoluted plans, discussions, arguments to complete the various leagues. To be clear for me football isn't essential, there is a risk so no need to persevere with the season, points per game if need be, job done. However if the authorities, governments, clubs, players really want to complete the season in the safest possible way why don't they isolate all staff involved.

There are carers who have locked themselves in care homes to protect the residents, NHS staff staying in hotel rooms to protect their families. On the news you see family members staying away or in caravans on the drive to isolate themselves from their loved ones. Those people are doing real jobs living in the real world so it should not be too tricky to transpose the idea to the parallel universe we all love to watch on a Saturday afternoon (unless Sky ducks it up for us of course) 

To add to this....

when players go to a world cup they basicaly isolate themselves for several weeks at training camp and tournament. Same for clubs when they go  on pre season and prepare abroad Florida for us this season.

PS: i know i quoted myself, not going mad yet in lockdown just couldn't see edit button!

[Ellafella]

14 hours ago, Boycie said:

Let’s just let em have their way, we can storm the league next season, I don’t want another Wembley experience, I’m not ready again yet.

Bang on @Boycie. We should lose the battle in order to win the war next season. I want to see us return next season when our youngsters along with Rooney, Martin, Forsyth and Shinnie smash the League and go up automatically. 

[DarkFruitsRam7]

I'm probably one of the loudest voices in the 'We Still Have a Chance' Brigade, but anyone arguing that we deserve a Play Off spot based on the season so far is utterly deluded.

[Birdyabroad]

Unless I’ve missed something, it is all very well the EFL saying top two promoted and play-offs to go ahead, but this is all dependant on one small detail, the Premier League.

The PL has not yet restarted and, therefore, has not YET made a decision on whether teams are to be relegated. 

Watford appear to be doing their best to throw a spanner in the works with Deeney not returning and a symptomless Mariappa contracting Covid.

So, as yet, there’s no conclusive decision that teams will be relegated from the PL this year. 

Think about it, a hell of a lot can happen between when the PL is scheduled to re-start and when it is due to end. A sudden spike in players testing positive for Covid or a rise in NHS cases and the plug could be pulled or the season curtailed.

In this scenario, you can bet that the PL would be facing massive legal challenges from the bottom 3 if relegation was enforced.

So, the EFL can say what they want, but the PL is a separate company and, until they make a decision, EFL words and plans are hollow.

There are many twists and turns on this road ahead and no-one knows what is around the corner.

[Anag Ram]

I think there's an element of morale in all of this. 

Give the proles something to distract them from the tedium of lockdown. 

I know, let's get those pampered, overpaid soccer chappies to earn their corn. They are fit enough if a few of them catch the old virus. 

[Gee SCREAMER !!]

14 minutes ago, Birdyabroad said:

Unless I’ve missed something, it is all very well the EFL saying top two promoted and play-offs to go ahead, but this is all dependant on one small detail, the Premier League.

The PL has not yet restarted and, therefore, has not YET made a decision on whether teams are to be relegated. 

Watford appear to be doing their best to throw a spanner in the works with Deeney not returning and a symptomless Mariappa contracting Covid.

So, as yet, there’s no conclusive decision that teams will be relegated from the PL this year. 

Think about it, a hell of a lot can happen between when the PL is scheduled to re-start and when it is due to end. A sudden spike in players testing positive for Covid or a rise in NHS cases and the plug could be pulled or the season curtailed.

In this scenario, you can bet that the PL would be facing massive legal challenges from the bottom 3 if relegation was enforced.

So, the EFL can say what they want, but the PL is a separate company and, until they make a decision, EFL words and plans are hollow.

There are many twists and turns on this road ahead and no-one knows what is around the corner.

If it comes to it, they will have two-three teams up and withdraw from the league cup/ fa cup to cover the fixtures would be my guess.  The money will be more important and many clubs down the league will lose out financially at the worst time with no giantkilling interest from tv. football as an entity will lose supporters as the whole point of playing is surely to win things rather than bank money.  If this happens the top two in the championship will go up.  The playoff places will stay the same with one off games at neutral venues come July for the semi final and a final at the same venue a couple of days later .  This will piss off supporters of at least seven clubs who will have realised that they perhaps aren't missing football as much as they thought and will try something else or go occasionally rather than religiously trek to a game on a Tuesday night in winter.

That's my guess anyway.

[RoyMac5]

1 hour ago, angieram said:

Also, I have noticed that the golfing players are all back on their courses now, playing with someone from outside their immediate household.

Hmmmm. No time for football!

[Alph]

How can the EFL decide on promotion unless the PL decides what it's doing?

Might be a stupid question as I avoid coronavirus related stories where possible. Too much clickbait poo

[Tamworthram]

1 hour ago, DarkFruitsRam7 said:

I'm probably one of the loudest voices in the 'We Still Have a Chance' Brigade, but anyone arguing that we deserve a Play Off spot based on the season so far is utterly deluded.

I don't think anybody is are they? 

There might be some that say we "deserve" the chance (but no more or less than any other Club) but I've not seen anyone say we actually deserve a play off spot at this moment in time. 

[DarkFruitsRam7]

17 minutes ago, Tamworthram said:

I don't think anybody is are they? 

There might be some that say we "deserve" the chance (but no more or less than any other Club) but I've not seen anyone say we actually deserve a play off spot at this moment in time. 

A couple are insinuating that the chances of us finishing in the play off places are the same as those currently in the them, and therefore a PPG model wouldn't be fair. That's just statistically not true.

[Tamworthram]

29 minutes ago, DarkFruitsRam7 said:

A couple are insinuating that the chances of us finishing in the play off places are the same as those currently in the them, and therefore a PPG model wouldn't be fair. That's just statistically not true.

I agree then, anyone who thinks that clearly doesn’t understand football. 

[Sparkle]

3 hours ago, Ellafella said:

Bang on @Boycie. We should lose the battle in order to win the war next season. I want to see us return next season when our youngsters along with Rooney, Martin, Forsyth and Shinnie smash the League and go up automatically. 

Three teams getting promoted and none relegated from the premiership seriously increases our chances ( as well as others) of having a very decent season next year 

[Sith Happens]

3 hours ago, DarkFruitsRam7 said:

I'm probably one of the loudest voices in the 'We Still Have a Chance' Brigade, but anyone arguing that we deserve a Play Off spot based on the season so far is utterly deluded.

No team deserves anything on the season so far because its not been completed, simple as that in my eyes. Im with you i think we have a chance, and look at Preston and Forest, both in free fall, good chance neither will make it if the season had continued.

[Sith Happens]

4 hours ago, angieram said:

Anyone who follows players and players' wives on Instagram (and I am one of those sad people!) will know some of the ridiculous things that players are having home-delivered during lockdown. You're right, they aren't tripping around supermarkets looking for the last bag of flour or eggs! 

Also, I have noticed that the golfing players are all back on their courses now, playing with someone from outside their immediate household.

I do think that this idea that a whole nation can keep itself "safe" by staying home is a rather false one. Because in order to do that, we depend on other people taking risks on our behalf. Most key workers will be envying the amount of testing, reassurance and support these players will be getting in order to complete the season. 

A game of golf is better than some of them have been upto, not Derby players but the kyle walkers of this world.

 

[Stive Pesley]

Let's be honest - we were really not going to make the play-offs. All we had left to look forward to was Forest failing

As long as the plan still caters for that scenario then I'm good.

 

[DarkFruitsRam7]

33 minutes ago, Paul71 said:

No team deserves anything on the season so far because its not been completed, simple as that in my eyes. Im with you i think we have a chance, and look at Preston and Forest, both in free fall, good chance neither will make it if the season had continued.

That's a fair view, but the only way that could be carried out is if you voided the season. That's an option, but it doesn't look like it's going to happen.

If the attempted restart failed and they decided it on PPG, as is planned, the teams in the top 6 may not 'deserve' to go into the play offs in the strictest sense, but it would be far fairer to base it on the positions at the time, as opposed to some sort of form-based hunch as to who would finish where (as some are suggesting).

We definitely have a (small) chance if the rest of the season plays out, but we could never justify taking a team's spot on PPG if they were above us at the time, unless a weighted PPG (e.g. taking into account the number of home games played) was used. 

[Van der MoodHoover]

6 hours ago, DarkFruitsRam7 said:

A couple are insinuating that the chances of us finishing in the play off places are the same as those currently in the them, and therefore a PPG model wouldn't be fair. That's just statistically not true.

Now then mate - you should leave the numbers and stats to me and @Millenniumram - you lawyers are going to be filling your boots if its anything other than play to a conclusion or voided, as every other scenario leaves somebody aggrieved and able to challenge.

 

There are divergent interests here - the premier league edifice is built on corporate debt and if one domino falls then so do many others - that is their motivation for completing. Forget all the crap about integrity of competitions - its the money, debt and propping up a fundamentally unsound business model.

Conversely, there is nothing for a L1 and below team to gain by opening grounds unless social distancing is dispensed with - and as there is no TV money to speak of why should they?

The Championship is in the middle - stuck between the wannabees who see a chance to suck on the PL teat and therefore want anything BUT a void season, those for who there is nothing in it UNLESS social distancing can be relaxed to generate revenue and those who could see voiding as a way of ducking relegation.

FWIW, I would be broadly in favour of Premier league only being played to a conclusion behind closed doors, every other league being voided, and a massive compulsory one-off redistribution of the TV revenue to keep all the EFL clubs afloat. Rinse and repeat for early next season if necessary. Everything else is not in the interest of the majority.

[DarkFruitsRam7]

32 minutes ago, Van der MoodHoover said:

Now then mate - you should leave the numbers and stats to me and @Millenniumram - you lawyers are going to be filling your boots if its anything other than play to a conclusion or voided, as every other scenario leaves somebody aggrieved and able to challenge.

 

There are divergent interests here - the premier league edifice is built on corporate debt and if one domino falls then so do many others - that is their motivation for completing. Forget all the crap about integrity of competitions - its the money, debt and propping up a fundamentally unsound business model.

Conversely, there is nothing for a L1 and below team to gain by opening grounds unless social distancing is dispensed with - and as there is no TV money to speak of why should they?

The Championship is in the middle - stuck between the wannabees who see a chance to suck on the PL teat and therefore want anything BUT a void season, those for who there is nothing in it UNLESS social distancing can be relaxed to generate revenue and those who could see voiding as a way of ducking relegation.

FWIW, I would be broadly in favour of Premier league only being played to a conclusion behind closed doors, every other league being voided, and a massive compulsory one-off redistribution of the TV revenue to keep all the EFL clubs afloat. Rinse and repeat for early next season if necessary. Everything else is not in the interest of the majority.

To be fair, I was only commenting on the suggestion that we have just as much of a chance of finishing in the play offs as Forest and Preston. As much as I think we're in with a shot, the idea that our chances are just as good as those two teams, who are 5+ points ahead of us, is statistically untrue (unless you maths nerds can come up with something that can disprove that?).

I don't really have an opinion on how it's decided to be honest. As bad as it sounds, a part of me doesn't want us to make up the ground if we play behind closed doors. Going up without being able to experience it in person would be completely anticlimactic for me.