Bring football back ASAP? Use neutral venues? Declare season null and void? Cut out relegation? As Premier League clubs dial in for today's crucial talks, the modern game has NEVER been more divided
- Premier League club chiefs will meet again on Monday to discuss Project Restart
- Pressure is mounting on officials to decide the next steps for the current season
- Football has never been more divided, with plenty of different opinions voiced
- Some argue season must be resumed, while others are fearful for players' safety
Premier League officials will meet again on Monday to discuss the future of English football, with plenty of talking points on the agenda of their highly-anticipated conference call.
With the Bundesliga pressing ahead with a return to action next weekend, pressure has been mounting on the English top flight to make a decision over their next steps.
But all are not in favour of Project Restart, with plenty of dissenting voices arguing that players' safety could be compromised if the wrong moves are made.
Premier League clubs meet again on Monday to discuss the next steps for the 2019-20 season
Gary Neville believes Project Restart could get pushed further back after Government speech
If a restart date is agreed, another hurdle to overcome is that of venues, with some arguing in favour of neutral grounds being used, while others - like Brighton chief Paul Barber - want usual home and away matches across the 20 top-flight stadia.
Writing on Twitter on Monday morning, Gary Neville said: 'I'd be surprised if we didn't see the Premier League in this meet today bump the "Project Restart" plan down the road again.
'They've been hanging their hat on government guidance. Their [sic] isn't anything in that speech last night that will comfort the Players/Dr's at clubs. June 12th X.'
Boris Johnson addressed the nation on Sunday night to give guidance on the next steps in dealing with the coronavirus, with the UK's death toll now past 30,000.
While the Prime Minister insisted we are past the peak of the virus, lockdown was not lifted and few instant changes have been made to help the Premier League's decision.
That leaves plenty still to be discussed in the latest Project Restart meeting on Monday, as executives of the 20 top-flight clubs continue their battle.
Boris Johnson spoke to the nation on Sunday night to set out a roadmap back to 'normality'
Neutral venues
Brighton chief executive Barber has been one of the loudest voices in favour of not playing in neutral venues, and his ideal scenario would be to declare the 2019-20 season null and void.
His view-point was strengthened on Sunday when a third member of his Seagulls squad tested positive for Covid-19.
'Despite all of the measures that we've been taking, where the players haven't been involved in any significant training at all, we've still suffered another player testing positive for the virus,' the Brighton CEO told Sky Sports News.
Although Brighton's league position may well be a factor in Barber's initial desire to declare the season null and void, safety of the players has become a serious talking point as more positive tests are reported.
Three clubs remain staunchly against plans to play the rest of the season at neutral venues - Wembley Stadium has emerged as an option as a 'neutral' host for top-flight games
Brighton chief Paul Barber admitted he has concerns about the Premier League restarting
Teams across the top flight were hoping to resume training on May 18, and that will be another talking point high on the agenda of Monday's meeting.
'There are concerns and I think it's normal for all clubs to have those concerns,' Barber continued. 'We want to make sure we do everything that we can to ensure protocols are in place and are safe and secure and mitigate the risk as far as we can.
'One of the things we've asked the Premier League for is a complete plan of all of the stages of returning to play.
'First we need to get players back training in small groups, then they need to get involved in some contact training and then training for a match before the match itself.
'So there are lots of stages, it's very complex and there are people at the Premier League working very hard to produce detailed paperwork to move through those stages as safely as possible.'
Brighton sit 15th in the Premier League standings, just two points above the relegation zone
Elsewhere, Aston Villa and Watford have also been extremely vocal in their opposition to playing matches in neutral venues.
Villa chief executive Christian Purslow told talkSPORT on Wednesday: 'Personally I am against it. We are a club that prides itself on home form.
'Two-thirds of our wins this season came at home. We have six left. Giving up that advantage is a massive decision and I certainly wouldn't agree to it unless the circumstances are right. My duty is to my club.
'The financial equation at the bottom of the table is really rather different to the top. Losses the big six are suffering run to tens of millions of pounds and the restart is a project designed to recoup some of the losses we are suffering.'
Neville, meanwhile, insisted that 'it's getting quite dirty behind the scenes', leading to questions over whether a unanimous decision can be made on Monday.
Aston Villa chief executive Christian Purslow says his side have been reliant on home form
Villa are currently 19th in the Premier League table, two points from safety with a game in hand
The season must finish
Other Premier League executives are in favour of finishing the season, with Crystal Palace owner Steve Parish sharing his own thoughts on Sunday.
Speaking on The Andrew Marr Show, he insisted clubs must come together and would 'be derelict in our duty' if they didn't find a way to restart the campaign.
'There are no easy answers, we have to work through it as a collective and I think we will and come out with a consensus in the end,' he said.
'(The meeting) is another part of the journey in trying to get football back. We would be derelict in our duty if we did not find a way for the game to come back.
'It may prove beyond us, we have huge challenges in order to get it back to complete the season but we are planning on doing so.
'Hopefully we have the German situation going on, if that is successful that could provide a blueprint for us. We are hoping it is successful. Clearly we can see some of the early challenges, they may prove insurmountable.
'The concern for us is if they prove insurmountable now, we may be in for a very, very extended period of not being able to play and that has huge ramifications for the game.'
Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish remains optimistic of agreement over restarting season
Players' safety
But, of course, the financial implications of not returning any time soon are dwarfed by arguments regarding players' safety.
On Sunday, following the announcement of a third positive test at Brighton, Norwich's Todd Cantwell said on Twitter: 'We are just people too'.
A number of club doctors in the top flight have also spoken out in the last week, raising their own concerns over restarting the season any time soon.
According to The Athletic, doctors associated with Premier League clubs were invited to anonymously to send their concerns and any questions over to the league's medical adviser Mark Gillett and director of football Richard Garlick.
The report claims that the Premier League Doctors Group (PLDG) listed around 100 questions and issues over returning to training, which laid out multiple concerns that are yet to be addressed.
The number of positive cases in Europe's top-four leagues as well as in Turkey and Portugal
Todd Cantwell reminded football chiefs on Twitter that the league's stars are still humans
Doctors have questioned how they could 'approve' guidelines while there is still a risk of death while more clarity is needed over how a club can expect to cope with such a significant policy development and change in such a short period of time.
Players, meanwhile, including the likes of Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero, have made clear their stance on returning to action.
Aguero said: 'The majority of players are scared because they have children and families.
'I'm scared but I'm with my girlfriend here and I'm not going to be in contact with other people. I'm locked in my house and the only person I could infect is my girlfriend.
Manuel Lanzini said it was 'crazy' to consider playing again without a vaccine for coronavirus
'They're saying that there are people that have it and don't have any symptoms but still infect you. That's why I am here at home. Maybe I have the illness and I don't even know.
'When one person is ill we will think, "Oh what's happening here?" I hope a vaccine will be found soon so that this all ends.'
West Ham's Manuel Lanzini told Closs Continental: 'It would be crazy to play again until there is a vaccine.
'If you tell me if I want to play, obviously, but you need to protect others. I would not start now.'
The managers' view
The views of Lanzini and Aguero raise the question: what if the players refuse to play?
Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder responded to that issue recently, insisting that he would accept it if one of his players refused to take to the field on safety grounds.
'If any individual player took that decision and came to me and said, "It's not for me", I'd respect that," Wilder said on beIN Sports.
'One of the slightly disappointing things is that people have taken a line on their position in the division,' he said. 'I think we've got to look at the bigger picture.'
Chris Wilder spoke about his reaction if one of his players refused to play for safety reasons
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, too, has dealt with that issue in a recent interview with Sky Sports' The Football Show.
'I've not spoken to any of the boys about that, the doctor has been', he said. 'Whenever we have been, in any meeting, we have spoken about players' safety and welfare and we are not going to take any risks, the doctors have been in meetings and to get these protocols passed.
'You wouldn't hold anything against any player concerned, you need to get to know everyone and if a player isn't mentally ready to play we couldn't force anyone.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer also says the Premier League must trust experts on when to return
'They haven't raised too many concerns, we trust the experts and health offices on if and when it is safe to start again.'
Regardless, it has become abundantly clear that views currently differ across the top-flight, with different executives pushing for different outcomes.
It is hoped that Monday's meeting, though, goes some way to bridging the gap in opinions and sacrifices can be made to find some common ground.
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