John Barnes offers simple solution to Liverpool FC title situation
John Barnes offers a simple solution to Liverpool FC's title problem during the coronavirus crisis
John Barnes believes that the Premier League season must be completed eventually and says that it would be wrong to hand Liverpool FC the title before then.
The English top flight has been put on hold until the first weekend of April at the earliest amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak in Europe and the rest of the world.
As things stand, Liverpool FC are due to return to Premier League action with a trip to Manchester City on 5 April but it remains to be seen whether there will be further postponements before then.
With Euro 2020 having been moved to the summer of 2021, there will be more time for the Premier League to finish the campaign if need be this summer.
And Liverpool FC legend Barnes believes that completing the current campaign is the only solution to the current conundrum with the footballing calendar.
Speaking in an interview with Sky Sports quoted by Metro, Barnes said: “You have leagues to be finished and I think leagues have to be finished, not just from Liverpool’s point of view or any other club in any country.
“It’s obviously bigger than that, you are talking about promotion and relegation all the way down the divisions.
“So I think if the leagues can even be delayed – you don’t have to rush back to them – maybe you have to write off a season.
“We don’t know what’s going to happen – and maybe they are going to delay it further.
“Even if we have to start in July or August, what we have to do is finish these games even if it takes up until December, which writes off the [next] season.
“These are desperate times and this is an unusual circumstance.”
The former Liverpool FC winger continued: “If you’re going to give Liverpool the title who will then get relegated and promoted?
“You can’t just say, ‘Liverpool get the title because we’re so far ahead’ because then what happens to Leeds, West Brom and Fulham? And what happens to the three teams at the bottom of the Premier League?
“Obviously safety is the most important thing, but I think the best thing to do is to allow this season to take place, however long it takes.
“There’s no need to rush back. Now that the Euros has been postponed, even if you play one game a week from October, then the season goes on to January or February.
“Then you can have a proper pre-season and kick-start the new season at the right time rather than be playing catch-up for years.”
Liverpool FC currently sit 25 points clear at the top of the Premier League table and they are within touching distance of the title.
