The Premier League are preparing to tell clubs that the 2020-21 season will start in September, regardless of when the current campaign finishes.
According to the Daily Mail, the weekend of 12th-13th September has been circled in the diaries in permanent marker with the Premier League determined to have a prompt start to next season. The report adds that there is such a strong view on this that any further delay to Project Restart, currently slated for June 19th or 26th, could see the plug pulled completely.
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Premier League bosses are motivated to have their 2020-21 season on as similar a timetable as the other major leagues on the continent, to simplify European competitions and national team schedules. They will apparently inform clubs of these plans at a meeting of shareholders on Thursday.
So what does this mean for Spurs?
Potentially a very short turnaround time between seasons, which is far from ideal for Jose Mourinho. Although his players will be refreshed by the Covid-19 break, he will have limited opportunity to work with them as a group. He has been looking forward to next pre-season since arriving.
You’d imagine the transfer window will either be shortened to fill the small gap between seasons, or relaxed to allow clubs to buy players right up until the end of January. Neither is good news for Spurs. We have lots to do and very little financial resource to do it with. Being restricted for time as well will only make things more difficult. On the other hand, a longer transfer window will give Daniel Levy an excuse to barter clubs into oblivion, and Jose needs the players sooner than later. If he does get them sooner, what chance will he have to bed them into the team to be ready for kick off?
I know it’s the same for all clubs, but this was a pivotal summer for us, and this proposed schedule wouldn’t give Jose the fair crack that he deserves.
Hiking prices would be a big mistake when fans are likely to be struggling after furlough snd unemployment problems. They need to be strong and freeze everything.
Liverpool and Spurs leading a revolt against having to refund the Sky/BT /Amazon group their £300 million. The top six will have to pay back about £30 million each and lower down the table teams will have to pony up £10 million each, it’s all to do with TV appearances, prize money etc. Unbelievably Liverpool et al are trying to argue that the product on show without crowds will be just as good. They don’t want to to give extra access to players and dressing rooms as they think it will be demanded every season. They are trying to argue that because there will be huge TV interest and some free to air games (actually only five) and that there will be games at the sacred time of three o’clock on Saturday afternoon no refund is justified. Well good luck with that, I can’t see Sky etc backing down when The Premier League has failed to deliver the products promised in their contracts. Also every week the season goes beyond the middle of July the clubs have to refund over £30 million each week. It also looks like the mega TV deals that increase by twenty per cent with every renegotiation are done. Very good article covering this on the Guardian football site. Those season tickets, football shirts and magnetically poured pints are going to get very expensive I think.