Friday Fulham Stuff - 17/04/20...

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Five players Scott Parker could sign for Fulham this summer

Scott Parker may be using the break from football to identify possible transfer targets for the summer. Here are five players he could sign-

Junior Stanislas, AFC Bournemouth- The Fulham boss played with the winger at West Ham United. Stanislas, who is 30 years old, has been on the books with Bournemouth for the past six years and may fancy a new challenge next season.

Tom Huddlestone, Derby County- He is out of contract with the Rams in June and could become available on a free transfer this summer. The experienced midfielder is a former teammate of Parker from Tottenham Hotspur and could be on his radar.

Tom Carroll, free agent- The former Spurs and Swansea City man will be weighing up his options over the coming months. He would add more options and depth to Fulham's midfield department next term and could be worth a gamble by the Championship promotion hopefuls.

Kyle Naughton, Swansea City- He also played with Parker at Spurs and is due to become a free agent in a couple of months time as it stands. The 31 year old has racked up over 350 appearances in his career having also played for Sheffield United and Norwich City in the past.

Alex Pritchard, Huddersfield Town- The winger played for Tottenham as a youngster during Parker's spell there and may be on his transfer wishlist. He only has a year left on his contract at Huddersfield so they might be open to selling him for a fee this summer.



https://the72.co.uk/160651/five-players-scott-parker-could-sign-for-fulham-this-summer/

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The Sunday Night Quiz Returns!

Following the success of our first instalment, the Sunday Night Fulham Quiz will be back this weekend.

The quiz will be hosted live on YouTube and FFCtv by matchday announcer Ivan Berry, and we want as many supporters as possible to tune in and play along simultaneously. The link will be live in advance, so just make sure you've got a pen and paper ready for the 7pm kick-off.

There will again be four rounds, this time consisting of:

    General Knowledge
    Louis Saha
    Fulhamerica
    Nicknames

We have also taken feedback on board, so you will have more time to think about your answers this Sunday 😊

Make sure you head to Twitter afterwards to let us know how you got on!



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2020/april/16/the-sunday-night-fulham-quiz-returns

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Points per game? Predicting results? Last meetings? If the Premier League season DOES end early, here's how the final table could be decided. However you do it, there's only ONE way to stop Liverpool

    Premier League is coming under mounting pressure to end season by June 30
    But with the UK still in coronavirus lockdown, time to play games is running out
    The 20 clubs may have to come to agreement on solution to finish the season
    Some are in favour of declaring the whole 2019-20 season null and void
    A formula such as points-per-game average could produce a final league table
    Or existing table could become the final one, though there are many drawbacks

The Premier League will come under mounting pressure from some of its clubs at a meeting on Friday to complete the season by June 30.

Clubs increasingly fear the implications of a campaign that overruns into July amid the coronavirus crisis, especially when it comes to contracts with players and sponsors.

But with no sign of the UK lockdown ending anytime soon, the time window in which to play the remaining fixtures is narrowing.


Liverpool led the Premier League by 25 points when the coronavirus pandemic paused the season last month - now clubs must decide the best method to conclude the season


How the race for the European places in the Premier League looked when football stopped


And here's how the relegation battle looked when the Premier League was suspended in March

And so the need to decide on a method to conclude the Premier League season is growing ever more urgent if those games can't be safely played.

Sportsmail outlines some of the possible options and their advantages and disadvantages.

OPTION ONE: Declare the season null and void

Very much the nuclear option. Basically, the Premier League cancels the season with nine matches to play (10 in the case of Manchester City, Sheffield United and Aston Villa) and pretends it never happened.

The results are expunged and the season is declared null and void. The history books simply say 'season cancelled owing to coronavirus pandemic' for all eternity.

The line up of 20 teams remains the same with no relegation and a solution is found to determine which clubs qualify for Europe once it's safe for the 2020-21 season to get underway.

Pros: Offers a clean break and draws a line under the 2019-20 season; players and managers can relax knowing they don't have to return to action at short notice; teams currently in the relegation zone are thrilled as they get another season in the Premier League.

Cons: Incredibly harsh on Liverpool - 25 points clear at the top of the table - who are denied their first league title in 30 years; some teams still challenging for European football next season miss out on Champions League cash; UEFA could punish England by barring entry to European competitions next season or reduces places as they've threatened to do with Belgium.

Teams leading the way in the Championship miss out on promotion and associated riches of playing in the Premier League next season; opens the door to all kinds of legal action from clubs, broadcasters and sponsors; there would be frustration if the lockdown is lifted in the next few weeks and the season could have been finished after all.

OPTION TWO: Predict the remaining fixtures

There are 92 games left to play in the Premier League this season and this solution would see their outcome predicted using teams' home and away form.

For each game, the home team's average points per home game this season is compared against the away team's average points per away game this season.

To take account of form, an extra weighting for the past five home and away matches respectively is factored into the equation.

If one team's figure is at least 0.2 greater than the other, they win the match. If it's less, the match is drawn.

For example, as calculated by The Times, this Sunday's Sheffield United versus Wolves fixture would be a home win.

United have a home average of 1.6 this season and Wolves an away average of 1.5 but the Blades have won three of their last five home league games, while Wolves have lost two of their last five on the road. So Sheffield United would be calculated as the winner on form.

Champions League (1st place downwards): Liverpool, Leicester City, Chelsea, Sheffield United (assuming Manchester City banned from Europe)

Europa League: Manchester United

Relegated (18th downwards): Watford, Aston Villa, Norwich

Pros Neatly takes into account all the remaining fixtures to produce a final table; takes into account the significant factor of form as well as factor of home advantage; final table not wildly different from how it stands now.

Cons Can never factor for the many, many random factors that decide the outcome of matches (i.e. red cards, injuries).

OPTION THREE: First meetings this season

This method only counts games from the first 19 rounds of the season to avoid differences in opposition (for example, some sides have played Liverpool twice already which would count against them).

The final table is based upon the results of those first meetings this season and so is at least based entirely on what's already happened rather than predictions.

Champions League: Liverpool, Leicester City, Chelsea, Manchester United

Europa League: Sheffield United

Relegated: Aston Villa, Watford, Norwich City

Pros An equal number of games for each club and ensures each team has played each other.

Cons Takes no account of form, so teams who have performed well in recent weeks are left disadvantaged; in being based purely on the opening half of the season it doesn't take into account improvements as a result of managerial changes (i.e. Watford's upturn under Nigel Pearson) or January signings; obvious question over whether 19 games constitutes a fair league table.

OPTION FOUR: Points per game

This relatively straightforward method produces a final table by dividing teams' current points totals by games played to get a point-per-game (PPG) average.

Goal difference is then used to separate any teams that finish level on PPG.

The only changes to the table affects those teams with a game in hand, so Sheffield United (1.54 PPG) would leapfrog Wolves (1.48) into sixth position and Arsenal (1.43) overtake Tottenham (1.41) into eighth.

Aston Villa also have a game in hand but unfortunately their points-per-game isn't good enough to climb out of the drop zone.

Champions League: Liverpool, Leicester City, Chelsea, Manchester United

Europa League: Sheffield United

Relegated: Bournemouth, Aston Villa, Norwich City

Pros Simple to work out and extrapolate existing points tallies; takes account of every game played in the three-quarters of the season to date; takes account of games in hand; league table doesn't alter a great deal from the present.

Cons Likely to anger those teams relegated, who would no doubt argue they would have picked up form in the run-in; disregards relative ease/difficulty of remaining games on the fixture list.

OPTION FIVE: Predicting outcome of remaining games plus historic results

This was a model devised by statisticians Opta and StatsPerform when the league was stopped a few weeks ago and takes into account quite a few things.

It estimated the probabilities of a win, draw or defeat in the remaining games based on each team's attacking and defensive quality.

These qualities are based on four years of historic results, with more weighing given to more recent results. It also takes into account the quality of the opposition.

StatsPerform simulated the outcome of the season 10,000 times in order to produce the final league standings.


Opta used years of data to simulate how the current Premier League table will end up

Champions League: Liverpool, Leicester City, Chelsea, Manchester United

Europa League: Tottenham

Relegated: Bournemouth, Aston Villa, Norwich City

Pros Certainly comprehensive and takes into account strengths/weaknesses of each team plus form.

Cons Only produces a probability for each finishing position so less definitive; pretty complicated for anyone to understand; those who've done well in last few seasons have an extra advantage.

OPTION SIX: Leave the table as it is (with relegation)

The league table is frozen in time as it looked when the Premier League was suspended and this is taken as the final outcome.

The argument is the old cliche that the table rarely lies at this stage of the season and European places and relegation is decided accordingly.

The bottom three drop down and the top three from the Championship are promoted in their place, with the season in the EFL also ended.

Champions League: Liverpool, Leicester City, Chelsea, Manchester United

Europa League: Wolves

Relegated: Bournemouth, Aston Villa, Norwich City

Pros Draws a line under the season and allows players and managers to start planning for next season knowing where they stand; with 29/38 matches completed, argument can be made for saying table is a fair reflection of the season; ensures West Brom and Leeds at top of the Championship get the promotion they deserve.

Cons Would quickly turn into a legal minefield with clubs who had a chance of qualifying for Europe or staying up left furious; the relegated teams and those that miss out on European competition hit hard financially; league table is so tight much could change in remaining nine games; integrity of Premier League competition is damaged; unfair on those below third-placed Fulham in the Championship who might have won promotion through the play-offs.

OPTION SEVEN: Leave table as it is (expand the league)

One other suggestion from these past few weeks is to leave the table as it currently looks but not have any relegation this season.

Instead, the 20 teams currently in the Premier League remain and are joined by Leeds and West Brom - the top two in the Championship - to create a 22-team league next season.

This would be a return to the early years of the Premier League, when there were 22 teams. There would accordingly be a knock-on effect through the divisions of the EFL with relegation and promotion adjusted accordingly for 2020-21.

Champions League: Liverpool, Leicester City, Chelsea, Manchester United

Europa League: Wolves

Relegated: Nobody

Pros Clean break with the season but avoids some of the aforementioned arguments with teams down the bottom end of the table; avoids the financial hit of relegation at a time when income has dried up; rewards Leeds and West Brom for their fine seasons in the Championship.

Cons The teams that miss out on Europe because of the season ending early are still upset (for example, Sheffield United and Tottenham); expanded league just adds to fixture congestion issues that are already a sore point for some managers; unfair on those in Championship play-off positions (for example, Fulham six points off West Brom with seven games left); requires adjustments right down the EFL divisions; would have to have extra relegation place in 2020-21.



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-8225143/Coronavirus-options-conclude-Premier-League-season.html

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The end of season vote that could have huge implications for Fulham, Leeds and West Brom

The Scottish Championship, League One and League Two seasons are over - but the Scottish Premiership is to continue


Scott Parker looks concerned (Image: Photo by Jordan Mansfield/Getty Images)

The Scottish Championship, League One and League Two campaigns have been brought to an end following Dundee's decision to vote yes to an Scottish Professional Football League resolution.

As a result of Dundee's decision, their arch rivals, Dundee United, have been crowned champions of the Ladbrokes Championship, Raith Rovers the champions of Ladbrokes League One and Cove Rangers the champions of League Two, with placings determined by the points average method..

However, the SPFL has not said if those sides will be promoted and if Partick Thistle and Stranraer will be relegated.

But the SPFL have confirmed that they will launch a taskforce to explore an expanded Premiership for next season.

It is a major step for the Scottish FA to call a halt to the season for all leagues below the top flight and it would have major implications if the English FA were to follow suit.

Reports emerged on Wednesday that leading Premier League clubs had joined forces in calling for the season to be finished before the end of June.

And if the English FA follows the same plan as Scotland, that would have a huge impact on the likes of Leeds United, West Bromwich Albion and Fulham in the Championship.

If England did follow Scotland's lead, Leeds would be crowned Championship winners, with West Brom second and Fulham third, given all teams in the league have played the same number of games.

Whether Fulham would be granted promotion, or a series of play-off games were scheduled for the restart, however, would be a matter for discussion.

The SPFL now has the power to end the Premiership campaign should they deem it impossible for the outstanding fixtures to be played.

However, the league says it is "committed to consulting" with the Premiership clubs before doing so.

A total of 81% of Scotland's 42 senior clubs have backed the resolution, meaning end-of-season payments can be made to the lower league sides by the end of this week.

A statement released by SPFL chairman Murdoch MacLennan said: "It is no exaggeration to say that this was an existential matter for Scottish clubs, with many of them telling us they were at real risk of going under unless the situation was resolved very quickly, so I'm pleased that the game has moved decisively.

"There was always going to be a highly-charged and passionate debate about how we secure the future of Scottish football. But what has been agreed today is not just the best way forward, it was the only realistic way forward.

"I now call on all 42 clubs to move forward in a constructive and positive way."

Earlier on Wednesday, Dundee had said that it was initially their "intention" to reject the plans to end the season now and that their ballot paper was submitted by last Friday's requested deadline.

However, Dundee have now reversed their decision, meaning the Scottish Championship, League One and League Two campaigns are now over.



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/end-season-vote-could-huge-18100317

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The moment former Sheffield Wednesday loanee Michael Hector realised he needed to put down some roots

The towering centre-half spent last season on loan with the Owls


Michael Hector played 37 games for the Owls last season. (Photo by Nathan Stirk/Getty Images)

Michael Hector said he realised during his loan spell with Sheffield Wednesday that he needed to find a permanent home to "put some proper roots down".

The giant centre-back joined the Owls on a temporary basis last season, featuring 37 times in their mid-table finish.

Wednesday were the 15th loan spell of Hector's nomadic playing career.

Although he was on Chelsea's books for four years, Hector never played for the Premier League club.

And Hector, who won the Owls' player of the year award last season, left his boyhood club in September. He moved to Fulham for an undisclosed fee but was forced to wait until January to make his Cottagers bow because the transfer was completed after the summer transfer window shut.

"My son was born towards the end of my loan at Hull and, while I enjoyed playing in Sheffield the following year, after that loan I couldn't do it anymore," Hector told The Athletic.

"I realised that about halfway through last season. We found it hard getting my son into a routine, even when he was up with me in Sheffield, and just needed to be able to plan a bit more long-term. It didn't matter whether it was in London, wherever. I needed to put some proper roots down.

"I want to play at the top level, I am still ambitious, but I have to do right by my family as well. Moving around each year started to feel selfish. It was the right time to go to a club where I could build something.

"Fulham was perfect. I still live in Essex, but travelling round the M25 is nothing compared to driving up north as regularly as I once did, or even moving to a different country with Eintracht. There was a sadness that things hadn't worked out as I'd imagined they would at Chelsea, but moving to Fulham and playing... it felt like going home."

Hector has made a big impact at Craven Cottage, with Scott Parker's side having lost only once in the 11 league matches Hector has played. The Jamaican international has also helped them keep six clean sheets.

He said: "When I looked at the squad I was joining, it was scary to see how good the players they had were. I had played against them when they were promoted through the play-offs in 2018, and this is basically that squad with class players like Anthony Knockaert and Ivan Cavaleiro thrown in. You knew you'd have a great chance, seeing that."

Wednesday inquired about the possibility of signing Hector last year but were priced out of the deal after Chelsea quoted £5m for the 27-year-old.



https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/football/moment-former-sheffield-wednesday-loanee-18101395

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Riverside Update

The latest update on works carried out on the Riverside development includes a steel frame construction at the Putney End corner to incorporate TV studios and event control room.

Recent works have also included piling works and river walkway precast concrete troughs with steel reinforcement in place and ready for concrete infill.

A selection of recent photos available:



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2020/april/16/riverside-update

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Send Us Your Hamburg Photos!

Throughout the season, we're celebrating the 10 year anniversary of Fulham's extraordinary run to the Europa League Final.

That immense 19-match campaign gave supporters the opportunity to follow their Club to a number of new countries, creating some fantastic memories as you followed Fulham away.

Therefore, on the anniversary of each fixture, we want to showcase a gallery of your photos from those away trips, be it pictures from the game itself, pre-match merriment with your fellow fans, or any snaps you may have got with Fulham players.

This Wednesday (April 22nd) will be 10 years to the day of our Semi-Final First Leg tie with Hamburg, so we'd like those of you who headed to Germany to send us your pictures from the trip. (No photos from the Final yet, please!)

Please email any photos you'd like included to [email protected].



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2020/april/17/send-us-your-hamburg-photos

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My favourite Bristol City player: Jamie Evans on how Bobby Reid broke his heart

The latest in our series celebrating Robins icons, great players and cult heroes, told through the eyes of the fans


Bobby Reid of Bristol City celebrates scoring a goal from the penalty spot for a hat trick

Each week a different City fan will name their favourite player and detail their unique reasons why. Last week Dave Skinner delved into the magic of Scott Murray and next up is the turn of Match Magazine writer and Robins fanatic Jamie Evans ...

The first time I saw Bobby Reid play was August 2013, in a Capital One Cup tie against Crystal Palace.

As a recent graduate with very little money, it was a rare trip to Ashton Gate for me, and a glimpse of the future. There were nine new signings in the matchday squad and four academy graduates, including Reid.

Many of the players involved that night will undoubtedly earn their own tributes in this series: Aden Flint, Joe Bryan and Marvin Elliott all started the game, with Marlon Pack and Frankie Fielding on the bench, while Aaron Wilbraham led the line for the visitors.

The mercurial Jay Emmanuel-Thomas demonstrated his raw talent with a typical solo goal, yet it was the skinny bundle of energy in midfield that really stood out.

Reid had everything you'd want from an attacking midfielder: a perfect blend of technical ability and work-rate. He was brave on the ball, trying to make things happen with every touch, and playing with the confidence of a man that had scored on his first Championship start four months earlier.

After he had set up City's second goal in a 2-1 victory, I left the game convinced I had seen a star of the future.

If you'd told me then that it would take four years for Reid to become a regular starter for City, I'd have been stunned.

While Steve Cotterill was guiding the club to a league and cup double, the young midfielder was on loan at Plymouth. When he returned, he found his path to the first team blocked by the likes of Luke Freeman and Lee Tomlin.

In search of his best position and regular starts, it seemed that he would have to leave Ashton Gate to fulfil his potential.

The summer of 2017 changed everything.

Utilising Reid's energy and technical ability up front, and using preseason to coach him in the finer arts of forward play, would prove to be one of Lee Johnson's greatest masterstrokes.

Watching Reid in his new position, the overwhelming feeling was one of pride; pride that the club and city I love could produce such a natural talent, and develop him into a player of skill, intelligence and work-rate.

As his ex-teammate and close friend Rayan Wilson put it in an interview with The Guardian : "Bobby's like a wind-up toy that you've wound up as much as you can. You take it to the end of the table, it doesn't just fall off and stop, it falls off and keeps going until the batteries are done. He's like: 'I've got this energy, and I'm to going give the manager everything I've got.'"

And of course, there were the goals.

It didn't take long to forget about Tammy Abraham, as Reid opened his account with two on the opening day.

He scored against Fulham for the second season in a row in another memorable trip to Craven Cottage, and had City fans dreaming of the Premier League with goals against promotion rivals Wolves, Derby and Leeds.

When he snatched a point in the 98th minute at Griffin Park, the limbs in the away end were incredible, but they were nothing compared to that night at the Etihad. The whole of Manchester seemed to shake as 8,000 City fans bounced around after Reid's first half penalty. Not since 2008 had such an historic achievement been so close.

City finished higher in the league the following season, and are on course to do so again if the current campaign ever resumes. But in terms of performances, the 2017/18 season was the peak of Johnson-ball: quick, creative and skilful with the ball; energetic and aggressive without it.

Nobody encapsulated the essence of that team better than Reid.

Perhaps his best game in a red shirt came in City's 4-0 win against Sheffield Wednesday, and it's well worth re-watching. Some of the football City played that day was breath taking, and Reid was at the heart of all of it. His three goals against The Owls would be his amongst his last for the club.

There is an elephant in the room, and it's wearing a Cardiff shirt.

When I heard that Reid had left City to join the Bluebirds, I was devastated. Why them ?

I began to question the very essence of being a football fan. What is the point, I asked myself, in investing so much in people that will desert you as soon as Neil Warnock flutters his eyelashes at them? Why bother?

Ahead of City's visit to Fulham in December, Joe Bryan told Sky Sports, "Ultimately, he gave the club 14 years of service, and left for a team in a higher division. Rival or not, they were in the Premier League, and he couldn't turn it down. I don't see why anyone would begrudge him that."

The heart-breaking thing is, he's absolutely right.

Footballers get one career, and most of them dream of playing in the Premier League. To date, Reid has scored 42 goals in his career, and half of them came in 2017/18. That offer from Cardiff may have been his only chance to play at the highest level. And I expect him to turn it down because it hurt my feelings?

Bobby Reid broke my heart. But if you gave me the chance to relive his goals against Fulham at Craven Cottage, the moment the ball drops to him in Brentford's six-yard box, or the night in Manchester where we dared to dream, I'd do it all again.



https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/favourite-bristol-city-player-jamie-4053881

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Points per game? Predicting results? Last meetings? If the Premier League season DOES end early, here's how the final table could be decided. However you do it, there's only ONE way to stop Liverpool

    Premier League is coming under mounting pressure to end season by June 30
    But with the UK still in coronavirus lockdown, time to play games is running out
    The 20 clubs may have to come to agreement on solution to finish the season
    Some are in favour of declaring the whole 2019-20 season null and void
    A formula such as points-per-game average could produce a final league table
    Or existing table could become the final one, though there are many drawbacks

The Premier League will come under mounting pressure from some of its clubs at a meeting on Friday to complete the season by June 30.

Clubs increasingly fear the implications of a campaign that overruns into July amid the coronavirus crisis, especially when it comes to contracts with players and sponsors.

But with no sign of the UK lockdown ending anytime soon, the time window in which to play the remaining fixtures is narrowing.


Liverpool led the Premier League by 25 points when the coronavirus pandemic paused the season last month - now clubs must decide the best method to conclude the season


How the race for the European places in the Premier League looked when football stopped


And here's how the relegation battle looked when the Premier League was suspended in March

And so the need to decide on a method to conclude the Premier League season is growing ever more urgent if those games can't be safely played.

Sportsmail outlines some of the possible options and their advantages and disadvantages.

OPTION ONE: Declare the season null and void

Very much the nuclear option. Basically, the Premier League cancels the season with nine matches to play (10 in the case of Manchester City, Sheffield United and Aston Villa) and pretends it never happened.

The results are expunged and the season is declared null and void. The history books simply say 'season cancelled owing to coronavirus pandemic' for all eternity.

The line up of 20 teams remains the same with no relegation and a solution is found to determine which clubs qualify for Europe once it's safe for the 2020-21 season to get underway.

Pros: Offers a clean break and draws a line under the 2019-20 season; players and managers can relax knowing they don't have to return to action at short notice; teams currently in the relegation zone are thrilled as they get another season in the Premier League.

Cons: Incredibly harsh on Liverpool - 25 points clear at the top of the table - who are denied their first league title in 30 years; some teams still challenging for European football next season miss out on Champions League cash; UEFA could punish England by barring entry to European competitions next season or reduces places as they've threatened to do with Belgium.

Teams leading the way in the Championship miss out on promotion and associated riches of playing in the Premier League next season; opens the door to all kinds of legal action from clubs, broadcasters and sponsors; there would be frustration if the lockdown is lifted in the next few weeks and the season could have been finished after all.

OPTION TWO: Predict the remaining fixtures

There are 92 games left to play in the Premier League this season and this solution would see their outcome predicted using teams' home and away form.

For each game, the home team's average points per home game this season is compared against the away team's average points per away game this season.

To take account of form, an extra weighting for the past five home and away matches respectively is factored into the equation.

If one team's figure is at least 0.2 greater than the other, they win the match. If it's less, the match is drawn.

For example, as calculated by The Times, this Sunday's Sheffield United versus Wolves fixture would be a home win.

United have a home average of 1.6 this season and Wolves an away average of 1.5 but the Blades have won three of their last five home league games, while Wolves have lost two of their last five on the road. So Sheffield United would be calculated as the winner on form.

Champions League (1st place downwards): Liverpool, Leicester City, Chelsea, Sheffield United (assuming Manchester City banned from Europe)

Europa League: Manchester United

Relegated (18th downwards): Watford, Aston Villa, Norwich

Pros Neatly takes into account all the remaining fixtures to produce a final table; takes into account the significant factor of form as well as factor of home advantage; final table not wildly different from how it stands now.

Cons Can never factor for the many, many random factors that decide the outcome of matches (i.e. red cards, injuries).

OPTION THREE: First meetings this season

This method only counts games from the first 19 rounds of the season to avoid differences in opposition (for example, some sides have played Liverpool twice already which would count against them).

The final table is based upon the results of those first meetings this season and so is at least based entirely on what's already happened rather than predictions.

Champions League: Liverpool, Leicester City, Chelsea, Manchester United

Europa League: Sheffield United

Relegated: Aston Villa, Watford, Norwich City

Pros An equal number of games for each club and ensures each team has played each other.

Cons Takes no account of form, so teams who have performed well in recent weeks are left disadvantaged; in being based purely on the opening half of the season it doesn't take into account improvements as a result of managerial changes (i.e. Watford's upturn under Nigel Pearson) or January signings; obvious question over whether 19 games constitutes a fair league table.

OPTION FOUR: Points per game

This relatively straightforward method produces a final table by dividing teams' current points totals by games played to get a point-per-game (PPG) average.

Goal difference is then used to separate any teams that finish level on PPG.

The only changes to the table affects those teams with a game in hand, so Sheffield United (1.54 PPG) would leapfrog Wolves (1.48) into sixth position and Arsenal (1.43) overtake Tottenham (1.41) into eighth.

Aston Villa also have a game in hand but unfortunately their points-per-game isn't good enough to climb out of the drop zone.

Champions League: Liverpool, Leicester City, Chelsea, Manchester United

Europa League: Sheffield United

Relegated: Bournemouth, Aston Villa, Norwich City

Pros Simple to work out and extrapolate existing points tallies; takes account of every game played in the three-quarters of the season to date; takes account of games in hand; league table doesn't alter a great deal from the present.

Cons Likely to anger those teams relegated, who would no doubt argue they would have picked up form in the run-in; disregards relative ease/difficulty of remaining games on the fixture list.

OPTION FIVE: Predicting outcome of remaining games plus historic results

This was a model devised by statisticians Opta and StatsPerform when the league was stopped a few weeks ago and takes into account quite a few things.

It estimated the probabilities of a win, draw or defeat in the remaining games based on each team's attacking and defensive quality.

These qualities are based on four years of historic results, with more weighing given to more recent results. It also takes into account the quality of the opposition.

StatsPerform simulated the outcome of the season 10,000 times in order to produce the final league standings.


Opta used years of data to simulate how the current Premier League table will end up

Champions League: Liverpool, Leicester City, Chelsea, Manchester United

Europa League: Tottenham

Relegated: Bournemouth, Aston Villa, Norwich City

Pros Certainly comprehensive and takes into account strengths/weaknesses of each team plus form.

Cons Only produces a probability for each finishing position so less definitive; pretty complicated for anyone to understand; those who've done well in last few seasons have an extra advantage.

OPTION SIX: Leave the table as it is (with relegation)

The league table is frozen in time as it looked when the Premier League was suspended and this is taken as the final outcome.

The argument is the old cliche that the table rarely lies at this stage of the season and European places and relegation is decided accordingly.

The bottom three drop down and the top three from the Championship are promoted in their place, with the season in the EFL also ended.

Champions League: Liverpool, Leicester City, Chelsea, Manchester United

Europa League: Wolves

Relegated: Bournemouth, Aston Villa, Norwich City

Pros Draws a line under the season and allows players and managers to start planning for next season knowing where they stand; with 29/38 matches completed, argument can be made for saying table is a fair reflection of the season; ensures West Brom and Leeds at top of the Championship get the promotion they deserve.

Cons Would quickly turn into a legal minefield with clubs who had a chance of qualifying for Europe or staying up left furious; the relegated teams and those that miss out on European competition hit hard financially; league table is so tight much could change in remaining nine games; integrity of Premier League competition is damaged; unfair on those below third-placed Fulham in the Championship who might have won promotion through the play-offs.

OPTION SEVEN: Leave table as it is (expand the league)

One other suggestion from these past few weeks is to leave the table as it currently looks but not have any relegation this season.

Instead, the 20 teams currently in the Premier League remain and are joined by Leeds and West Brom - the top two in the Championship - to create a 22-team league next season.

This would be a return to the early years of the Premier League, when there were 22 teams. There would accordingly be a knock-on effect through the divisions of the EFL with relegation and promotion adjusted accordingly for 2020-21.

Champions League: Liverpool, Leicester City, Chelsea, Manchester United

Europa League: Wolves

Relegated: Nobody

Pros Clean break with the season but avoids some of the aforementioned arguments with teams down the bottom end of the table; avoids the financial hit of relegation at a time when income has dried up; rewards Leeds and West Brom for their fine seasons in the Championship.

Cons The teams that miss out on Europe because of the season ending early are still upset (for example, Sheffield United and Tottenham); expanded league just adds to fixture congestion issues that are already a sore point for some managers; unfair on those in Championship play-off positions (for example, Fulham six points off West Brom with seven games left); requires adjustments right down the EFL divisions; would have to have extra relegation place in 2020-21.



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-8225143/Coronavirus-options-conclude-Premier-League-season.html

Slack reporting.See last paragraph  7 games left this season in Championship  apparently.??

[mrmicawbers]

Five players Scott Parker could sign for Fulham this summer

Scott Parker may be using the break from football to identify possible transfer targets for the summer. Here are five players he could sign-

Junior Stanislas, AFC Bournemouth- The Fulham boss played with the winger at West Ham United. Stanislas, who is 30 years old, has been on the books with Bournemouth for the past six years and may fancy a new challenge next season.

Tom Huddlestone, Derby County- He is out of contract with the Rams in June and could become available on a free transfer this summer. The experienced midfielder is a former teammate of Parker from Tottenham Hotspur and could be on his radar.

Tom Carroll, free agent- The former Spurs and Swansea City man will be weighing up his options over the coming months. He would add more options and depth to Fulham's midfield department next term and could be worth a gamble by the Championship promotion hopefuls.

Kyle Naughton, Swansea City- He also played with Parker at Spurs and is due to become a free agent in a couple of months time as it stands. The 31 year old has racked up over 350 appearances in his career having also played for Sheffield United and Norwich City in the past.

Alex Pritchard, Huddersfield Town- The winger played for Tottenham as a youngster during Parker's spell there and may be on his transfer wishlist. He only has a year left on his contract at Huddersfield so they might be open to selling him for a fee this summer.



https://the72.co.uk/160651/five-players-scott-parker-could-sign-for-fulham-this-summer/

I thought it was April the 1st again.