Former Liverpool star Phil Thompson believes that the club have to be crowned champions despite the suspension of the Premier League, per Sky Sports via The London Evening Standard.
What’s the word?
The competition has been put on hold until April 3rd at the earliest.
The Reds are currently a staggering 25 points ahead of second-placed Manchester City; mathematically, only City can stop them from winning the title, but it would take a collapse of epic proportions from Jurgen Klopp’s side.
Thompson does not believe that the Premier League can be cancelled – he cites the hopes of Leicester City, in third, who appear on the verge of qualifying for the Champions League – and thinks the Reds need to be awarded the title even if the season cannot resume.
He won seven league titles during his time on Merseyside.
He said: “There’s still ramifications even if you do that. What do you do with the teams in the Champions League positions? Because Leicester City are quite healthily in third, they’d be extremely worried if you went to the teams that finished in the top four last season.
“There are still going to be problems. It won’t just end with it being null and void. It’s an extremely serious and unprecedented situation.
“But it’s not like Liverpool are two points clear, they’re 25 points clear and we’re three-quarters of the way through the season. It would be extremely hard to say Liverpool aren’t champions.”
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Asterisk
There is always going to be an asterisk next to Liverpool’s name if the season isn’t concluded.
That isn’t their fault.
But the season really needs to finish before they can be properly crowned.
Of course, if that isn’t possible, then perhaps the best solution would be to follow what Thompson has said and give them the title.
But it brings up a host of other questions, particularly relating to relegation and, as he says, the Champions League qualification spots.
A solution needs to be found.
But as it is, Liverpool will only be champions in name. One has to feel that’s not quite enough.
Meanwhile, Liverpool can slash their wage bill by doing this one thing!