Premier League return becomes increasingly pointless for Chelsea

The Premier League is still trying to figure out the format it will take when it returns. For Chelsea and others, it is becoming increasingly pointless.

There are tiers in the league that clubs play for. Some play to be champions. Other play for European spots. More play for safety from relegation. The remainder are just happy to be involved.

When/if the Premier League returns, almost all of these should still be on the table. Liverpool will surely be champions (and should be, in fairness). The European spots are not settled, but they are unlikely to change very much. Relegation is still hotly contested.

But the latest reports are that relegation may be scrapped if the league resumes. With the title already decided and Champions League and Europa League solvable by points per game, there is a growing sense that any return will be pretty pointless.

First of all, if the league does not continue, Liverpool is an easy champion to declare. Their lead is not total but it is virtually impossible for them to be toppled. Champions League spots and Europa League spots are up for grabs, but they can be determined somewhat fairly by points per game.

But if relegation is off the table, the league is practically trying to finish for the sake of finishing. The money lost will be negligible whether play resumes or not at this point. And as Frank Lampard has mentioned, the health care workers need testing too. Every Premier League match would require close to 100 tests per team that are being taken away from those workers.

Several other European countries have already cut their losses. The Premier League is not wrong in wanting to return, but it has to make sense to do so. If there is practically nothing to be played for and the costs of testing will be massive, then what is the point? Furthermore, what happens if a player or staff member does test positive? Will things be called off again after taking the risk?

If European football is all that is left to be played for, and if it must be played, then the Premier League can simply take those teams in the hunt and have them play a quick tournament. That would still require plenty of testing and risk, but it would at least minimize it from 20 teams to 10 or less. The numbers still are not great, but that at least would drop the risk exponentially.

There is nothing like being the only show in town and the Premier League seems adamant in making sure that it is them, even as other leagues recognize a return would be unwieldy if not foolhardy. Again, the Premier League is not wrong in wanting to return, but if the only point of it is to return for returning’s sake then there is no point at all.

Chelsea and all the other clubs should not have to participate simply because they can. In these dire times, smart decisions need to be made. A Premier League return without a title race and without relegation really is a smart and worthwhile decision at all.