‘It’s getting quite dirty behind the scenes’: Gary Neville says clubs at the bottom of the Premier League will get ‘BULLIED’ into playing again with ‘unsavoury, unkind’ football ignoring public call for unity
- Gary Neville says struggling Premier League clubs will be ‘bullied’ into playing
- Those lower down the table are against the idea of playing at neutral venues
- Some want relegation to be scrapped before they’ll consider returning to action
- Neville believes Premier League talks are ‘getting quite dirty behind the scenes’
Gary Neville believes talks around the Premier League resuming have become ‘dirty behind the scenes’ and those lower down the table will get ‘bullied into playing again’ as clubs jostle to try and get the season completed.
The three teams occupying the Premier League’s bottom three places have been warned that relegation could be imposed on them if they continue to obstruct plans to resume the season next month at neutral venues.
Clubs are due to meet to discuss Project Restart on Monday and those desperate to restart the season could demand a vote to determine the relegation issue if Norwich, Aston Villa and Bournemouth don’t back plans to resume.
Gary Neville says clubs at the bottom of the Premier League will get ‘bullied’ into resuming
Aston Villa, Norwich and Bournemouth sit in the bottom three and could be relegated by way of a vote if they continue to obstruct plans to resume the season next month at neutral venues
Aston Villa chief executive Christian Purslow and his opposite number at Brighton, Paul Barber, have both spoken publicly on their clubs’ wishes for matches not to be played at neutral venues.
The current bottom three and Brighton had not been the most vocal in objecting though with West Ham and Watford also among the clubs against the current proposals.
But it is the first major sign of in-fighting within the top flight as clubs battle to save themselves from further financial losses brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
And, speaking on Thursday’s The Football Show on Sky Sports, Neville insisted the bickering was becoming ‘unsavoury’ and warned some clubs may be ‘bullied’ into playing again.
The Manchester United legend said: ‘There is no doubt we have got a divided Premier League in terms of what the clubs want. The message from day one of this pandemic is a global approach, unity, be kind.
Teams around the relegation zone are against the idea of playing matches at neutral venues
‘Football is not a kind place at this moment in time, it is self interest and it is getting quite dirty behind the scenes, from what it sounds like.
‘What about health? It is unsavoury. I don’t believe it is a fair approach to avoid relegation. If we are playing football matches then there has to be something on it or there is no point turning up.
‘Promotion and relegation is what drives our game and makes it as competitive as it is. I am not for removing it. Look at Germany and how they dealt with the pandemic, it is head and shoulders above this country so it’s not a fair comparison.
‘Clubs at the bottom were always going to get bullied into playing if there was a way to deliver it safely.’
Speaking on the issue of giving up home advantage, Purslow told talkSPORT on Wednesday: ‘Personally I am against it. We are a club that prides itself on home form.
Brighton chief executive Paul Barber will not change his mind about playing in neutral grounds
Aston Villa’s Christian Purslow says his club ‘pride themselves’ on their home form this season
‘Two-thirds of our wins this season came at home. We have six left. Giving up that advantage is a massive decision and I certainly wouldn’t agree to it unless the circumstances are right. My duty is to my club.’
Barber said on Monday: ‘Neutral venues just simply changes the nature of the competition and what we would consider to be unfair and not the right way to go.’
There are no plans for a formal vote at next Monday’s meeting, but the clubs will be asked to approve some elements of the Project Restart plan.
The Premier League require 14 clubs to vote in favour to pass a motion and the support of the bottom three would probably be enough to swing the balance in favour of Project Restart.
Any plans for the season to get back underway will require the backing of the Premier League Doctors’ Group.
Neville admitted having doctors on the players’ side is a huge boost because they will not take risks and will demand a comprehensive plan of how football can return safely.
Jamie Redknapp insisted Premier League players will be confident they can talk to their doctor
He added: ‘Doctors are conservative in their approach, they don’t wan’t to take risks.
‘They will look at Germany and there is no doubt the Premier League are going to follow suit and go for this and the medical professionals want some level of comfort.
‘Who you trust in your football club, the doctor is number one. Players will go to the doctor with every single problem they have got.
‘They will be getting calls left right and centre asking questions on how things are going to operate and they will be putting those forward to the Premier League to answer.’
Jamie Redknapp added: ‘Doctors always have the best interest, physios can be influenced by managers.
‘Players think they have that trust with the doctor. They will feel secure that they can speak to the doctors.’